Donald Trump confirmed he will appeal against his historic conviction in his New York trial in remarks at Trump Tower
Trump falsely repeated claims his prosecution was politically orchestrated and that his trial was "rigged"
The ex-president was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his trial on Thursday
His campaign says it raised $35m in online donations following his conviction
This is the first time a former or serving US president has been found guilty of a crime
Trump can still run for president. He could be sent to prison when he's sentenced on 11 July - but legal experts say a fine is more likely
Donald Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka Trump has shared a heartfelt message on Instagram, a few hours after her father's guilty conviction.
"I love you dad" she wrote, sharing a picture from her childhood showing the two of them.
Image source, INSTAGRAM
Mike Wendling
US digital reporter
Among the hard core of Trump’s extremely online supporters, there are howls of outrage and even talk of violence.
Far-right podcaster Stew Peters told his hundreds of thousands of Telegram followers: "Our judicial system has been weaponized... we are left with NO other option but to take matters into our own hands". He used a crossed swords emoji to hammer home his point, and followers responded with talk of burning down courthouses and rioting.
More mainstream Maga influencers were less direct but equally enraged. On X, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk called Trump’s opponents "savages" while broadcaster and conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec preferred the term "unhumans". Podcaster Tim Pool tweeted: "war." Similar language was all over Telegram channels run by far-right Proud Boys.
Former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson revived a bizarre theory about a "deep state" assassination plot against the former president and predicted: "He’ll win the election if he’s not killed first."
The overheated rhetoric included tens of thousands of posts about "Civil War". But others, including many Trump opponents, were quick to pour scorn. It’s worth noting that Trump’s arrests and numerous court dates did not lead to widespread violence, or even very large protests.
Paranoia is rife on the Maga fringes, with many fearing that law enforcement is watching them. Among the "civil war" posts were ones mocking some of the angrier posters - for lacking the will to leave their houses.
Image source, XTrump's trial involved 34 charges, one often exasperated judge and a parade of witnesses.
After two days of deliberations,12 New Yorkers found Donald Trump guilty of all charges in his hush-money case. Here's a quick recap of how the verdict came about today.
How Donald Trump's historic guilty verdict unfolded
Image source, Getty ImagesTrump lawyer Todd Blanche (right) at court earlier this month
One of Trump's top lawyers has told Fox News that former president's legal team is "considering all options" for appeal.
"Every aspect of this case is ripe for appeal," said Will Scharf.
"We are going to appeal as quickly as we can."
Another key member of Trump's legal team, Todd Blanche, has also popped up on Fox where he argued that his client did not receive a fair trial.
"We've been saying for over a year that we couldn't get a fair trial in Manhattan. We couldn't get a fair trial with the judge," he said.
Blanche said that former Trump fixer Michael Cohen - who you can read more about in the previous post - has made it his "life mission is to destroy Trump".
"There are some people that really shouldn't be witnesses at trial," he added.
Image source, ReutersSpeaking to MSNBC after the verdict, Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen said he was “relieved” but not surprised.
“At the end of the day, the facts are what prevailed here,” Cohen said. “It’s accountability, it’s exactly what America needs right now.”
Before today, Cohen - who made the payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and helped cover them up - had been the only person to be convicted over the hush money saga.
In the interview he spoke about the anxiety of the trial and the pressure he felt to be a "perfect" witness - complicated further by the fact he has previously admitted to lying under oath.
He faced a courtroom grilling by Trump's legal team, with attorney Todd Blanche ultimately describing Cohen as a “GLOAT” - "the greatest liar of all time".
Today Cohen hit back, labelling Blanche the “SLOAT” - "stupidest lawyer of all time".
Image source, .The Americast team have just come together to record a special podcast episode all about Donald Trump’s conviction.
On the podcast, Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent, chats with BBC reporters, Kayla Epstein and Madeline Halpert, both of whom have been covering the trial in New York for the BBC (and both of whom have been writing for this live coverage).
They talked about what happened in court today, and how Donald Trump reacted to the news that he was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.
They were also joined by Miles Taylor, former chief of staff at Department for Homeland Security.
He’s worked with Trump and knows what he’s like, and he has some insights on what this news could mean for the US election.
Image source, ReutersIf you are just joining us, here's what has happened.
Duncan Levin
former Manhattan prosecutor
Former Manhattan prosecutor Duncan Levin said the District Attorney’s Office presented a "thorough" case that proved "beyond a reasonable doubt" that Donald Trump had indeed conspired to pay out hush money and cover it up with false records.
"The case was deeply corroborated, with testimony not built around one person but with texts and emails and phone records," he told the BBC.
"The prosecution case was methodical, and the jury clearly paid attention."
He said Trump had done everything in his power to "undermine" the administration of justice - engaging in criminal contempt ten times.
"And yet the system still gave him a trial that was fundamentally fair," he said.
"That is a big win for the prosecution."
Nomia Iqbal and Eva Artesona
Reporting from Cobb County, Georgia
Dante Sellers and Maquita Eaton stop to talk to us here in Marietta City, in Cobb County, Georgia.
"I saw the verdict, and honestly it is pretty shocking that a president has been convicted," Dante says. "It’s historic."
Georgia is a swing state where surveys suggest there are up to 18% of voters who don’t lean Democrat or Republican. President Joe Biden won the southern state narrowly in 2020, but Donald Trump has his sights set on winning it in 2024. Dante thinks those uncommitted voters could be crucial.
"There will be people who will look at a ballot and say 'Can we vote for a convicted felon?' It'll be a big issue for independent voters. It doesn't change anything for me - I was not going to vote for Trump anyway," he adds.
"I do think the people who support Trump will still back him regardless," Maquita says.
A third of Georgians are black - and both Biden and Trump have been campaigning hard for their votes.
"It’s upsetting that the matters of black people only matter at election time rather than all the time," Maquita says.
The Secret Service, which is charged with protecting current and former presidents of the United States, has put out a very short statement:
"Today’s outcome has no bearing on the manner in which the United States Secret Service carries out its protective mission," it reads.
"Our security measures will proceed unchanged."
According to CBS News, the BBC's media partner, security officials are monitoring the threat environment, and are prepared to bolster forces if needed.
But at this time, there are no specific or credible threats, and the security level around Donald Trump remains unchanged.
Diane Kiesel, a retired New York Supreme Court judge has said that now "the judge’s work begins".
"Sentencing is the most daunting and difficult decision for any judge - especially here when the entire world will be watching," Kiesel said in a statement.
The former justice also praised the jury, who "worked diligently over many hours to carefully review the evidence and reached an historic verdict based on that evidence."
Donald Trump's digital fundraising system had a record number of supporters following the guilty verdict on Thursday afternoon, according to Trump campaign senior advisor Brian Hughes.
The increase in traffic caused intermittent delays, he added.
Katty Kay
US special correspondent, reporting from Washington DC
I just heard from a source on the Biden campaign, who said that whether or not Donald Trump is a convicted felon, they believe the only way to beat him is at the ballot box - and they reinforce that the Biden camp has always felt they can do that.
This verdict appears to increase the Biden team’s confidence of securing a victory in November.
I’ve also been in touch with several people close to Trump who say they are not surprised by the verdict and they believe this will be overturned on appeal.
One Trump ally just texted me "#neverboring".
If you've been following our live coverage, you'll know that Kayla Epstein, along with Madeline Halpert, have been in court nearly every day of this trial.
Here, Kayla describes the moment Donald Trump was found guilty on all charges.
Democratic lawmakers and some of Donald Trump's staunchest critics have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to respond to Trump's guilty verdict. They are reiterating claims that "justice has prevailed".
"Today, twelve ordinary American citizens found a former president guilty of dozens of felonies. Despite his efforts to distract, delay, and deny – justice arrived for Donald Trump all the same. And the rule of law prevailed," California Rep. Adam Schiff wrote.
Schiff served on the House select committee to investigate the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
"The jury has spoken. Justice has prevailed," Rep. Jim Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina, tweeted.
Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called it "an important moment for accountability in America".
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island, simply tweeted: "Boom".
Image source, Getty ImagesDonald Trump's allies have starting lining up (virtually) to decry the ruling, echoing the Republican's comments that the Manhattan case was a politically-motivated witch hunt.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia blasted the "SHAM trial" on X.
"You don't see this level of corruption in a banana republic", she wrote, directing people to a Trump fundraiser.
Another Trump ally, Matt Gaetz, agreed, writing on X: "This verdict is the corrupt result if a corrupt trial, a corrupt judge, and a corrupt DA. We stand with President Trump now more than ever."
And the former president also received support from the highest-ranking Republican in the US government, House Speaker Mike Johnson.
"Today is a shameful day in American history," he wrote. "President Trump will rightfully appeal this absurd verdict - and he WILL WIN."
Nomia Iqbal
Reporting from Cobb County, Georgia
Georgia is an important swing state that President Biden won in 2020 - the first time for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1982.
It also delivered him two Senate victories. Currently polls suggest Donald Trump is ahead. Does his conviction change things?
Rachel Rice is an army veteran here in Cobb County - and is stunned at the verdict as she reads the news on her phone:
“Wow he’s guilty.. I did not expect him to be convicted! Woah! He’ll want to win now!" she tells me.
She voted for Trump in 2020 over what she described as his stance on “no more foreign wars”, but describes herself now as an independent voter.
“I do not know. I felt this trial was political and I wasn’t sure about Michael Cohen’s credibility. I think it feels unfair.”
I ask her if the unanimous conviction changes anything? “Hmm. Who else would I vote for? I was interested in RFK. And I wasn’t going to vote for Biden because of his age. Also I’m pro-Israel but it’s now upsetting me," she replies.
“Honestly if Trump had been convicted of something serious - like the election interference charges it’d be different. I was really angry about that.”
She goes through the charges again on her phone.
“We already knew he was a bit of a liar and a cheat. I knew who he was,” she laughs.
I suggest it doesn’t seem to have put her off?
“But yeah, I’m just unsure. I’m shocked he has been convicted.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has issued a statement praising the verdict and telling residents that law enforcement is closely monitoring public safety.
"Today's verdict reaffirms that no one is above the law," said the Democrat.
Hochul said that ahead of the verdict, she had directed state law enforcement to work closely with federal officials, and that they will continue to "monitor the situation".
"We are committed to protecting the safety of all New Yorkers and the integrity of our judicial system," she added.
Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen - who testified during the trial - responded to Trump's guilty verdict in a post on X, formerly Twitter, thanking his lawyers for their guidance and calling it "an important day for accountability and the rule of law".
"While it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters," he wrote.
One reporter asked Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg about criticisms over whether this was a viable case to bring in the first place.
Bragg responded: "So my response again is I did my job. And I think particularly I talked about this history of the office, my personal history - I started as a prosecutor in 2003 in the Public Integrity Unit the New York State Attorney General's office. I served also in the Public Integrity Unit in the Southern District of New York."
"These are the kind of cases I've done personally, and it's a hallmark of the tradition of this office that I'm proud to lead," he said.
"Most importantly, today we had the most important voice of all, and that's the voice of the jurors. They have spoken. Donald J Trump has been convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records."