WAUKESHA, Wisc. — A jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his New York criminal hush money trial on Thursday, making him the first American president to be convicted of a crime.
The jury of seven men and five women reached the verdict after less than two full days of deliberating.
TMJ4’s Rebecca Klopf headed to downtown Waukesha to hear people's reactions to the verdict. Quite a few people did not want to talk, but the ones who did, expressed divided opinions and reactions.
‘I mean I’m still gonna support Donald Trump,” Kevin, a Waukesha resident proclaimed. “I haven’t really dived all into what the whole verdict and everything was I’ll do that when I get home, but as of now my support for him still stands until I read more into it.”
Klopf asked if the guilty verdict changed his opinion.
“I mean I’m sure it’ll change my views on him as a person,” Kevin added. “As president, I thought he did a pretty good job.”
One person Klopf talked to was excited to hear the news.
“I’m super excited”, Anne, a Waukesha resident said. “I think justice prevailed, and I’m interested to see what happens next.”
Another resident, Sam Ouweneel, said his feelings about the verdict are complicated.
“It’s complicated right because I don’t know that I’m happy that things are turning out the way that they’re turning out,” Sam Ouweneel, a Waukesha resident said. “I don’t see this as Donald Trump getting justice, or Donald Trump being punished for a crime. I see this as the people of America being further, farther apart.”
Trump said on Truth Social that he would have more to say at a press conference on Friday at 11 a.m.
Trump is expected to appeal the verdict, setting off another legal process as the former president seeks reelection.
The judge has scheduled sentencing for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention. Trump faces up to four years in prison.
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