A day after his felony conviction, Trump remains defiant calling trial a ‘scam’

Geoff Bennnett:

Welcome to the "NewsHour."

The fallout continued today after the historic conviction of Donald Trump on 34 criminal charges in New York City.

Amna Nawaz:

The former president and the current president, Joe Biden, both spoke out about the verdict as the two men gear up for a rematch in November.

And, as Lisa Desjardins reports, the Republican Party was quick to line up behind its presumptive nominee.

Donald Trump, Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: This is a scam. This is a rigged trial.

Lisa Desjardins:

From former President Donald Trump, a 33-minute speech of defiance one day after being convicted of 34 felony charges of falsifying business records.

Donald Trump:

It shouldn't have been in that venue. We shouldn't have had that judge.

Lisa Desjardins:

At Trump Tower, the Republican repeated grievances against the judge and district attorney involved in the case. And he pushed at the boundaries of a gag order still in effect by blasting his former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, though not by name.

Donald Trump:

He's a sleazebag. Everybody knows that.

Lisa Desjardins:

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee asserted his case was treated differently than any other. And he once again blamed the Biden administration, though with no direct evidence and without acknowledging his own team helped select the New York jury that unanimously convicted him.

President Biden reacted to the verdict, saying no one is above the law.

Joe Biden, President of the United States: It's reckless, it's dangerous, it's irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don't like the verdict.

Lisa Desjardins:

As Trump plans his appeal, his base spoke in dollars. His campaign said they raised nearly $35 million in the hours after the verdict, at one point crashing a fund-raising Web site.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL):

I think they elected him president last night.

Lisa Desjardins:

The parade of Republican officials who had supported Trump in the courtroom during the trial blasted the outcome.

House Speaker Mike Johnson issued an unusual direct plea to the nation's High Court.

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA):

I do believe this Supreme Court should step in, obviously. This is totally unprecedented, and it's dangerous to our system.

Lisa Desjardins:

But another prominent Republican, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, now running for U.S. Senate, wrote on social media: "I urge all Americans to respect the verdict."

In just over an hour, Trump's senior adviser responded sharply: "You just ended your campaign," a sign of the risk and retaliation facing those who break with Trump.

Democrats, including Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, largely focused on rule of law.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD):

You know, my initial reaction was, thank God for the jury system. It was a great victory for the justice system within liberal democracy.

Lisa Desjardins:

Now, even as a convicted felon, Mr. Trump's presidential campaign continues. The Constitution has no restrictions on his right to run. And as a Florida resident, he can vote in November, as long as he stays out of prison. But, if he were elected, Trump could not pardon himself, as these are state and not federal crimes.

The sentencing, including potential prison time, is scheduled for July 11, the week before he officially accepts the Republican nomination for president.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Lisa Desjardins.