Nothing will change Trump’s White House fight, lawyer tells BBC

One of Donald Trump’s lawyers has told the BBC “nothing will change” his fight for the White House – despite being convicted following an historic trial in New York.

Jurors found Mr Trump guilty on Thursday of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments made to former porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election campaign.

Mr Trump became the first US president to be convicted of a crime, but he has said the trial was rigged and the prosecution was politically orchestrated.

Alina Habba has told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg the former president is a “victim of political, selective prosecution”.

Following the seven-week trial at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse, Mr Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Mr Trump will be sentenced on 11 July. However, he confirmed he will be appealing against his criminal convictions.

Ms Habba, 40, sat alongside Mr Trump during the trial and said even if jailed, Mr Trump will still stand in the US presidential election in November.

“We have seen some corruption in this country that frankly has never seen before in our judicial system,” Ms Habba told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

“It is very real, it is not posturing by any means, it is 100% problem that this country is going to have to handle and get a grapple on in November.

“He is running for president, nothing will change there.

“The people that need him in this country… that’s more important than anything anybody else thinks.

“Our people are speaking loudly, donating, they are small donors, and they are standing up, because they are afraid, because we cannot have this happen to us.”

In remarks at Trump Tower in New York on Friday, Mr Trump spoke for more than 30 minutes and angrily attacked his political opponents, the jury and the judge in his case.

He called Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over his trial, a “tyrant” and claimed that he “literally crucified” witnesses.

In response, President Joe Biden’s campaign described Mr Trump as unhinged and thirsting for revenge.

“That’s how the American system of justice works,” Mr Biden said, adding it was “reckless” and “irresponsible” for anyone to suggest the trial was rigged.

Mr Trump’s unprecedented conviction has entrenched bitter divisions in the US, in the run-up to November’s vote.

Prosecutors successfully laid out a case Mr Trump was afraid Ms Daniels would fatally harm his 2016 presidential campaign by going public with an alleged sexual encounter, prompting him to pay her – then illegally hide the transaction.

Mr Trump denied these allegations.

Ms Daniels herself gave evidence. In another development since the convictions, her lawyer told ABC News Ms Daniels wore a bulletproof vest when she went to the New York courthouse.

Clark Brewster said: “It’s so vicious and threatening and so I think from the standpoint of just the fear of what somebody might do,” he said of the atmosphere for Ms Daniels.

“It was really fear.”

Previously, Ms Daniels’s husband, Barrett Blade, told CNN she felt “a little vindicated”.

Mr Blade added that despite the trial ending and bringing some relief, the stress was far from over.

“It brings another weight upon her shoulders of what happens next,” Mr Blade said.

“We take it day by day.”

Also on Saturday, the Trump campaign sent out a text message to supporters – one of more than a dozen sent since the verdict – which read in part: “They want me behind bars. They want me DEAD.”

Some of his most fervent supporters, such as former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson, have alleged without evidence there is a secret plot to assassinate Mr Trump.

Others have made a less conspiratorial argument – pointing out the maximum penalty Mr Trump faces, four years for each of 34 felony counts, would effectively mean he would spend the rest of his life in prison.

Mr Trump alluded to this in his most recent fundraising message, saying his enemies are “attempting to JAIL me for life as an innocent man”.

However, legal experts agree Mr Trump will not receive anywhere near the maximum, and will be sentenced to a much shorter jail sentence, if he is given any prison time at all.

Additional reporting by Mike Wendling.

The full interview with Alina Habba will be played on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 09:00 BST on Sunday 2 June.