Trump's lawyer reveals how he reacted after hearing guilty verdict in court

Donald Trump's lead attorney Todd Blanche has revealed that the legal team was more upset than he was when he heard the guilty verdict Thursday, a testament to how 'resolute' the ex-president is.

Blanche, a former federal prosecutor, is the lead lawyer defending Trump in the hush money case and several other civil trials.

He told Jesse Watters on Thursday that Trump's reaction to being found guilty on the 34 federal counts was almost shockingly calm.

'I've spent almost every day with him for six weeks, he's so impressive. He was resolute, strong... we were all more upset than he was.'

Blanche, who said he expects to appeal the trial judge’s decision not to recuse himself in a process that could take months and go past the November election, was full of praise for Trump's demeanor. 

Donald Trump 's lead attorney Todd Blanche revealed that the legal team was more upset than he was when he heard the guilty verdict Thursday, a testament to how 'resolute' the ex-president is

'We were all sitting there and he said 'let's go, let me know what I need to tell the American people.'

Blanche said that Trump should tell America 'whatever's in your heart,' adding that Trump needed no counsel for his press conference afterwards. 

He added that the president 'gave me confidence today' and promised his team was set to fight for Trump again.

'We're doing that because he gives us the energy and to help him,' Blanche told Fox News.

Trump had a big hand in his defense team's role in jury selection, whom the attorney praised.

'I’m not being disparaging to the jurors, man. They were great. They showed up on time every day. They were committed, they paid attention.' 

However, Blanche never once believed that Trump was going to get a fair jury in his home city.

'Most of the folks, an overwhelming number of folks had a very strong opinion of President Trump and it wasn’t positive.' 

Blanche told Jesse Watters on Thursday that Trump's reaction to being found guilty on the 34 federal counts was almost shockingly calm

Blanche, a former federal prosecutor, is lead lawyer defending Trump in the hush money case and several other civil trials

Ultimately, he said he's 'gotta think about' whether he would do anything differently if he had another chance.

'We all did the best that we could and I wouldn't change anything that we did,' Blanche said, though he noted he could change his mind eventually. 

Trump came out of the courtroom visibly perturbed after the jury found him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.

'This was a rigged, disgraceful trial,' he lamented in front of eagerly-awaiting camera crews and press.

The ex-president said the 'real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people.'

'Everyone know what happened here...this is a Soros-backed DA.'

'We didn't do a thing wrong. I'm a very innocent man.'

'That's okay, I'm fighting for our country, I'm fighting for our Constitution. This was done by the Biden administration in order to hurt a political opponent.'

Attorney Todd Blanche sits with former US President Donald Trump as they attend Trump's trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs

Defense lawyer Todd Blanche sits with former U.S. President Donald Trump as prosecutor Joshua Steinglass presents closing arguments

'I think it's just a disgrace. And we'll keep fighting and fight till the end and we'll win because our country's gone to hell.'

The former president was found guilty on all 34 felony counts after a very brief deliberation. 

Prosecutors had a high bar to reach in order to convince the 12-person New York jury that Trump conspired to help his 2016 election campaign by paying pornstar Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about their alleged sexual encounters.  

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's wrapped up all the evidence and witness testimony they claimed was sufficient enough to nail Trump on 34 felony counts of 'falsifying business records.' 

Trump's team tried to lay out a strong defense of the former president, distancing him from Cohen's payments to Stormy Daniels. 

They also reiterated several of their strongest points, that hush money payments are not illegal and Trump solely wanted to spare his family humiliation from Stormy's alleged affair claims.

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

Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential candidate and is set to take on Joe Biden in November's election.

Prosecutors had a high bar to reach in order to convince the 12-person New York jury that Trump conspired to help his 2016 election campaign by paying pornstar Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about their alleged sexual encounters

A demonstrator holds a placard outside Manhattan criminal court following the verdict

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

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

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 something more prosaic - 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.

People celebrate outside Manhattan criminal court following the verdict

Much like Trump, his supporters remain resolute in his innocence 

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 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.

Prosecutors accused Trump of trying to 'hoodwink' voters in the 2016 election by stifling embarrassing stories that could torpedo his campaign.

'The name of the game was concealment, and all roads lead inescapably to the man who benefited the most: the defendant, former President Donald Trump,' prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told jurors.

He said Daniels' story was 'messy' and 'probably makes some of you uncomfortable to hear, but that's kind of the point.

'In the simplest terms, Stormy Daniels is the motive.'

But Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche said Daniels could not be trusted.

Supporter of former President Donald Trump, Maria Korynsel, demonstrates near Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate

A Trump supporter confronts anti-Trump demonstrators outside the courthouse

And he branded the star prosecution witness - Cohen - as the 'greatest liar of all time,' giving him the acronym 'the GLOAT'.

Blanche said: 'President Trump is innocent. He did not commit any crimes, and the district attorney has not met their burden of proof, period.'

Trump did not take the stand to give evidence in his own defense.

Towards the end of the trial Trump posted angrily on social media that he was the victim of a 'Kangaroo Court!' and added: 'In God We Trust!'

Jurors heard the payoff to Daniels in 2016 unfolded against the backdrop of the disclosure of a 2005 'Access Hollywood' recording in which Trump could be heard bragging about grabbing women sexually without their permission.

Had the Daniels story emerged in the aftermath of the 'Access Hollywood' scandal it would have further damaged his campaign, the court heard.

Steinglass told jurors: 'It's not about whether you like Michael Cohen. It's not about whether you want to go into business with Michael Cohen.

'It's whether he has useful, reliable information to give you about what went down in this case, and the truth is that he was in the best position to know.'