Donald Trump is found guilty on 34 charges. A day that will shape American history.
The news of the guilty verdict against former American President Donald Trump is still reverberating. According to CNN, Trump appeared visibly relaxed in court as he waited for the trial to end. But the mood was about to change dramatically.
When Judge Juan Merchan announced the jury’s verdict at 4:36 p.m. local time, the initial lightness turned into crushing seriousness.
Trump and his lawyers then had to wait 30 minutes until the jury and judge returned with the completed forms. During this time, they mostly sat quietly, occasionally talking quietly.
When the guilty verdict against Donald Trump was first read, the reporters present could not see his facial expressions. The reason: The court had turned off the video screen while the foreman of the jury read the majority of the verdict. According to CNN, this is a standard procedure to protect the privacy of the jurors, especially when they enter or leave the room.
Only towards the end of the verdict was the video feed switched back on at the defendant’s table. This allowed the journalists sitting behind Trump in the courtroom and those in the audience to catch a glimpse of the former president.
After the verdict was announced, the jurors were asked individually whether they agreed with the verdict. Each of them answered “yes” or “yes, that’s it” to confirm that it was indeed their verdict.
Donald Trump left the courtroom with a flushed face and a frown. As he left, he exchanged a heartfelt handshake with his son Eric. Eric patted his father encouragingly on the back and followed him along with the rest of Trump’s entourage, which included advisers and lawyers.
When the verdict was read, Steve Witkoff was the only obvious supporter present, along with Donald Trump’s son.