Biden condemns Trump response to hush money verdict

President Joe Biden on Friday called former President Donald Trump’s reaction to his conviction in New York on criminal hush money charges “reckless” and “dangerous.”

“It’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged, just because they don’t like the verdict,” Biden said at the White House, hours after Trump held a press conference at Trump Tower in Manhattan condemning the criminal case.

Trump, 77, was convicted Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court of 34 felony counts related to a scheme to conceal hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. During his press conference Friday, Trump said of his prosecution in New York state court, “This is all done by Biden and his people. This is done by Washington.”

Biden, who is set to face Trump in the November election, said his Republican opponent’s conviction reaffirmed “the American principle that no one is above the law.”

“Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself,” Biden said. “A state case, not a federal case, was heard by a jury of 12 citizens, 12 Americans, 12 people like you, like millions of Americans who served on juries.”

“This jury was chosen the same way every jury in America has been chosen,” the president said. “Five weeks after careful deliberation, the jury reached a unanimous verdict.”

Biden noted that Trump will have the chance to appeal his conviction after he is sentenced July 11.

But the Democrat said “it’s reckless, it’s dangerous” for Trump to argue that the criminal case was politically motivated and that the outcome was “rigged” by the trial judge and others.

“Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years,” Biden said. “And it literally is a cornerstone of America, our justice system … justice should be respected.”

“And we should never allow anyone to tear it down. As simple as that. That’s America. That’s who we are.
That’s who we’ll always be, God willing.”