Democrats Try Not to Sound Too Excited About Trump’s Guilty Verdict

Not wanting to draw criticisms that they were being overly political, Democrats tried to take a more somber tone with Trump’s guilty verdict.

Former President Donald Trump arrives to the courthouse as the jury in his criminal trial is scheduled to continue deliberations at Manhattan Criminal Court.
Former President Donald Trump arrives to the courthouse. Justin Lane/AP

Donald Trump is the first former president found guilty of a felony — 34 felony counts, in fact, for falsifying business records — and lawmakers from both parties are trying to make the most of it in very different ways.

In the minutes after the verdict, Republicans sent out fundraising pitches, reserving hardly any subtlety for their pleas.

“I’M A POLITICAL PRISONER,” the Trump campaign said in an all-caps email blast. “I DID NOTHING WRONG! YOUR SUPPORT IS THE ONLY THING STANDING BETWEEN US AND TOTAL TYRANNY!”