Piers Morgan came to Donald Trump’s defense after he became the first US president to be criminally convicted in history.
A jury on Thursday (May 30) found Republican politician Trump guilty on all counts in his secret trial, making him the first convicted felon to run for the White House.
Stars like Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand and Stephen King all reacted to the news, making their joy at the verdict known immediately afterward.
But one person who is not impressed with the result is broadcaster Morgan.
Shortly after the guilty verdict was revealed, Morgan, who last interviewed Trump in 2022, wrote on X/Twitter: “This is a sad, shameful and ridiculous day for America.
“To drag a former president, who is running for president again, through the criminal courts over such a trivial matter is a massive overreach and an incredibly divisive and obviously politically partisan action. »
![Piers Morgan is not happy with Trump's guilty verdict](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/05/31/07/Screenshot%202024-05-31%20at%2007.37.45.png)
His comment sparked consternation from his supporters, with one asking: “Are you serious?”
“No, it’s a wonderful and happy day for America and the rule of law,” wrote another. “No one is above the law and he is the first former president to become a convicted felon.”
Follower Chris Wozney responded: “…or he committed a crime, he was rightly indicted, and now he is a convicted felon, based on a jury of his peers, using real evidence, not relying on MAGA. »
In April, Morgan made his views on the trial known, stating that Trump should risk arrest and skip the trial in order to attend his son’s graduation. He said on his TalkTV show: “Have you lost your mind, America? What a humiliating way to treat a former president.
Morgan also said he believed Trump’s recognition would “almost guarantee” his victory in the next election, and after the verdict was announced, the network claimed that “Trump’s donation sites are going down,” adding: “I guess this verdict is ‘will propel him back to the White House.’ »
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![Morgan defended Trump after his guilty verdict](https://static.independent.co.uk/2022/04/25/15/trump%20piers%20morgan.png)
Trump was convicted of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in October 2016 to keep quiet about an affair she claimed to have had with the politician in 2006. He denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to 34 misdemeanor charges.
Speaking about the verdict as he left the courthouse, Trump said, “I’m a very innocent man,” and called the trial “rigged” and a “disgrace.”
![Donald Trump became the first American president to be criminally convicted in history.](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/05/31/07/newFile-1.jpg)
Trump will be sentenced on July 11, four days before becoming the official Republican presidential nominee.
But according to CNN chief legal analyst Laura Coates, Trump could be sentenced to more than a decade in prison because the charges were “escalated” from misdemeanor to class E felonies because prosecutors said the crimes had was committed with the aim of committing or concealing another crime. – these offenses being electoral conspiracy, financing of electoral campaigns and violations of tax law.