Trump guilty verdict live: Convicted felon Donald Trump to be sentenced on July 11

Despite the fact that Donald Trump officialy bears the title of “convicted felon” his eyes have quickly returned to the campaign trail and a path back to the White House.

That begs the intriguing question – if he should be successful… could he pardon himself?

Donald Trump’s historic conviction in his New York hush money case on Thursday may put the former president in prison, but it hasn’t slowed done the enthusiam for his campaign.

Shortly after the verdict was announced, the official GOP fundraising site connected to his 2024 effort crashed.

Josh Marcus has the full story:

Cops are now pulling up the barricades around Collect Pond Park, near to the New York courtroom where Donald Trump’s trial took place.

Protesters and onlookers are shuffling out. A man who shows up to Trump protests on the regular in a Trump mask and orange prison jumpsuit is still hanging around, while a man carrying a “Lock him up!” sign is circling him, saying “Lock him up” a repeatedly as well as “go to jail.”

A woman carrying a MAGA Country flag has just walked by and said “my kid is not a crackhead” seemingly unprompted.

It’s been quite a wild few hours to say the least.

Members of the public gathered outside the courtroom in New York, shared their reactions to the trial with The Independent following the historic verdict.

Karen Irwin, bartender from New York. Today is her 49th birthday:

On the jurors, she said: “They took time, they took care, they wanted the system to work. And they were a part of what happens when the system does work, not just because they reached a guilty verdict, but because they use their brains because they thought about things like the system can’t work if people aren’t freaking thinking. So I would say thank you for thinking.

Peyton Bryant, a lawyer from New York:

“I mean, everyone wants to pick on the fact that he slept with a woman, but it’s really not about that. It’s about keeping information from the American people in advance of an election and had we had access to that information he may have never been the president.

Jason Z, a 25-year-old from New York:

“It’s a sad day because I think our presidents have a responsibility to the people and that includes not being a felon.”

Raul Rivera is a 54-year-old cab driver from the Bronx:

“He’s gonna win, he’s gonna win, he’s gonna win, he’s gonna win. He’s gonna, he’s gonna win. That’s it. We’re gonna vote for him. He’s gonna fix this country. What they’re doing to this man is disgusting. It’s disgusting. It wouldn’t happen to no one else. They’re trying to stop him from campaigning.”

Here’s what we know about the people who deliberated on, and ultimately delivered the historic verdict on Thursday:

A jury will soon weigh Donald Trump’s fate in the New York hush-money trial that could culminate with him becoming the first US president to be convicted of a crime.

His eyes are already on the ongoing presidential campaign and general election in November. Is he still allowed to run?

Duncan Levin, former Manhattan District Attorney told The Independent via text that Donald Trump’s historic conviction was a “big win” for the prosecution.

“The District Attorney’s Office put in a thorough case that proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Trump engaged in a conspiracy with David Pecker and Michael Cohen and others to promote his election unlawfully with hush money payments and then took steps to cover that up with false records,” Mr Levin said.

“The case was deeply corroborated, with testimony not built around one person but with texts and emails and phone records. The prosecution case was methodical, and the jury clearly paid attention.

“The defendant did everything he could to undermine the administration of justice, engaged in criminal contempt on ten occasions, and yet the system still gave him a trial that was fundamentally fair. That is a big win for the prosecution, which brought the case in the name of the People of the State of New York.”