Trump's first speech after being found guilty: ‘This is bigger than my presidency’

In his first speech after becoming the only president in American history found guilty of criminal charges, the Republican expanded on the injustices that he believes were committed in his trial, assured that he will appeal and said that everything that is happening is not only about him, but about the future of the country. Trump also assured that the American people realize how unfair the trial is, which is why he has obtained a record amount of donations in the last 12 hours and is already seeing an increase in support in the polls.

“This is bigger than Trump. This is bigger than me. This is bigger than my presidency,” said the former president.

Trump noted that it is the first time in the history of the country that a presidential candidate has been given a gag order. During his speech, he recalled several times that because of that order and Judge Juan Merchan's threats to send him to jail, he cannot talk about certain things. He recalled that his legal team asked to be assigned another judge, one who had no “conflicts,” but that their request was denied. Trump said “the judge was a tyrant.”

He also referred in detail to the accusations against him, stating that they have to do with payments to a lawyer that were recorded by an accountant as "legal expenses." The former president affirms that there is nothing illegal about that and that it has no relation to falsifying records, which was the first crime he was accused of.

Trump assured that he wanted to testify but that his lawyers did not allow him to do so since in general it is not beneficial for any accused person to testify. The former president stated that he could face years in prison for calling a legal expense a legal expense. In addition, he pointed out that a district attorney cannot go after a violation of federal law and recalled that no one wanted to open that case, that it was analyzed by the Department of Justice and the Federal Electoral Commission, and that only Democratic prosecutor Alvin Bragg decided to take it forward. He also stressed that there was nothing wrong with signing a confidentiality agreement until he started running for president and winning in the polls.

The former president stressed that Americans realize everything that is happening and the injustice against him and stressed that this is the reason why his campaign has achieved a new record in small donations. “We raised a record $39 million from small donors in a 10-hour period.”

He also stated that what happened yesterday in the Manhattan court is already having an effect on the polls: “The Daily Mail just came out with a poll, and it has Trump up six points in the last 12 hours. Six points since this happened, because the people of our country know it’s a hoax… they get it. They’re really smart.”

Trump also assured that Biden and his team are behind the trial and that what is happening with the justice system is dangerous: “If they can do this to me. They can do it to anyone. These are bad people. In many cases I believe sick people. This is all done by Biden and his people. This is done by Washington. We have a judge who’s highly conflicted.”