UPDATE - Trump found guilty of all 34 charges in New York hush money trial

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By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - Donald Trump was found guilty Thursday of all 34 charges related to his hush money trial by a New York jury, making him the first former US president to be convicted of felony criminal charges.

The 12-member jury reached their verdict after two full days of deliberations, finding Trump guilty of covering up a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her story of their alleged affair from being published during the 2016 presidential election and itemizing it as a business expense.

Trump maintained his innocence after leaving the courtroom.

"We didn't do a thing wrong," he told reporters. "I'm a very innocent man."

While Trump's legal team has not officially announced filing an appeal, the former president alluded to his next course of action.

"We'll keep fighting. We'll fight till the end and we'll win because our country's gone to hell," he said. "We will fight for our Constitution. This is long from over."

Trump also blamed Joe Biden for his legal mess, making baseless claims against the current US president, whom he will face in a rematch during the November general election.

"Our whole country is being rigged right now," said Trump. "This was done by the Biden administration in order to wound or hurt an opponent, a political opponent."

Biden posted a simple message on X regarding the upcoming election.

"There's only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box," he wrote.

Trump continued to express his disdain with the verdict on social media.

"MY CIVIL RIGHTS HAVE BEEN TOTALLY VIOLATED WITH THIS HIGHLY POLITICAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AND ELECTION INTERFERING WITCH HUNT. OUR FAILING NATION IS BEING LAUGHED AT ALL OVER THE WORLD!" he posted on his Truth Social platform.

"Not only did this HIGHLY CONFLICTED, BIASED Judge, Juan Merchan, prevent me from presenting the fact that I did not take a Tax Deduction on the Legal Expense (which was marked, correctly, as a Legal Expense), the Judge also did not allow my lawyers to get Tax Records from the former attorney, whose name I am not allowed to mention due to the Unconstitutional Gag Order imposed upon me. ELECTION INTERFERENCE! WITCH HUNT!" he continued in his social media rant.

"The Jury Instructions given by HIGHLY CONFLICTED Judge, Juan Merchan, were UNFAIR, MISLEADING, INACCURATE, AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL. They were also VERY CONFUSING (Just what the Judge wanted!), BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CRIME!"

Now that he has been found guilty, Trump must now convince Americans that he deserves a second term in the White House. The 2024 presidential election will be held on Nov. 5.

Trump's sentencing is set for July 11, just days before being formally nominated as his party's presidential candidate during the Republican National Convention, which is being held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from July 15-18.

Biden will officially be nominated as his party's presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention taking place in Chicago, Illinois from Aug. 19-22.