Australian politicians react to Trump verdict
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More news: Australian party leaders responded after a New York jury found former US president Donald Trump guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
Trump faces as many as four years in prison when he is sentenced on 11 July, four days before the Republican National Convention begins.
What they said: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told ABC radio: “I think it will be a lot of public focus on this verdict. Of course, this is a decision of the US court that we don’t comment [on] where we’re not participants on court processes of other countries, and of course, the presidential election later this year is a matter for the people of the United States".
"I'm not worried about our relationship with the United States because it’s a relationship between our peoples based upon shared values of democratic principles. We, of course, have a bit of a shared political system here: the Westminster system in the House of Representatives, the Senate system that we virtually adopted from the United States," Albanese said.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton told Today: "If you look back to 2016, he won no electoral votes in New York. He's despised there. There's obviously two tribes here and the one tribe who detest him and hate him".
"And you saw some of the emotion in some of the interviews, just then, and the other tribe, love him and adore him, and for different reasons on both sides. And all it will do is reinforce the views on both of those camps, but obviously it will make for an even more exciting election, I suppose, in November," Dutton said.
Greens leader Adam Bandt posted on X: "The jury in New York just confirmed what we all know: Donald Trump is unfit to be President and would be a disaster for the USA, Australia & the world if he is elected again. Every day a new reason for Labor to reconsider Australia’s relationship with the US, including AUKUS".
After the verdict, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social: "THIS WAS A DISGRACE—A RIGGED TRIAL BY A CONFLICTED JUDGE WHO IS CORRUPT. WE WILL FIGHT FOR OUR CONSTITUTION—THIS IS LONG FROM OVER!"
Truth Social shares plunged 15% on the Nasdaq in the immediate aftermath of the verdict, but ended after hours trading 6.06% lower at US$48.70 ($73.41).
Donald Trump found guilty in hush money case
The news: A New York jury has found Donald Trump guilty of multiple felonies at his hush-money trial, making him the first former US president to be convicted of crimes.
The numbers: After deliberating for two days, the 12-member jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election.
The five-week trial had featured testimony from Daniels about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump in 2006 while he was married to his current wife Melania.
The context: Prosecutors said Trump led a broader scheme to influence the election by concealing stories of his alleged sexual encounters with women.
Trump, who has denied wrongdoing and is expected to appeal, could be sentenced to up to four years in prison.
While incarceration would not prevent him from campaigning or taking office, Reuters/Ipsos polling has found that a guilty verdict could cost Republican candidate some support from voters as he heads into the presidential election on 5 November against Democratic president Joe Biden.
What they said: After the verdict, Trump told reporters outside the courtroom that the trial was "rigged and disgraceful."
He added that the "real verdict" will come on election day in November.
The sources: Reuters, ABC radio, Today, X, Truth Social
