Former US president Mr Trump spoke to reporters at his namesake tower in Manhattan on Friday, his return to campaigning a day after he was convicted of trying to illegally influence the 2016 election by falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment to a porn actress who claimed they had sex. Mr Trump, as defiant as ever, said the verdict was illegitimate and driven by politics and sought to downplay the allegations underlying the case. “It’s not hush money.
It’s a non-disclosure agreement, totally legal, totally common,” he said. “If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” Mr Trump said. “These are very bad people.
” He said he was “very honoured to be involved” because “somebody has to do it”. “I’m willing to do whatever I have to do to save our country and save our Constitution. I don’t mind,” he said.
“So we will continue the fight.” No former president or presumptive party nominee has ever faced a felony conviction or the prospect of prison time, and Mr Trump is expected to keep his legal troubles central to his campaign. He has long argued without evidence that the four indictments against him were orchestrated by Democratic President Joe Biden to try to keep him out of the White House.
“There is nobody who is more defiant,” said Trump spokesman Jason Miller on Fox News hours after the verdict was read. “He’s ready to get out there and start fighting again.” He chose to start on Friday in the atrium of .
