After former President Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts in his Manhattan criminal trial, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow observed that his 2024 campaign for the presidency may soon take on a much darker tone.
While speaking on an MSNBC panel on Thursday evening, New York Times investigative reporter Susanne Craig remarked that one journalist at the courthouse asked Trump "why Americans should vote for a convicted felon," which the ex-president did not answer. She added that the 45th president of the United States will almost assuredly be asked that question every day on the campaign trail.
Maddow responded that the likely answer Trump will give to reporters will be that "he's only a convicted felon because the American legal system is illegitimate, and vote for me and I'll destroy it."
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"This is where we are, right? He's not running against [President] Joe Biden, he's running against the American system of government," Maddow said. "He's not running against Democrats, he's running against the democratic process."
"But in this case he's going to be running by saying that the American system of government, the fundamental thing that makes us who we are as a country —that we are governed by laws and not by men — he is going to say that that needs to be overturned and if you pick him he will do it," she added.
After the jury's verdict was read, Trump addressed reporters outside of the courtroom, once again complaining that the process was "rigged" against him. In an all-caps post on his Truth Social account, the 45th president of the United States called his 34 felony convictions a "DISGRACE" and vowed that he will "FIGHT FOR OUR CONSTITUTION," adding that his fight was "LONG FROM OVER."
The front page of Trump's website currently refers to the ex-president as a "POLITICAL PRISONER," complete with a donation ask to his reelection effort.
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"Together, we will DISMANTLE the Deep State, WIN BACK the White House, and SAVE AMERICA in 2024," the website reads.
Trump will be sentenced on July 11 at 10 AM Eastern Time, which is notably four days before Trump's likely nomination at the Republican National Convention. After the sentencing order is entered, Trump is expected to appeal (he technically can't appeal before that point).
Watch Maddow's segment below, or by clicking this link.
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