'We'll keep fighting': Donald Trump, first former president convicted of crimes, calls verdict a disgrace

Former President Donald Trump denounced the guilty verdicts Thursday on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money trial as he continues to campaign to return to the White House.

“This is just a disgrace,” Trump told reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom. “We didn’t do anything wrong. I’m an innocent man.”

Trump ignored shouted questions about whether he would drop out of the presidential campaign.

“This is far from over,” Trump said. “We’ll keep fighting. We’ll fight to the end, and we’ll win because our country has gone to hell.”

Trump was convicted of falsifying business records to hide his reimbursement to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for paying $130,000 to silence porn actress Stormy Daniels about an alleged sexual encounter before the 2016 election.

Trump campaign aides and allies quickly took to social media to denounce the trial. “The FIX was always in,” said senior adviser Chris LaCivita on X, formerly Twitter.

The Trump campaign sent out a series of fundraising solicitations within minutes of the verdict. “I am a political prisoner!” Trump told potential donors.

Trump said the real judgment will be in the presidential election against President Joe Biden.

“The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5, by the people,” Trump said.

Outside the courthouse, anti-Trump demonstrators cheered and drivers honked their horns as news of the guilty verdicts spread. “Guilty!” several people shouted out.

Police officers scattered across park, keeping Trump supporters and critics separated. More than two dozen Trump supporters remained mostly silent as news of the verdicts spread, although a few shouted expletives.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump vows that historic conviction is 'far from over'