After hours of deliberations, a jury of Donald Trump's New York City peers convicted the former U.S. president of 34 charges in relation to a hush-money scheme ahead of the 2016 presidential election. He is the first former U.S. president in history to hold a felony conviction.
"This is a very sad day for America; the whole world is watching," Trump said to the press following the verdict. "It's all rigged … the whole system is rigged."
Here are some reactions from critics, supporters and commentators in just the first 24 hours:
MAGA supporters decry 'injustice'
Allies of the former president took to social media to decry the jury's decision and to reaffirm their support for Trump.
"Absolute injustice. This erodes our justice system," wrote in a post to X, formerly Twitter. "We the People stand with Donald J. Trump."
A vocal supporter of the former president in the months since stepping down from the primary race, Scott's name has circulated as a potential choice of running mate in this year's presidential election, for which Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee.
Absolute injustice. This erodes our justice system.
— Tim Scott (@votetimscott)
Hear me clearly: You cannot silence the American people. You cannot stop us from voting for change.
Joe Biden — you’re fired. We the People stand with Donald J. Trump.
"Guilty on all counts. The Democrats have succeeded in their years long attempt to turn America into a third-world (expletive)," reads an X post from , Trump's eldest child and a frequent representative for him at events on the 2024 campaign trail.
The outcome of this case should surprise no one.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC)
âž¡ï¸A political hack prosecutor manufactured charges in one of the most liberal legal venues in the country.
âž¡ï¸An obnoxious and biased judge who should have been disqualified conducted a trial in a way to ensure Donald Trump's…
May 30th, 2024 might be remembered as the day Donald J. Trump won the 2024 Presidential Election.
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump)
My name is George Anthony Devolder Santos
— George Santos (@MrSantosNY)
I’m 35 years old and I live in the New York City, USA
I will be voting for Donald J Trump this November, more than ever!
You?
Political opponents stern, reflective
For some of those against Trump in the political arena, those who did respond to the news intially, did so relatively soberly.
"This moment is a somber one for America," wrote U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat. "Trial by a jury of peers is a fundamental principle of democracy, which must be respected."
This moment is a somber one for America. Trial by a jury of peers is a fundamental principle of democracy, which must be respected.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi)
"No one should be above the law. Not even former presidents," wrote Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor and a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. "."
Others pondered the alternative paths the case could have taken.
Horror novelist Stephen King described Trump to have tried putting himself in a "."
"If the jury found him innocent, he could have said they saw it for what it was, a politically motivated witch hunt. Found guilty, he can say it was rigged by Joe Biden, who had nothing to do with it," he said.
"Any one of these jurors could have hung the jury, gone public, and been set for life as a right-wing media darling," wrote David Litt, former speechwriter for then-U.S. president Barack Obama.
"Book deals, speaking circuit, position in a future Trump admin, whatever they wanted. But all 12 put ."
Donald Trump is a Convicted Felon. Now it’s up to the the voters of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania to make sure that a Convicted Felon does not become the President of the United States.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner)
Donald Trump is a convicted felon. This verdict is not a win for any single person. It’s a win for an idea. The idea that we all follow the same rules. The rule of law won today.
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell)
Celebrities, brands and snarkers take shots
"Yes, ," reads an X post from Britannica, the centuries-old encyclopedia publisher.
As perhaps America's most unprecedented former president seizes the world's attention once again, a cascade of comedians, amateur and career, have stepped up to share their takes on the news.
"We should start referring to him as 34 instead of 45," reads a post from television actor and , alluding to the 45th U.S. president's tally of convictions.
"It's almost touching to remember that there was a time when Donald Trump thought that the revelation of an extramarital affair might doom him politically," wrote Eric Levitz. "Starting to think t may not be on the level."
The X account for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, meanwhile, posted video featuring rapid-fire clips of Trump speaking the words of "I Fought the Law," a 1960s song most popularly covered by The Clash.
Trump fought the law and the law won.
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight)
As is often the case, some sought to hijack the Trump world's news and vernacular for something more mundane:
my cat when I close a door
— caitlin (@caitalopram)
BREAKING: Donald Trump becomes the first actor from Home Alone 2 to be convicted of 34 felonies stemming from hush money payments to a porn star
— Zack Bornstein (@ZackBornstein)
Other reactions can be described as abstract:
TIME's new cover: Donald Trump found guilty on all counts
— TIME (@TIME)
An early look at next week’s cover, “A Man of Conviction,†by .
— The New Yorker (@NewYorker)
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln)
With files from The Associated Press