Donald Trump warned “it would be tough for the public to take” if he was imprisoned after becoming the first former US president to be criminally convicted.
The former president was found unanimously guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up “hush money” payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels on Thursday.
He has maintained he is innocent and said he will appeal the verdict.
Speaking to Fox & Friends Weekend on Sunday, Trump has now hinted imprisonment or house arrest would be “a breaking point” for Americans.
While saying he is “OK with” possibly going to prison, the former president said: ” I don’t know that the public would stand it.
“You know, I don’t – I’m not sure the public would stand for it. I think it would be tough for the public to take. You know, at a certain point, there’s a breaking point.”
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Trump also continued to claim that the trial was rigged against him and said: “People get it. It’s a scam.
“And the Republican party… they’ve stuck together in this. They see it’s a weaponization of the justice department of the FBI and that’s all coming out of Washington.”
It marks the latest attack on Thursday’s guilty verdict, with the former president making a 40-minute long speech in Trump Tower on Friday lashing out at the judge, district attorney Alvin Bragg and Joe Biden.
“This [trial] is all done by Biden and his people,” Trump claimed – saying the White House worked “in conjunction with” the Department of Justice on his “rigged” prosecution.
Hours after Trump blamed the president for his conviction and the trial, Biden said at the White House, “It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.”
He also said: “The American principle that no one is above the law is reaffirmed.
“Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself. Now he will be given the opportunity to appeal the decision.
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Trump is due to be sentenced on 11 July – just a few days before the Republican Party is expected to confirm him as its nominee for the presidential election against Biden in November.
The conviction does not stop Trump from running for president again.
Trump has also said the trial boosted his campaign fundraising, and claimed on Friday $39m had been sent in from “small money donors” in the 10 hours after his conviction.