AOC leads Democrats gloating over Trump's guilty verdict

Democrats are loudly celebrating that their longtime political nemesis Donald Trump was  convicted on 34 felony counts Thursday. 

The 12-person New York jury - consisting of seven men and five women - found that the former president was guilty on every single count that he was charged with. 

And now Democrats and progressives are rejoicing. 

Progressive 'Squad' member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez opened a town hall in the Bronx Thursday evening invoking Trump's conviction to much applause. 

'He was found guilty on all 34 counts,' AOC proclaimed to cheers. 'The rule of law applies to everyone.' 

'Donald Trump was convicted by a jury of his peers,' the 'Squad' member added before praising the jury and prosecution for diligently working in an apolitical manner. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., invoked Trump's criminal convictions to kick off a townhall she hosted in The Bronx on Thursday evening

Fellow 'Squad' member Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said in a statement 'Despite the relentless efforts by the former occupant of the White House to undermine and delegitimize these fair and measured legal proceedings, today's unanimously guilty verdict is an important step toward accountability.' 

'From discriminating against Black tenants to defrauding small businesses, to bribery, hush money schemes, election interference, and insurrection, this man has broken the law to advance his own interests at the expense of other people and to the detriment of our democracy.' 

Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., another member of the progressive 'Squad' posted on X: 'No one in this country is above the law – including former President Trump.'

'Being convicted for falsifying business records with hush money is only the beginning of being held accountable for his crimes.'

'It’s time that we ensure Trump is banned from running for any public office again and from there, finally take action to fix our democracy.'

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also brought up Trump's criminal convictions. 

AOC has long criticized the former president accusing him committing an insurrection and more

Former President Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges Thursday

'In preparation for a verdict in this trial, I directed my Administration to closely coordinate with local and federal law enforcement and we continue to monitor the situation,' Hochul said in a statement.

'We are committed to protecting the safety of all New Yorkers and the integrity of our judicial system,' she added.

After Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts in the hush money trial, Republicans immediately rushed to his defense - and seemed confident the conviction will be overturned. 

Trump's sentencing date is set for July 11. 

The guilty verdicts come after five weeks of dramatic evidence and 22 witnesses being quizzed on the stand.

The case is the first time a former U.S. President has faced a criminal trial.

The Trump team has vowed to appeal the conviction. 

He will now face the Appellate Division in Manhattan, and possibly the Court of Appeals, and will remain free on bail while he appeals.

After Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts in the hush money trial, Republicans immediately rushed to his defense - and seemed confident the conviction will be overturned

The verdict could upend the 2024 White House race and prove a pivotal moment in the history of the United States.

The charges Trump faced each carried a maximum potential sentence of up to four years in prison.

Jurors had the option of convicting Trump of all counts, acquitting him of all counts, or delivering a mixed verdict in which he was found guilty of some charges and not others.

Falsifying business records would typically be a lower-level misdemeanor, but his charges have been raised to felony level because of a second crime: attempting to influence the 2016 election. 

The judge could consider the unprecedented nature of the case and choose not to put a former president and current candidate behind bars. 

Despite the historic tragedy for the U.S., some Democrats seemed elated. 

'Boom,' said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.

'Guilty. Today, 12 ordinary American citizens found a former president guilty of dozens of felonies. Despite his efforts to distract, delay, and deny – justice arrived for Donald Trump all the same. And the rule of law prevailed,' said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who is currently running for a Senate seat. 

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said: 'It matters that the Republican nominee for president is a convicted criminal.' 

'And this won't be his last conviction,' he claimed. 'He's committed multiple crimes and he's going to be convicted multiple times. He can never be president again.'

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., celebrated Trump's guilty conviction

In praising Trump's guilty conviction, 'Squad' member Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., mentioned how the former president has targeted blacks and taken advantage of small businesses for his own benefit

Prosecutors told of a plot by Trump to 'corrupt' the 2016 election by hiding a $130,000 hush money payment by his 'fixer' Michael Cohen to porn star Stormy Daniels. 

Daniels alleged that she and Trump had sex a decade earlier, which he has denied.

The case featured explosive evidence by Daniels and lifted the lid on the 'catch and kill' practices of the National Enquirer tabloid, which bought stories that could be damaging to Trump and suppressed them.

But the actual criminal charges concern the reimbursements Trump signed for Cohen for the payment.

The reimbursements, paid by Trump in monthly installments, were recorded as being for legal expenses.

Prosecutors say that was a fraudulent label designed to conceal the purpose of the hush money transaction and to illicitly interfere in the 2016 election. 

Defense lawyers argued that Cohen actually did substantive legal work for Trump and his family and was paid for it. 

In a marathon day of closing arguments on Tuesday prosecutors and defense lawyers had one final chance to score points with jurors as they embarked on their momentous task.

The two sides offered wildly different accounts of Trump's culpability, the strength of the evidence, and the credibility of witnesses.