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Supporters of former President Trump across the country flipped the American flag upside down after a New York jury’s guilty verdict as a sign of protest to the perceived weaponization of the U.S. legal system.

At least one person was seen waving an upside down U.S. flag outside Trump Tower on Thursday, where Trump returned from the Manhattan courthouse after a jury handed down guilty verdicts on all 34 felony counts in the trial where the former president was accused of falsifying business records to hide payments to porn star Stormy Daniels to influence the 2016 election. 

Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law, and Donald Trump Jr., his eldest son, have been sharing images of inverted flags online, as did longtime Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. Minutes after the guilty verdict was announced, Greene posted the inverted American flag on X, where the post had garnered 10.4 million views by Sunday morning. 

Country music singer Jason Aldean also posted an inverted flag on his Instagram account, Reuters reported. 

TRUMP SPEAKS TO FOX NEWS AFTER HIS GUILTY CONVICTION: ‘THESE ARE BAD PEOPLE’

An inverted American flag flutters at the home of Don Tapia, a Trump donor and his former ambassador to Jamaica, in Paradise Valley, Arizona, on May 30, 2024. (Don Tapia/Handout via Reuters)

“Scary times in our country right now, man,” Aldean wrote. “If there was ever a time to speak up, ITS NOW! Make no mistake. We are in trouble.”

Don Tapia, a former U.S. ambassador to Jamaica under the Trump administration and a Republican donor, flew an inverted flag outside his Arizona home, Reuters reported. 

He told Reuters he received phone calls of support and that motorists honked in agreement as they drove by, though he planned to switch the flag back on Sunday. 

Reuters reported that the Miami chapter of the Proud Boys posted an inverted flag on Telegram, as did a similar group called Patriot Voice, which wrote: “In dire distress.”

A U.S. flag flies upside down outside a home in East Bangor, Pennsylvania, May 31, 2024. (Reuters/Nathan Layne)

HOW TRUMP GUILTY VERDICTS MAY IMPACT THE 2024 REMATCH WITH BIDEN

Presidential historian Timothy Naftali told Reuters that the upside down flag was first used in the 1700s by sailors to signal distress and has a long history of being used in protest by Americans on both sides of the political spectrum. Naftali, a professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, said it was used in the mid-1800s by those who opposed slavery and was carried in the 1960s by protesters of the Vietnam War. The inverted flag was also flown in 2020 by some protesting the death of George Floyd and in 2022 after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. 

The upside-down American flag also sparked controversy after the New York Times reported in mid-May it was flown outside the Alexandria, Virginia, home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. An upside-down flag was carried by Jan. 6 rioters, and some outlets have associated the signal with the “Stop the Steal” movement. 

A Trump supporter waves an inverted American flag during a demonstration outside Trump Tower, Friday, May 31, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Pundits and podcast hosts with hundreds of thousands of followers, as well as regular Americans, rallied around the inverted flag in the hours after Trump was convicted in his New York hush money trial on Thursday. 

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, also posted an image on its X account of an upside-down American flag flying next to a flag with its logo. Heritage is the group behind the GOP’s Project 2025 playbook, a blueprint for ways to reshape the federal government in the event of a Republican presidential win in 2024.

An American flag is seen upside down at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, Friday, May 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Other posts on social media referred to the verdict as a declaration of “war” or a sign of a coming “civil war,” The Associated Press reported.

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The words “RIP America” trended on X immediately after the verdict.

Other widely shared posts referred to the end or collapse of America, often alluding to the fall of Rome. Elon Musk, the owner of X, referenced the civil war that preceded the collapse of the Roman empire in a post on the social media platform. Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also invoked the fall of the Roman Empire in a video statement he released on X.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Biden’s son Hunter Biden is slated to face an historic trial in Delaware on Monday, when prosecutors are expected to dive into the first son’s crack cocaine addiction and his purchase of a handgun. 

Biden’s trial will begin Monday in a federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, where he faces three felony firearm offenses regarding the 2018 purchase of a .38 revolver from a gun shop in the state. Biden has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The charges include: false statement in purchase of a firearm; false statement related to information required to be kept by federal firearms licensed dealer; possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

The total maximum prison time for the charges could be up to 25 years. Each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release. 

HUNTER BIDEN IS IN COURT IN DELAWARE. HERE’S WHAT HE DOESN’T WANT THE JURY TO HEAR

Hunter Biden and his attorneys Abbe Lowell, right, and Kevin Morris, leave the House Oversight and Accountability Committee markup on Capitol Hill on Jan. 10, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Biden has had well-documented and admitted struggles with addiction, most notably with crack cocaine. He has since gone into recovery and has been sober since 2019, according to sworn testimony in federal court last year. 

Prosecutors allege that in October 2018, Biden visited StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in Wilmington to purchase the Colt revolver, but say he lied about his drug addiction when he filled out a form for federal authorities to purchase the gun. Biden’s form was ticked “No” when asked if he is an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances. 

JUDGE BARS PROSECUTORS FROM USING SOME SALACIOUS EVIDENCE IN HUNTER BIDEN’S GUN TRIAL

For the two charges related to the form, prosecutors in the case are working to prove to the jury that Biden filled out the form and knowingly made a false statement, and that he knowingly made the false statement because he believed he would not be able to purchase the gun otherwise. For the third charge, which relates to Biden’s possession of a firearm while allegedly addicted to substances, prosecutors must prove that Biden was an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to drugs, and that he knowingly possessed the firearm as an unlawful user or while addicted to drugs. 

“Maybe it’s the ultimate test for a recovering addict – I don’t know,” Biden told Axios earlier this year regarding the importance of his sobriety ahead of his dad’s second election faceoff against former President Trump.

“I have always been in awe of people who have stayed clean and sober through tragedies and obstacles few people ever face. They are my heroes, my inspiration.”

Hunter Biden speaks to members of the media outside the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 13, 2023. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Pretrial motions are currently hashing out the definitions of “addict” and “unlawful user” to provide to the jury ahead of eventual jury deliberations. 

Biden has repeatedly acknowledged his addiction struggles, most notably in his 2021 autobiography, “Beautiful Things: A Memoir.” 

“I spent more time on my hands and knees picking through rugs smoking anything that even remotely resembled crack cocaine. I probably smoked more parmesan cheese than anyone you know,” he said during an interview promoting the book. 

“I went one time for 13 days without sleeping, and smoking crack and drinking vodka throughout that entire time,” he added. 

He previously said his addictions stretch back years, including in the early 2000s when he began heavily drinking while working at law and lobbying firm Oldaker, Biden & Belair, the New York Times reported. In 2014, he was discharged from the Navy Reserves after he tested positive for cocaine use, while following his brother’s death in 2015, he reported a return to the use of alcohol. 

In 2016, Biden said his addiction to drugs spiraled, with him using crack cocaine, and going through a tumultuous divorce with his wife of 24 years, the New York Times reported. 

Joe and son Hunter Biden taking a walk. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Biden’s defense team had worked to toss the Delaware case in the lead-up to the trial, including a last-ditch effort that was denied by the court last week. The defense team has argued Biden had just completed a rehab program before the gun purchase and was not an active drug user at the time. 

“Someone, like Mr. Biden who had just completed an 11-day rehabilitation program and lived with a sober companion after that, could surely believe he was not a present tense user or addict,” Biden attorney Abbe Lowell wrote in court documents. 

Biden was in possession of the firearm for about 11 days before police responded to a dumpster behind a shopping market, where they found the revolver, Fox News Digital previously reported. Biden was in a relationship with his late brother’s widow at the time, Hallie Biden, who allegedly threw the gun in the dumpster. 

AMERICANS GUILTY OF CHARGES SIMILAR TO HUNTER NEVER GOT ‘SWEETHEART’ DEAL TO KEEP THEM FROM PRISON: CRITICS

Hallie Biden might be required to testify in the trial, and reportedly had an unexpected late-night visit from the president last month in the lead-up to the trial. 

The White House said the president did not discuss the trial with Hallie, instead visiting her “because of the approaching 9th anniversary of Beau’s passing,” the New York Post reported. Beau Biden, Hallie Biden’s deceased husband and the president’s eldest son, died of brain cancer on May 30, 2015. 

Deleware Attorney General Beau Biden, right, speaks during a news conference surrounded by state and federal officials at the Department of Justice, Feb. 5, 2013, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Hunter Biden is now married to Melissa Cohen, whom he has credited with helping him overcome his drug addiction. 

“The decision never felt rash or harebrained or reckless. It felt urgent,” Biden wrote in his memoir of his marriage to Cohen in 2019. “It felt like I’d been given a reprieve. I felt the astonishing luck of a man who’d agreed to meet a woman for coffee when it was all but impossible for him to leave a hotel room without a crack pipe in his hand, and who fell in love at first sight.”

The trial will kick off on Monday with jury selection. Lowell has slammed the case as one that “selectively charged” Biden for political purposes, pointing to U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who is serving as special counsel in the case. 

Weiss was nominated to serve as U.S. attorney for the United States District Court for the District of Delaware by former President Trump, after the state’s two Democratic senators, Chris Coons and Tom Carper, urged his nomination. Biden retained him in the position after assuming the White House. He also served as interim U.S. attorney under President Barack Obama. 

HUNTER BIDEN CRIMINAL TAX CASE ASSIGNED TO TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE IN DELAWARE

President Biden and his son, Hunter (Getty Images)

FEDERAL COURT DENIES HUNTER BIDEN APPEAL IN DELAWARE FEDERAL GUN CHARGES CASE

U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika will preside over the case. Trump nominated Noreika as a U.S. district judge in 2017, with the judge also garnering support from Democratic lawmakers. Fox News Digital previously reported she has donated at least $15,000 to political candidates of both parties since 1999. 

Upon her nomination, Noreika received support and praise from Democrats in the state, including Coons and Carper. 

“Delaware’s courts are renowned for their judges’ expertise. Maryellen Noreika and Colm Connolly are two highly-respected, sought-after attorneys who have displayed a vast knowledge of the law and a thorough understanding of the courts during their extensive careers working in the Delaware judicial system,” Carper said of Noreika’s nomination in December 2017.

HUNTER BIDEN SCHEDULED TO MAKE FIRST COURT APPEARANCE ON FEDERAL TAX CHARGES IN JULY

Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower, Thursday, May 30, 2024, after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

The trial is anticipated to last at least a week, and will not be televised. Biden is also facing a criminal tax trial in California, which will begin in September, after he was charged with three felonies and six misdemeanors regarding $1.4 million in owed taxes. The taxes have since been paid. Biden has pleaded not guilty in that case. 

The trial follows the unprecedented NY v. Trump trial, which found the 45th president guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Following the verdict, Biden highlighted that “no one is above the law.” 

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“The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed. Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself. It was a state case, not a federal case. And it was heard by a jury of 12 citizens, 12 Americans, 12 people like you, like millions of Americans who’ve served on juries,” Biden said at the White House. “This jury is chosen the same way every jury in America is chosen. It was the process that Donald Trump’s attorney was part of.”

A federal judge derided an apparent effort to get the judge overseeing former President Trump’s criminal classified documents case removed, arguing the Florida judge appeared to be the victim of an “orchestrated campaign.”

Judge Aileen Cannon was the target of more than 1,000 complaints in a single week last month, with critics accusing her of intentionally stalling the criminal case against Trump until after the election, according to a report from CNBC.

But 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Chief Judge William Pryor shot down the effort, saying in a May 22 order that he “has considered and dismissed four of those orchestrated complaints as merits-related and as based on allegations lacking sufficient evidence to raise an inference that misconduct has occurred.”

TRUMP GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN NY CRIMINAL TRIAL

Former President Trump (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The order comes as Cannon has come under fire for her handling of the case, according to the CNBC report, which cited a recent “Justice Matters” podcast by former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner that accused the Florida judge of grinding the case to a halt.

“She has brought the case to a screeching halt by declining to resolve motions in a timely manner and by refusing to even set a trial date. Judge Cannon is NOT an honest broker of the law, and the federal law requires a judge to be removed when his/her ‘impartially might reasonably be questioned,’” said Kirschner, who also pointed out that Cannon was appointed by Trump.

The same podcast contained a link to a YouTube video that gave step-by-step instructions on how to file a complaint against Cannon with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Federal Judge Aileen Cannon (US Courts)

WHAT’S NEXT FOR TRUMP LEGALLY? WHICH CASE MAY END UP BEFORE ELECTION DAY?

In his order, Pryor noted that “many of the complaints” against Cannon “request that the Chief Circuit Judge remove her from the classified-documents case and reassign the case to a different judge” and “question the correctness of her rulings or her delays in issuing rulings in the case.”

The chief judge also noted that the judicial-complaint process “is not the appropriate way to seek review of Judge Cannon’s orders, her orders are nevertheless subject to appellate review in normal course.”

Pryor also argued in the order that there had been little evidence presented that would warrant action to remove Cannon.

Former President Trump headlines a Republican National Committee spring donor retreat, in Palm Beach, Florida, on May 4, 2024. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)

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“Although many of the complaints allege an improper motive in delaying the case, the allegations are speculative and unsupported by any evidence,” the judge wrote. “The Complaints also do not establish that Judge Cannon was required to recuse herself from the case because she was appointed by then-President Trump.”

Former President Trump’s attorney, Will Scharf, on Sunday previewed the planned appeal of Trump’s criminal conviction, and also hammered on the U.S. legal system’s “weaponization,” citing how a former official for the Department of Justice under the Biden administration helped Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg prosecute the criminal case against the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. 

Scharf, a member of Trump’s legal team who is also running for Missouri attorney general, said in an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” that the former president will comply with the pre-sentencing investigation in the meantime before appealing his conviction on 34 counts in the trial where Trump was accused of falsifying business records to hide payments to porn star Stormy Daniels to influence the 2016 election. 

The lawyer sparred with ABC host George Stephanopoulos over the motivations of the case itself, noting how prosecutor Matthew Colangelo stood directly over Bragg’s shoulder as the Manhattan DA announced the guilty verdicts at a press conference on Thursday. 

“I vehemently disagree that the district attorney in New York was not politically motivated here, and I vehemently disagree that President Biden and his political allies aren’t up to their necks in this prosecution. I think the fact that the Biden campaign…” Scharf said, before Stephanopoulos interjected. 

TRUMP SUPPORTERS FLIP AMERICAN FLAG UPSIDE DOWN IN PROTEST OF PERCEIVED WEAPONIZATION OF LEGAL SYSTEM

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg hosted a news conference following the conviction of former President Trump on May 30, 2024, in New York City. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo is seen on the right, standing behind Bragg. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

“There’s no evidence here of that. Sir, there’s no – there’s not – I’m not going to let you continue to say that. There’s just zero evidence of that,” Stephanopoulos claimed. 

“Well, how about the fact that Matthew Colangelo was standing – was standing over Alvin Bragg’s shoulder when – when he announced this verdict,” Scharf said. “I mean, Colangelo was the number three official in the Biden Department of Justice who suddenly disappears and shows up as an assistant district attorney, right as Trump’s case in New York starts to proceed. You want to talk about political…” 

“After the decision was made there,” the host interjected, but Scharf pressed on. 

“You want to talk about political coordination, George, it’s right there in front of you,” the lawyer said. 

“This has nothing to do – this has nothing to do – no, it’s not. This has nothing to do with President Biden. Do you want to answer the question about the sentencing process or not?” Stephanopoulos said. 

“I completely disagree that this has nothing to do with President Biden,” Scharf said. “With respect to sentencing, as I said before, we’re going to vigorously challenge this case on appeal. I don’t think President Trump is going to end up being subject to any sentence whatsoever. And we look forward to getting this case into the – into the next court and taking this again all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary to vindicate President Trump’s rights.”

Scharf deemed the hush-money ordeal a “zombie case” in New York that sat for years and could have been brought at any point after 2020. “And then suddenly, when President Trump announced his campaign for president, it was dusted off, rushed in front of a grand jury and then rushed into court,” the lawyer said earlier in the interview. “You want to talk about the politicization of the legal system, I mean this is exhibit A. It’s absolutely unprecedented in American history. It’s not the way that our campaigns are supposed to be run. We contest elections at the ballot box, not in the courts in this country.”

Former President Trump speaks to the media alongside his attorney Todd Blanche after his hush money trial in New York, Thursday, May 30, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Pool Photo via AP)

HOW TRUMP GUILTY VERDICTS MAY IMPACT THE 2024 REMATCH WITH BIDEN

On Friday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, insisted Bragg and Colangelo appear for a June hearing on the “weaponization of the federal government” and “the unprecedented political prosecution” of Trump. Biden, as president, is not supposed to have authority over the state courts in New York, but Republicans allege Biden drove the prosecution of a political opponent during an election year. 

Trump’s legal team had repeatedly asked that Judge Juan M. Merchan recuse himself, citing a potential conflict of interest given he donated to Biden’s campaign and given that Merchan’s daughter, as the president of Authentic Campaigns – a group that represents Democrat politicians and political action committees – was fundraising off of the hush-money case. 

On appeal, Scharf said Trump’s legal team will again challenge Merchan’s failure to recuse on appeal despite “a clear due process violation” and also challenge aspects of the jury instructions themselves. 

Judge Juan Merchan refused to recuse himself in the Trump hush money trial. (Getty Images)

“I think when you look at the jury instructions here, Judge Merchan essentially – I wouldn’t say rigged the deliberations but certainly steered the jury toward the verdict that he clearly wanted,” he said. 

“I think some of Judge Merchan’s evidentiary decisions really throughout the conduct of this trial were, frankly, astounding,” Scharf continued. “Not allowing Brad Smith to testify the way that he wanted. This is one of the world’s leading experts on federal election law. Severely limiting the scope of examination of Robert Costello, who I believe had absolutely damning information about the prosecution’s case. On decision after decision after decision, Judge Merchan, I think, departed from normal courtroom procedure, normal courtroom practice, to essentially stack the deck against President Trump.”

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Stephanopoulos suggested that Trump’s criticisms of Merchan and Bragg could complicate the sentencing process, but Scharf insisted Trump had every right to speak out, especially after the judge’s gag order. 

“I think it’s really important to note that President Trump is running for president of the United States of America. And he has an absolute constitutional right to comment on matters of public importance. And, unfortunately, this trial, which was, I believe, unjustly inserted into the presidential election cycle, is a matter of tremendous public importance,” Scharf said. “The weaponization of our legal system, the politicization of prosecution, these are all things that President Trump absolutely has to comment on. I think the fact that he labored under a gag order for as long as he did was manifestly unjust.” 

A well-known conservative California sheriff joked that he was “changing teams” ahead of the 2024 election and urged people to support a “convicted felon.”

“I think it’s time we put a felon in the White House,” Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco said in a video posted to social media Saturday. 

Bianco’s comments come after former President Trump was convicted last week on 34 felony counts in New York, making the former president the first president to be convicted of a felony.

TRUMP ‘UNLEASHED’ NOW THAT HIS CRIMINAL TRIAL IS OVER

Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Bianco, who has openly teased the possibility of running for governor of California, said in the video that he has done all he could over three decades in law enforcement to “keep our community safe by arresting criminals and putting them in jail,” but lamented that leaders and California have become seemingly pro-criminal in recent years.

“For the last five years I’ve been very critical about our governor for slashing our budgets from corrections, for letting prisoners out early, for closing our prisons,” Bianco said. “I’ve been critical of our state legislature for passing laws to make it harder to put people in prison. I’ve been critical for their changing laws that let prisoners out early. And I’ve been critical of our attorney general for seemingly not caring about crime.”

The sheriff went out to lament the “love affair” the state’s leaders “have with criminals,” which he argued is based on a “belief that criminals are not responsible for their own actions.”

“They’re a victim of society,” Bianco said. “It’s society’s fault. It’s businesses’ fault. It’s cops’ fault. It might be my fault.”

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco takes a knee with demonstrators after thousands of them marched to the Robert Presley Detention Center during a protest against the death of George Floyd during the coronavirus pandemic on June 1, 2020. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

BIDEN URGES RESPECT FOR LEGAL SYSTEM AFTER TRUMP CONVICTION WHILE PUBLICLY FLOUTING SCOTUS RULINGS

Bianco noted that the state’s leaders blame the judicial system, laws and law enforcement for being “systemically racist,” leading to criminals being put in jail as a result of “bias.”

But now they “let them out,” the sheriff continued, saying that they give criminals “housing, they give them money, they give them drugs and alcohol now.”

Bianco added that he was “tired” of the problem before a tongue-in-cheek admission that maybe he had “been wrong.”

House Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, center, listens to Sheriff Chad Bianco speak during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol to recognize law enforcement as part of Police Week on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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“I think I am going to change teams,” Bianco said. 

“I think they’re on to something, but I don’t think they’re doing enough,” the sheriff quipped, before revealing that he thought putting a felon in the White House would be a good idea.

“Trump 2024, baby, let’s save this country and make America great again,” Bianco concluded.

The Democratic National Committee filed another complaint against the main super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., alleging that former President Trump’s largest donor is propping up the third-party run. 

In a supplemental complaint filed Thursday against American Values 2024, the DNC said the pro-RFK Jr. super PAC’s monthly disclosure report filed on May 20, 2024, did not accurately disclose Gavin de Becker’s most recent payment to the group as a loan. 

De Becker, a longtime friend of RFK Jr., is the founder of a California-based security and consulting firm that is the largest vendor to Kennedy’s campaign. The group instead disguised it as a “contribution,” which inflates their level of support and minimizes the extent to which Timothy Mellon, Trump’s largest donor, is propping up the super PAC, according to the DNC. 

Kennedy has racked up millions in debt with de Becker’s security firm as the Biden administration has repeatedly denied his requests for Secret Service protection while on the campaign trail. Kennedy’s uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and father, Robert F. Kennedy, a U.S. senator and presidential candidate, were both assassinated in the 1960s,

RFK JR. WARNS TRUMP CONVICTION WILL ‘BACKFIRE’ ON DEMOCRATS AND IS ‘BAD FOR OUR DEMOCRACY’

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks at the Libertarian National Convention on May 24, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

RFK Jr. announced an independent presidential run in October, citing grievances with the Democratic establishment. 

“The PAC again has failed to accurately disclose Mr. de Becker’s $4 million payment on February 15, 2024, as a ‘loan,’ as evidenced by its reporting of a repayment to Mr. de Becker of one-half of that sum on April 25, 2024. Nor does American Values disclose that an additional repayment of $2 million towards the February 2024 loan remains outstanding,” the DNC complaint says. “This ongoing violation continues to mislead the public, the press, and potential donors as to the support for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s campaign. The PAC’s practice of masking these loans as contributions also obscures the fact that the principal Super PAC supporting Mr. Kennedy’s campaign has faced anemic fundraising until it was repeatedly bailed out by one of Donald Trump’s largest donors, Timothy Mellon.” 

The DNC says that American Values 2024 reported $21 million in receipts between January and April 2024 and has received a $4 million loan from de Becker and a $4 million payment from Nicole Shanahan in the weeks prior to Kennedy selecting her as his running mate.

A billboard launched by the Democratic National Committee highlights how Kennedy’s Super PAC is allegedly receiving millions from Donald Trump’s largest donor, Timothy Mellon, on Feb. 9, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Emily Elconin/Getty Images for DNC)

“Three-quarters of the remaining $13 million in receipts come from the largest donor to Donald Trump’s Super PAC,” the supplemental complaint says, alleging American Values 2024’s actions constitute a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 and thwart the purpose of the FEC to “protect the integrity of the federal campaign finance process by promoting transparency.” 

RFK JR UNLEASHES ON BIDEN, DEMS AFTER ACCUSING THEM OF ‘WEAPONIZING’ COURTS AGAINST TRUMP

“Despite what AV24 may believe, the rules do apply to them. By continuing to inflate their fundraising numbers, and concealing the extent to which Timothy Mellon, Donald Trump’s largest donor, is propping up RFK Jr.’s candidacy, they are not only misconstruing election laws, they are deceiving the public,” DNC senior adviser Mary Beth Cahill said in a statement Friday. “The DNC is here to make sure RFK Jr.’s campaign plays by the rules and to remind voters that he is a spoiler for Donald Trump.”

Kennedy is seeking to be part of the first presidential debate scheduled for June 27, 2024. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Tony Lyons, co-founder of American Values 2024, told CBS News on Thursday that the DNC’s latest complaint is “part of their concerted effort to silence and censor Bobby Kennedy, mislead the public about his views, his policies and his past.”

“We will answer this officially to the FEC,” Lyons said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the super PAC for added comment on Sunday. 

In March, the DNC filed its original FEC complaint against American Values 2024, alleging that the super PAC failed to properly disclose $10 million in payments from de Becker as “loans,” while repaying him $9.65 million. 

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The DNC also filed a complaint in February in response to the super PAC announcing it would help Kennedy gather signatures in the battleground states of Georgia, Arizona and Michigan, as well as in Maryland, Massachusetts, South Carolina and West Virginia, to help get him on the ballot. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., vowed to retaliate for the guilty verdict against former President Trump on Sunday, saying House Republicans would use “everything in our arsenal.”

Johnson made the comments during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream. The speaker emphasized the oversight powers that the House has, and said they plan to leverage them against corrupt prosecutors. He clarified, however, that Republicans must remain within the “rule of law.”

“We are the rule of law party. Chaos is not a conservative value. We have to fight back, and we will with everything in our arsenal. But we will do that within the confines of the rule of law,” Johnson said.

“We believe in our institutions. We are conservatives, and we are trying to conserve the greatest country in the history of the world. And its institutions are an important part of that. Our system of justice is an important part of that,” he added.

TRUMP ‘UNLEASHED’ NOW THAT HIS CRIMINAL TRIAL IS OVER

House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed to retaliate for the guilty verdict against former President Trump on Sunday, saying House Republicans would use “everything in our arsenal.” (Getty Images)

Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a Manhattan courtroom last week, leading to outrage from conservatives. Bream highlighted claims from some conservatives that the proper response is to open prosecutions against Democratic politicians.

BIDEN URGES RESPECT FOR LEGAL SYSTEM AFTER TRUMP CONVICTION WHILE PUBLICLY FLOUTING SCOTUS RULINGS

Johnson emphasized that Republicans should stay within the rule of law, however, and he pointed to efforts by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Jordan has summoned Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and the lead prosecutors in Trump’s case to testify before the committee on June 13.

House Speaker Mike Johnson says Republicans will use oversight powers to retaliate for Trump’s verdict. (Getty Images)

Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11.

TRUMP TURNS CONVICTION INTO CASH, SPOTLIGHTS RECORD FUNDRAISING IN WAKE OF GUILTY VERDICT

The former president has used his conviction to galvanize voters who argue his prosecution was purely political. He still has three additional indictments to defend himself against.

The former president has used his conviction to galvanize voters who argue his prosecution was purely political. He still has three additional indictments to defend himself against. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

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Trump’s campaign has raised tens of millions of dollars in the days since his Thursday conviction. His campaign estimates they will bring in some $150 million over the course of the week.

The official Facebook page for the U.S. Navy SEALs and Naval Special Warfare Command was mocked this weekend for marking the start of “pride month.”

Backlash to the post surged when it was highlighted on the popular “Libs of TikTok” page on X, formerly known as Twitter. The post had no caption and included a photo with rainbow designs that read, “NSW. Dignity. Service. Respect. Equality. Pride.”

Libs of TikTok shared the post to X on Saturday, writing, “The Navy SEALs have gone woke. Our elite special forces. This is terrifying.”

The special warfare account took steps to limit the accounts that can comment on their post, suggesting administrators knew it would be controversial.

NBC MARKS PRIDE MONTH WITH DOCUMENTARY ON ‘QUEER’ ANIMALS

The comment section was nevertheless full of criticism.

“This is a slap in the face of every special warfare operator that has put their lives on the line for our nation,” one person wrote.

NBC MARKS PRIDE MONTH WITH DOCUMENTARY ON ‘QUEER’ ANIMALS

“Man this woke s— is like a cancer and needs to be handled and dealt with as a threat to national security. Gone way too far,” another person said.

Not every comment was critical, however, with some users saying the post was positive.

“Fantastic!! Thanks for recognizing our strength is in our differences!” one person wrote.

The official Facebook page for the U.S. Navy SEALs and Naval Special Warfare Command was mocked this weekend for marking the start of “pride month.” (Getty Images)

Social media accounts for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force made no mention of Pride month on Saturday.

The incident comes after the Department of Defense (DoD) appeared to mix up Pride Month and PTSD Awareness Month in a social media post on Saturday.

In an X post published on Saturday afternoon, the Pentagon explained that June marks PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Awareness Month. The commemorative month was first recognized by the U.S. government in June 2014, a year before June also officially became Pride Month.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE REVERSES BAN ON EMPLOYEES WEARING UNIFORMS AT PRIDE EVENTS FOLLOWING LGBTQ BACKLASH

“June is PTSD Awareness Month and the DoD is committed to supporting service members and veterans affected by PTSD,” the post read. 

The Pentagon accidentally called to “Celebrate Pride” in post about PTSD Awareness Month. (Getty Images  @DeptofDefense)

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“If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available,” the DoD added. “You are not alone.”

But the picture attached to the post read “Celebrate Pride Month 2024” with a Progress Pride Flag graphic. The tweet was later deleted and replaced with a PTSD Awareness Month graphic.

Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of profiles of potential running mates for presidential candidate Donald Trump on the 2024 Republican Party ticket.

A potential name on former President Trump’s running mate shortlist is being described by political insiders as an “existential threat” to an area of support seen as key to President Biden’s hopes at winning another term.

The horse race among those hoping to be tapped as Trump’s running mate continued this week with the names widely believed to be on the shortlist making the rounds on various media outlets defending the former president after he was found guilty in a New York City court on 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Those names included South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who some argue could solidify gains Trump has already made among Black Americans — a group Biden would be devastated to lose — and even “make them Republicans for life.”

INSIDERS PREDICT THIS ‘POWERHOUSE’ REPUBLICAN WOULD BRING MAJOR BOOST AS TRUMP VP PICK

From left: House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and South Carolina Gov. Tim Scott are among those floated as a possible vice presidential running mate for former President Donald Trump. (Getty Images)

“A Trump running mate who could effectively carry a message to communities of Black voters would be an existential threat to the Democrats’ coalition,” GOP pollster Scott Rasmussen told Fox News Digital, adding that Scott, who is Black, was “an effective surrogate” for Trump with strong ties to other senators needed to enact his legislative agenda.

“That adds a lot of value to the campaign, and potentially the administration,” he said. “Based upon his performance last fall, he might not be the strongest debater on the shortlist. But, it’s hard to imagine much downside coming from a debate between Sen. Scott and Biden’s running mate.”

One top Republican strategist told Fox that now “could be the perfect point in history” for someone like Scott to be selected as a vice presidential running mate considering Biden’s “severe problem” with Black voters.

“Biden has already chased away a sizable percentage of Black voters that he cannot afford to lose. Tim Scott has the potential to make them Republicans for life,” the strategist said, noting Trump polling as high as 22% among Black voters just over five months from Election Day.

“When people ask me who I think would be a good running mate, Tim Scott is always at the top of my list. I think he is an able politician. He’s an excellent spokesman for conservative ideals. He brings youth and a fresh perspective and a different way of talking about conservative ideals that makes them more accessible to a wider audience.”

EXPERTS REVEAL MAJOR ‘DOWNSIDE’ TO POTENTIAL TRUMP VP PICK: ‘NO WOW FACTOR’

From left: former President Donald Trump, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and President Biden. (Getty Images)

Republican strategist David Polyansky said that although he didn’t believe Scott being Black would have any “meaningful impact” on the electorate and how they might vote, he believed Trump’s historic standing among Black voters at this point in the race pointed to “a real base problem” for Biden.

“I don’t know if this choice will impact that, but they’re already working at a deficit there,” Polyansky said, adding that Scott was a “fantastic senator” who had “proven himself to be a great communicator.”

“There are major donors who would really like to see him be the choice, or at least one of the options, and so, from a Trump campaign standpoint, somebody like him who might be able to add some prowess to large donors is an added benefit, too,” he said. “So there’s a lot of good that comes with him, and obviously, having a Black choice as your vice president would be pretty historic in Republican terms, and I think pretty meaningful.”

Not everyone agreed, including a source close to the Trump campaign who told Fox News Digital that the race aspect of a potential Scott selection was being “overplayed.”

“I couldn’t care less if he’s Brown, Black, blue, orange, White, female, male, whatever. It doesn’t matter to me,” the source, who is a minority, told Fox. “I think that is overplayed, especially since Donald Trump has done such an outstanding job already, picking up minority votes across the board. So I don’t think you need to look at it that way anymore.” 

TRUMP VEEPSTAKES: THE PROS AND CONS OF SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. KRISTI NOEM

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., attends the Independence Day parade in Merrimack, New Hampshire, on July 4, 2023. (Mel Musto/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The source praised Scott as someone who had “masterminded the Senate,” and would be of “tremendous value” considering his time in Congress, but argued that Trump, instead, needed to pick someone not interested in their own potential future run for the White House.

Scott ran against Trump in the Republican presidential primaries, but dropped out months before the Iowa Caucuses.

“Tim is a nice guy, but I need somebody who is going to be in there that’s going to fight for the Donald Trump agenda, and not worry about what the media is going to say about him. I don’t know if that’s Tim,” the source said.

“Don’t pick someone who is going to be running for president for four years and kneecapping what you did in your first term like [former Vice President Mike] Pence did … I’m not saying it should or shouldn’t be him, I’m just saying, for me, I think there are other factors to consider that he may not have.”

A source close to Scott told Fox News Digital the senator has been a “prolific” and “monster” fundraiser throughout his time in the Senate and while running for president, especially compared to other names reportedly being considered as Trump’s running mate.

WATCH: POSSIBLE TRUMP VP PICK MAKES MAJOR PREDICTION ABOUT BLACK VOTERS AS BIDEN BLEEDS SUPPORT

Former President Donald Trump listens while Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks during a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire, on Jan. 19. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The source also pointed to Scott’s close relationship with Trump, as well as what they said was Scott’s ability to bring potential big-name donors who were Trump skeptics into the fold, and would attempt to do so at a major Washington, D.C., donor summit in June.

They also noted Trump previously praised Scott for campaigning better for Trump than for himself.

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A number of other big names have also been floated to join Trump on the Republican ticket, including House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

Trump, who spent most of this week sitting on trial in New York City until his Thursday conviction, is still weighing his running mate options. He suggested earlier this month he might even wait until July’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to name his pick.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Republicans are looking to take advantage of a difficult Senate election map for Democrats in November, but crowded primary races in top swing states could hurt the party’s attempts to capture key Senate seats, according to some experts. 

“Campaign lore would suggest that any ‘divisive primary’ is going to advantage the other party at the polls in the general,” said Jacob Neiheisel, an associate professor of political science at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

In Nevada, which will have its Senate primaries June 11, and Michigan, which won’t see its primary elections until August, the Republican fields ended up being relatively large despite having clear frontrunners. 

The Senate seats are both occupied by Democrats, with Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., running for re-election. However, Michigan became more competitive by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., deciding to retire at the end of her term. 

ROMNEY SCORCHES BRAGG’S ‘POLITICAL DECISION’ IN TRUMP CASE: ‘MALPRACTICE’

Divisive primaries in Nevada and Michigan could make general elections more difficult for frontrunners Sam Brown and Mike Rogers, should they receive their states’ nominations. (Getty Images)

Nevada’s Senate race is one of the few contests considered a “toss-up,” according to non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report. The Michigan election is labeled “Lean Democratic.” 

“Trump’s expected endorsement is causing the Senate GOP to hold its breath,” Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, former top spokesman to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and former chief of staff of the Senate Republican Conference, said of the primary in Nevada.   

“If he endorses [Jeff] Gunter over Brown and his popularity, it could very well give Sen. Rosen and Democrats the upper hand at winning here,” he explained, referencing the former Trump ambassador to Iceland who is financing his own run against frontrunner Ret. Army Capt. Sam Brown in the GOP primary. 

GOP’S MURKOWSKI LAMENTS TRUMP’S ‘BAGGAGE’ FOLLOWING GUILTY VERDICT

Brown previously lost the Senate nod to Adam Laxalt. (Brandon Gillespie/Fox News)

There are several contenders vying for the Republican Senate nomination in Nevada, the most prominent being Brown, Gunter and former Nevada State Rep. Jim Marchant. 

Rosen campaign spokesperson Johanna Warshaw told Fox News Digital in a statement, “While her extreme MAGA opponents like Sam Brown have been forced to spend the past year fighting to prove who is most loyal to Donald Trump and embracing a far-right agenda, Jacky Rosen is focused on winning the general election and sharing her record as one of the most bipartisan and effective senators who delivers for Nevadans.

“The messy MAGA Republican primary has been a stark contrast with Jacky’s record of working across party lines to lower costs for hardworking families and being an independent voice for Nevada.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to Brown’s campaign for comment. 

SOROS HEIR URGES DEMOCRATS TO HAMMER TRUMP AS ‘CONVICTED FELON AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY’

While some suggested the drama of the primary season could bleed into the general election, others pushed back. According to Nevada Republican strategist Jeremy Hughes, “Crowded primaries are commonplace in today’s politics. In fact, Gov. Lombardo had a primary in 2022 and was ultimately successful in the general.

“Republican voters will be united come November. Joe Biden, Alvin Bragg and the Democrats are making sure of that.” 

“I think that whether or not the GOP primaries in these states redound to the benefit of the Democrats is going to depend on several factors, including whether the Republican Party’s internal battles give the Democrats fodder that they can use against the nominee in the general election,” Neiheisel claimed. 

Rogers was endorsed by Trump.  (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

As for Michigan, former President Trump has already weighed in, endorsing former Rep. Mike Rogers for the Republican nomination. However, this hasn’t stopped wealthy businessman Sandy Pensler, who is endorsed by former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, from continuing his bid. Former Rep. Justin Amash is also running for the nomination. Another former representative, Peter Meijer, recently suspended his primary campaign. 

“The Trump endorsement of Rogers emerging as a consensus candidate after a complicated path to becoming the frontrunner is getting mixed reviews from both hardliners and establishment Republicans in the state,” Bonjean said. 

SENATE DEMS IN BATTLEGROUND RACES CAREFUL TO WEIGH IN ON TRUMP VERDICT

While Rogers is favored to remain the frontrunner and secure the nomination come August, Michigan Republican strategist Jason Cabel Roe pointed out that “it only gives him three months to ramp up the general election campaign.”

“And if he has to continue to wage an actual primary battle against Amash and Pensler, he’s probably going to finish the primary with no money in the bank and have to replenish it,” he added. 

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is favored to take the Democratic nomination, while also facing a primary challenger in actor Hill Harper. But Slotkin has notably spent little time campaigning against him, mounting a general election-focused bid. 

Roe pointed to Slotkin’s fundraising prowess, predicting she will be “sitting on many millions of dollars” by the time the primary is over. 

Slotkin is favored to win the Democratic nomination. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

“That becomes a much more expensive race for Rogers and for the [National Republican Senatorial Committee] and the Senate Leadership Fund,” he added. 

As it stands, the Republican strategist thinks Pensler and Amash “are sand in Rogers’ gears in trying to build a campaign that can compete with someone like Slotkin.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the NRSC expressed confidence in both Rogers and Brown in the November election.

“Mike Rogers and Sam Brown are both leading their primaries by large margins because their opponents are never Trumpers and former Democrats. We’re confident that they will win their respective primaries and make Michigan and Nevada extremely competitive in November,” said NRSC spokesperson Maggie Abboud.

In his own statement, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesperson Tommy Garcia said, “Senate Republicans’ roster of recruits is reeling from a series of reports uncovering their lies about their biographies, vulnerabilities tied to their finances and a lifetime of toxic statements and policy positions.

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“Meanwhile, their primaries in states like Nevada and Michigan are erupting in chaos. The NRSC’s big bet to back a bunch of unvetted carpetbaggers is looking worse by the day.” 

According to Neiheisel, the general election in both states is ultimately going to be determined by the candidates. 

“The particular candidates that emerge from these contests are likely going to stand out as the largest determinant of the eventual outcome,” he said. “Candidate quality still matters even in a polarized era of politics.”

Former president Donald Trump’s criminal conviction is spurring high-dollar donors to flock to his side, with his campaign estimating that approximately $150 million will be raised in the coming days.

Charlie Gasparino, a senior correspondent for the FOX Business Network and the Fox News Channel, wrote in an opinion piece for the New York Post that a group of GOP billionaires and multimillionaires were waiting in the wings for the former president following his conviction for falsifying business records on Thursday.

“We spoke for two hours,” one attendee told Gasparino. “Everyone explained the need for Trump to win given the dangerous direction of the country under Biden, and they said they were willing to do whatever to support him.”

TRUMP TURNS CONVICTION INTO CASH, SPOTLIGHTS RECORD FUNDRAISING IN WAKE OF GUILTY VERDICT

Donald Trump arrives to Trump Tower, Thursday, May 30, 2024 after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

Many showed their support, according to Gasparino, pledging an astounding $30 million to Trump’s campaign on Thursday evening.

The Trump campaign said that they believe an estimated $150 million will come in the coming days, Gasparino wrote.

Donald Trump arrives to Trump Tower, Thursday, May 30, 2024 after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

Following the 24-hour fundraising event, Trump’s son, Eric Trump, touted the $52.8 million raised on “Jesse Watters Primetime” Friday.

“What’s really amazing, go back to 2016 for a second, the largest fundraising haul in history to that point, we did in one day, you know, $16 million,” Eric Trump told Watters.

BIDEN URGES RESPECT FOR LEGAL SYSTEM AFTER TRUMP CONVICTION WHILE PUBLICLY FLOUTING SCOTUS RULINGS

“And as of a couple of minutes ago, we just announced $52.8 million in 24 hours, and we’re probably another five, six million dollars above that, based on the fact that that was exactly 24 hours from the indictment time, which was about 5:30 [p.m.],” he continued.

Former President Donald Trump appears in Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, May 30, 2024, in New York.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool)

Minutes after the verdict was read in the first trial of the former president, the former president’s team put out a fundraising appeal to supporters.

“Friend: Is this the end of America?,” the presumptive Republican presidential nominee asked in the email. “I was just convicted in a RIGGED political Witch Hunt trial.

“My end-of-month fundraising deadline is just DAYS AWAY!” Trump emphasized in the email, which included a photo of the former president labeling him a “political prisoner.”

Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden both appealed to their bases following Trump’s conviction on Thursday. (Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Biden’s re-election campaign also quickly sent out fundraising appeals following the verdict.

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“Despite a jury finding Donald Trump guilty today, there is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box,” the Biden campaign wrote in a fundraising text to supporters Thursday evening. 

And it urged that “if you have been waiting for the perfect time to make your first donation to Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, we’re here to tell you today is the day.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg committed “political malpractice” in his choice to pursue charges against former President Trump. 

The Utah Republican on Saturday morning issued a statement, days after the guilty verdict against former President Trump, criticizing both Bragg and Democrats over the case’s result. 

“Bragg should have settled the case against Trump, as would have been the normal procedure. But he made a political decision,” Romney told his biographer McKay Coppins, a writer at the Atlantic. His office confirmed the comments to Fox News Digital.  

GOP’S MURKOWSKI LAMENTS TRUMP’S ‘BAGGAGE’ FOLLOWING GUILTY VERDICT

Mitt Romney said Alvin Bragg’s prosecution of Trump was “political malpractice.” (Getty Images)

“Bragg may have won the battle, for now, but he may have lost the political war,” he warned. “Democrats think they can put out the Trump fire with oxygen. It’s political malpractice.”

Trump was found guilty by a New York jury on Thursday on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up payments that were made to pornographic performer Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had an affair with Trump. Trump denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

SOROS HEIR URGES DEMOCRATS TO HAMMER TRUMP AS ‘CONVICTED FELON AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY’

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump Tower, Friday, May 31, 2024, in New York.A day after a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony charges, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee addressed the conviction and likely attempt to cast his campaign in a new light. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

In the latter part of Romney’s Senate tenure, he has often aligned with more moderate conference members such as Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine. Due to this association, his response to the verdict was less predictable than other Republican senators, many of whom are close Trump allies. 

Collins also denounced “the political underpinnings of this case” in her post-verdict statement. 

SENATE DEMS IN BATTLEGROUND RACES CAREFUL TO WEIGH IN ON TRUMP VERDICT

Sen. Lisa Murkowski issued a statement on Friday reacting to Donald Trump’s guilty verdict. (Getty Images)

But Murkowski avoided opining on the legitimacy of the case or verdict in her own reaction. Instead, the Alaska Republican lamented the drama and legal “baggage” that she said distracts voters from President Biden’s failures. 

Members of the right-wing flank of the Republican conference reacted more strongly to the guilty verdict. 

Several senators signed on to a letter to the White House on Friday, led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, in which they vowed to make the legislative process as difficult as possible for Democrats going forward. 

“As a Senate Republican conference, we are unwilling to aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart,” the letter read. 

SCHUMER URGES TRUMP ALLIES TO LET LEGAL PROCESS ‘MOVE FORWARD’ AFTER GUILTY VERDICT

Republican senators, led by Sen. Mike Lee, said they won’t allow the Senate to function and accomplish Democratic priorities following former President Trump’s guilty verdict.  (Getty Images)

Trump has pledged to appeal the verdict. 

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Romney previously suggested President Biden had made a mistake in not opting to pardon Trump, his political opponent. “You may disagree with this, but had I been President Biden, when the Justice Department brought on indictments, I would have immediately pardoned him,” Romney said in a mid-May interview on MSNBC.

“I’d have pardoned President Trump. Why? Well, because it makes me, President Biden, the big guy and the person I pardoned a little guy,” the senator added. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said he will not attend remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a joint session of Congress, calling him a “war criminal.”

“It is a very sad day for our country that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited – by leaders from both parties – to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress,” Sanders said in a statement on Saturday. 

Netanyahu was officially invited to speak to Congress on Friday in a letter signed by the Republican and Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate. 

ROMNEY SCORCHES BRAGG’S ‘POLITICAL DECISION’ IN TRUMP CASE: ‘MALPRACTICE’

Sen. Bernie Sanders said he won’t attend Benjamin Netanyahu’s joint address to Congress. (Getty Images)

The formal letter came after Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had made his intention to extend the invite clear for several weeks. It wasn’t initially certain whether Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would sign on, especially after calling on Israel to hold new elections during wartime to replace Netanyahu. However, his signature ultimately appeared on the invitation.

“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal. He should not be invited to address a joint meeting of Congress. I certainly will not attend,” Sanders said in the conclusion of his lengthy statement. He referenced the recent requests from the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking warrants against Netanyahu and other Israeli and Hamas leaders for “war crimes.”

GOP’S MURKOWSKI LAMENTS TRUMP’S ‘BAGGAGE’ FOLLOWING GUILTY VERDICT

Johnson led the effort to invite Netanyahu.  (Getty Images)

“The ICC is right,” Sanders said. 

Sanders is Jewish but has previously said that he is no longer involved in organized religion. 

After receiving the invitation, Netanyahu said in a statement, “I am excited to represent Israel before both houses of Congress and to present the truth about our just war against those seeking our lives to the representatives of the American people and the entire world.”

SOROS HEIR URGES DEMOCRATS TO HAMMER TRUMP AS ‘CONVICTED FELON AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY’

Sanders has been a vocal critic of Israel. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

His speech will make Netanyahu the first head of state in the world to address both houses of Congress on four different occasions. 

President Biden recently endorsed an Israeli-proposed ceasefire deal, urging Hamas’ leaders to accept it. He called for an end to the war and claimed that “at this point, Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another October 7.”

SENATE DEMS IN BATTLEGROUND RACES CAREFUL TO WEIGH IN ON TRUMP VERDICT

Biden and Netanyahu may not be on the same page about a proposed deal. ((Fox News/Getty Images))

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The deal on the table is understood to include the release of hostages as well as a lasting ceasefire. It’s not clear whether Biden and Netanyahu are on the same page, as the prime minister released a statement following Biden’s remarks, claiming that Israel is still committed to “the elimination of Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities,” in addition to bringing home all hostages. 

According to Netanyahu’s office, “The exact outline proposed by Israel, including the conditional transition between the stages, allows Israel to maintain these principles.”

Fox News’ Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this report. 

Over 3,500 Chinese nationals were encountered crossing the southern border illegally in May, along with hundreds of Jordanian, Turkish and Mauritanian nationals, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources who spoke to Fox News.

The vast majority (98%) were encountered in the San Diego Sector, which has emerged as a top border-crossing point, even as numbers across the border have decreased in recent months. 

While the Tucson Sector in Arizona saw the most encounters, with over 33,000 illegal encounters, San Diego was a close second with over 32,000.

MAYORKAS SAYS SOME MIGRANTS ‘TRY TO GAME’ ASYLUM SYSTEM, AS BORDER CRISIS REMAINS TOP POLITICAL ISSUE

Migrants are processed by the U.S. Border Patrol at a new makeshift camp after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on May 26, 2024, in Jacumba Hot Springs, San Diego, California. ( (Photo by Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images))

In the San Diego sector, there were over 770 Jordanians, more than 670 Turkish, and over 500 Mauritanian nationals recorded crossing illegally in the sector in May, giving a glimpse into the global nature of the U.S. migrant crisis, which has expanded beyond the Western Hemisphere.

The influx of Jordanian nationals was put in the spotlight last month when two people from Jordan were arrested for attempting to breach Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. One of those nationals had crossed into the U.S. illegally in April and had then been released into the interior of the U.S.

The number of Chinese nationals has increased enormously since 2021. There were 1,970 encounters in FY 2022 and over 24,000 in FY 2023, and so far there have been over 24,200 encounters so far this fiscal year.

Fox News is told that approximately 118,000 migrants crossed the U.S. illegally and were apprehended by Border Patrol in May. Over 6,300 of those were “special interest aliens” coming from countries with potential national security concerns. 

The ongoing crisis at the border threatens to be a major issue for President Biden’s re-election campaign. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said recently that some migrants crossing the southern border “try to game” the U.S. asylum system – a hardening of rhetoric as the crisis at the border remains a top political issue going into the November presidential election.

Migrants arrive at a makeshift camp after crossing the nearby border with Mexico near the Jacumba Hot Springs on February 23, 2024, in San Diego, California. (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)

SPIKE IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM THIS US ADVERSARY BLOWS LID OFF PREVIOUS YEAR’S RECORD 

“The reality is that some people do indeed try to game the system,” Mayorkas told CBS News. “That does not speak to everyone whom we encounter, but there is an element of it, and we deal with it accordingly.”

The administration has demanded reform from Congress, including the bipartisan Senate bill. It has also pointed to 720,000 removals or returns of illegal immigrants since May 2023, more than in every full fiscal year since 2011.  

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

Mayorkas said in the interview that a recent bipartisan border security proposal, which has failed to pick up support in the Senate, “would have equipped us with more tools to deal with those individuals who seek to game the system.”

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Republicans have blamed the policies of the administration, including the rollback of Trump-era policies such as wall construction, the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and increased interior enforcement. They have passed their own legislation in the House that would significantly limit asylum claims and restart border wall construction and similar measures. It has not yet been taken up by the Senate.

Former President Trump was found guilty on felony charges Thursday, raising potential challenges for the Secret Service responsible for protecting him just as a top Democrat is seeking to yank that protection from him.

Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in New York v. Trump. The charges were related to alleged payments made ahead of the 2016 presidential election to silence pornographic performer Stormy Daniels about an alleged 2006 extramarital sexual encounter with Trump. Trump denied all charges and any affair with Daniels.

But the conviction raises the possibility the presumed 2024 Republican nominee could end up being bars. That unprecedented development would raise a number of additional questions, including how his Secret Service protection would adapt.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN WARNS BIDEN TO ‘BUCKLE UP’ AFTER HE’S RELEASED FROM ‘FREEZING’ COURT TO HIT CAMPAIGN TRAIL 

Donald Trump arrives to Trump Tower Thursday, May 30, 2024, after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the agency said the outcome of the case “has no bearing on the manner in which the United States Secret Service carries out its protective mission.”

“Our security measures will proceed unchanged,” Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, said.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has previously said the city’s Department of Corrections and the Rikers Island prison in New York are “ready” to receive Trump. 

Asked if Trump would be housed by himself or with the general population, a Department of Corrections spokesman said last month, “The Department would find appropriate housing for him if he winds up in our custody.” 

The New York Times reported that there had been conversations involving the Secret Service and other law enforcement about how to move and protect Trump if he were briefly jailed for contempt, but the challenge of a longer prison sentence has yet to be addressed.

TRUMP GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL

This could be in part because, even though the sentencing is in July, a series of lengthy Trump appeals that could rise to the Supreme Court would likely follow.

A.T. Smith, a former deputy director at the agency, said that while the territory may be uncharted, the Secret Service would not allow the mission to be compromised.

A Secret Service agent stands guard as former President Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, speaks during a campaign event at Big League Dreams Las Vegas Jan. 27, 2024, in Las Vegas. (David Becker/Getty Images)

“They’ll rise to the occasion. They will work with the counterparts that may become necessary depending upon the judge’s decision … in order to accomplish their mission, which is the protection of the former president,” he told The Telegraph.

One potential impediment to that protection could come from Democrats, who have introduced a bill in the House to strip Secret Service protection from convicted felons sentenced to prison.

CNN LEGAL GURU SAYS NEW YORK TRUMP PROSECUTORS ‘CONTORTED THE LAW,’ CASE WAS ‘UNJUSTIFIED MESS’

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, introduced the Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable (DISGRACED) Former Protectees Act.

“Unfortunately, current law doesn’t anticipate how Secret Service protection would impact the felony prison sentence of a protectee — even a former President,” Thompson said in a statement. 

“It is regrettable that it has come to this, but this previously unthought-of scenario could become our reality.”

An accompanying fact sheet said the bill deals with the possibility the logistics of Secret Service protection would result in Trump getting home confinement rather than prison time. 

“This bill would remove the potential for conflicting lines of authority within prisons and allow judges to weigh the sentencing of individuals without having to factor in the logistical concerns of convicts with Secret Service protection,” the document states.  

Meanwhile, the Trump campaign says it has been energized by the trial’s conclusion and is confident that it takes him a step closer to reclaiming the White House.

“Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrats confined President Trump to a courtroom for more than eight hours a day for more than six weeks, and he’s still winning,” Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. “Now that he is fully back on the campaign trail, Biden and the Democrats better buckle up.” 

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Leavitt told Fox News Digital Trump “generated billions of dollars in earned media coverage throughout the trial, hosted massive rallies and impromptu campaign stops in New York and beyond, increased his lead over crooked Joe Biden in the polls and raised more money than Biden and the Democrats in the month of April. Not even a witch hunt trial could slow him down. In fact, it only made him stronger.” 

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo, Michael Dorgan and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

A House Democrat who previously posed a primary challenge to President Biden called for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to pardon former President Donald Trump for “the good of the country,” insisting his conviction is only helping the presumptive Republican nominee’s campaign.

“Donald Trump is a serial liar, cheater, and philanderer, a six-time declarer of corporate bankruptcy, an instigator of insurrection, and a convicted felon who thrives on portraying himself as a victim,” Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., wrote in a post to X on Friday. “@GovKathyHochul should pardon him for the good of the country.”

In a follow-up post to social media on Saturday, Phillips wrote: “You think pardoning is stupid? Making him a martyr over a payment to a porn star is stupid. (Election charges are entirely different.)”

“It’s energizing his base, generating record sums of campaign cash, and will likely result in an electoral boost,” Phillips added.

TRUMP TURNS CONVICTION INTO CASH, SPOTLIGHTS RECORD FUNDRAISING IN WAKE OF GUILTY VERDICT

Rep. Dean Phillips, President Biden’s former primary challenger, called on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to pardon former President Donald Trump for “the good of the country.” (Getty Images)

Phillips’ remarks about the “record” fundraising came after the Trump campaign announced Friday evening that it had raised nearly $53 million in the 24 hours after Trump was found guilty of all 34 felony counts in his criminal trial in New York City.

The campaign, as reported by Fox News Digital, had previously announced it had hauled in $34.8 million in fundraising from 6 p.m. ET to midnight on Thursday, immediately after the verdict in the case was made public.

The campaign touted that the fundraising was “nearly double the biggest day ever recorded for the Trump campaign on the WinRed platform” and emphasized that the guilty verdicts “have awakened the MAGA movement like never before.”

Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Phillips’ plea for a pardon.

BIDEN URGES RESPECT FOR LEGAL SYSTEM AFTER TRUMP CONVICTION WHILE PUBLICLY FLOUTING SCOTUS RULINGS

Phillips launched an unsuccessful primary challenge against Biden in October but dropped out of the race in March. (Getty Images)

“I think the New York cases, if anything, may have backfired against those who thought that it would be the salvation. But I don’t think the New York cases are exactly what Democrats were hoping they would be,” Phillips told CNN’s Manu Raju.

Phillips launched an unsuccessful primary challenge against Biden in October. He dropped out of the race in March, saying it “is clear that Joe Biden is OUR candidate and OUR opportunity to demonstrate what type of country America is and intends to be.”

“I ask you join me in mobilizing, energizing, and doing everything you can to help keep a man of decency and integrity in the White House. That’s Joe Biden,” he added at the time.

Trump has been aiming to close his fundraising gap with Biden. In April, his campaign and the Republican National Committee for the first time out-raised the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Trump has been aiming to close his fundraising gap with Biden. In April, his campaign and the Republican National Committee for the first time out-raised the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee. (Getty Images)

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While Trump has stepped up his fundraising, the Biden campaign still enjoyed an $84 million to $49 million cash-on-hand advantage at the end of April.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

A new poll conducted immediately following former President Trump’s criminal conviction in New York found a significant number of Republicans say they are less likely to vote for him in November.

One in 10 registered GOP voters said Trump’s felony conviction for falsifying business records would make them less likely to support him for president, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Friday. The two-day poll was conducted hours after a jury in Manhattan on Thursday found Trump guilty on all counts brought against him by District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The poll also found that a majority of Republican voters, 56%, said the outcome of the case would have no effect on their vote and 35% said they were even more likely to support Trump, who maintains his innocence. 

Even so, the potential loss of a tenth of Republican voters could decimate the presumptive GOP nominee’s chances to win back key battleground states President Biden claimed in his 2020 victory over Trump. That year, just 44,000 votes in Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin separated Biden and Trump from a tie in the Electoral College, according to NPR. 

TRUMP GUILTY VERDICT REVEALS SPLIT AMONG FORMER GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY OPPONENTS

Donald Trump arrives to Trump Tower, Thursday, May 30, 2024, after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

Among independent registered voters, 25% said Trump’s conviction made them less likely to support him in November, compared to 18% who said they were more likely and 56% who said the conviction would have no impact on their decision.

The Reuters/Ipsos survey showed Biden and Trump nevertheless remain in a tight race, with 41% of voters saying they would vote for Biden if the election were held today and 39% saying they would pick Trump. The poll surveyed 2,556 U.S. adults nationwide with a 2 percentage point margin of error for registered voters. 

ROMNEY SCORCHES BRAGG’S ‘POLITICAL DECISION’ IN TRUMP CASE: ‘MALPRACTICE’

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump reacts as the verdict is read in his criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, at Manhattan state court in New York City on May 30, 2024, in this courtroom sketch.  (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)

The presidential election is a little more than five months away. Many Republicans have said outrage over Trump’s conviction has cemented support behind the former president. The Trump campaign posted impressive fundraising numbers a day after his conviction, totaling $53 million in the first 24 hours after the guilty verdict came down. 

Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11. Survey respondents were divided on whether he should go to prison for his crimes, with 53% of registered voters saying he should not be jailed over the hush money case and 46% saying he should serve time.

BILL MAHER STRUGGLES WHETHER TRUMP SHOULD GO TO JAIL FOLLOWING GUILTY VERDICT: ‘MAGA NATION WILL GO NUTS’

Trump’s conviction, and even imprisonment, would not prevent him from continuing to run for president. The Republican National Convention will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin four days after Trump is sentenced. The RNC adopted rules last year that did not include any specific provisions that address what happens if the presumptive nominee is convicted of a crime. 

Trump has repeatedly called his prosecution a “witch hunt” and insisted that Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan, who donated to an anti-Trump group, were politically motivated. Voters were split, with 52% saying the prosecution was mainly about upholding the rule of law and 46% saying it was about trying to prevent Trump from returning to the White House.

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Trump has been indicted in three other criminal cases, but legal wrangling could keep those trials from occurring before the November election. Legal scholars consider the pending trials — which involve charges Trump engaged in electoral fraud and that he mishandled classified documents after leaving office — to be more serious than the hush money case. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

Most registered voters, 60%, said it was important for the three pending Trump trials to take place before the election, compared to 39% who said it was not important and 1% who did not answer the question.

Reuters contributed to this report.

President Biden said on Friday that the justice system “should be respected” and that it was “reckless” for former President Donald Trump to claim that the verdict in his New York trial was “rigged,” just days after he told his supporters the Supreme Court could not “stop” him from carrying out his agenda.

“It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,” Biden said in response to the former president’s remarks about the NY v. Trump verdict, which found Trump guilty Thursday on all 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the lead up to the 2016 presidential election.

“Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, and it literally is the cornerstone of America. Our justice system, that justice should be respected. And we should never allow anyone to tear it down. It’s as simple as that,” Biden added.

TRUMP TURNS CONVICTION INTO CASH, SPOTLIGHTS RECORD FUNDRAISING IN WAKE OF GUILTY VERDICT

President Biden said Friday that the justice system “should be respected” and that it was “reckless” for former President Donald Trump to claim that the verdict in his New York trial was “rigged.” (Getty Images)

Biden’s remarks came just two days after he bragged to his supporters at a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that the Supreme Court ruling his student debt relief plan was unconstitutional did not “stop” him from canceling student loans.

“The Supreme Court blocked me from relieving student debt, but they didn’t stop me,” Biden said Wednesday from Girard College.

Biden, like several other Democrat and Republican presidents throughout history, has taken aim at the Supreme Court for a number of rulings they have made during his tenure in the White House.

During his State of the Union address in March, Biden took direct aim at the justices and insisted they had underestimated the “electoral and political power” of women in their decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. During an interview with MSNBC about his remarks directed at the justices, Biden said, “Look, I think they made a wrong decision, think they read the Constitution wrong, I think they made a mistake.”

Biden made similar comments on how the high court’s ruling “didn’t stop” him from canceling student loans in February while speaking at the Julian Dixon Library in Culver City, California.

BLACK VOTERS CRITICIZE BIDEN FOR ‘PANDERING’ AS SUPPORT SHIFTS TO TRUMP: ‘IT’S INSULTING’

The Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

“Early in my term, I announced a major plan to provide millions of working families with debt relief for their college student debt,” Biden said at the time. “Tens of millions of people in debt were literally about to be canceled in debts. But my MAGA Republican friends in the Congress, elected officials and special interests stepped in and sued us. And the Supreme Court blocked it. But that didn’t stop me.”

Last June, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that federal law does not allow Biden’s Secretary of Education to cancel more than $430 billion in student loan debt. Biden promised at the time that his administration would continue to push for his student debt relief plan.

Shortly after the court’s ruling, Biden said: “I think the court misinterpreted the Constitution.”

Earlier this year, Biden announced the Savings on Valuable Education (SAVE) plan that cancels debt for enrolled borrowers who have been in repayment for at least 10 years and hold $12,000 or less in student loan debt. Those with larger debts will receive relief after an additional year of payments for every additional $1,000 they borrowed.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Biden campaign spokesperson James Singer said: “Expressing disagreement with a Supreme Court decision – as all Presidents do – is not the same as attacking the rule of law and undermining our judicial system.”

Following the verdict in Trump’s trial, Biden took to social media on Friday to claim, “No one is above the law.”

President Biden speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 31, 2024. (Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He has also used Trump’s remarks to raise funds for his re-election campaign, claiming in another post on X that Trump “questioned our judicial system.”

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“Donald Trump is threatening our democracy. First, he questioned our election system. Then, he questioned our judicial system,” Biden wrote Friday.

Biden said Friday that Trump, who is the first president to be convicted of a felony, will “be given the opportunity, as he should, to appeal” the conviction.

Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.

Former President Trump will not lose his right to vote in Florida, where he resides, despite his felony conviction in New York, thanks to his former 2024 rival.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, who made an unsuccessful bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, on Friday said that Trump has not lost his voting rights in Florida and will not lose them so long as DeSantis chairs the Florida Clemency Board.

“Former President Donald Trump hasn’t lost his voting rights in Florida. Rights are not removed in Florida where they haven’t yet been stripped in the convicting jurisdiction,” DeSantis said on X.

“That said, given the absurd nature of the New York prosecution of Trump, this would be an easy case to qualify for restoration of rights per the Florida Clemency Board, which I chair,” he continued. 

RFK JR. WARNS TRUMP CONVICTION WILL ‘BACKFIRE’ ON DEMOCRATS AND IS ‘BAD FOR OUR DEMOCRACY’

FILE- U.S. President Donald Trump introduces Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a homecoming campaign rally at the BB&T Center on November 26, 2019, in Sunrise, Florida. President Trump continues to campaign for re-election in the 2020 presidential race. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

“The bottom line is that Donald Trump’s vote this November will be one of millions that demonstrate Florida is now a solid Republican state!” 

Trump on Thursday was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in what prosecutors called a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through payments to silence porn star Stormy Daniels about their alleged 2006 sexual encounter. The former president maintains his innocence. 

It is common practice in most states that convicted felons are disenfranchised, sometimes permanently. In New York, felons lose the right to vote while incarcerated, but those rights are automatically restored upon release, even if they’re on parole, because of a 2021 law passed by the state’s Democratic-majority legislature. 

A lifelong New Yorker, Trump established residency in Florida in 2019, while he was in the White House.

TALES FROM THE TRAIL: TRUMP ‘UNLEASHED’ WITH CRIMINAL TRIAL OVER

Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower, Thursday, May 30, 2024, after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

Florida state law defers to other states’ disenfranchisement rules for residents convicted of out-of-state felonies. So long as Trump is not sent to prison, he will retain his right to vote in Florida with no action needed from DeSantis or the clemency board. 

Trump is scheduled to appear for a sentencing hearing on July 11. DeSantis’ promise makes it so that no matter the sentence, Trump will be able to vote in Florida in the November election.

TRUMP TURNS CONVICTION INTO CASH, SPOTLIGHTS RECORD FUNDRAISING IN WAKE OF GUILTY VERDICT

Former President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media at Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, May 30, 2024, in New York. Trump maintains his innocence after his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Trump’s conviction, and even imprisonment, would not prevent him from continuing to run for president. The Republican National Convention will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin four days after Trump is sentenced. The RNC adopted rules last year that did not include any specific provisions if the presumptive GOP nominee is convicted of a crime.

Delegates are able to change the rules before Trump is formally nominated, but there appears to be little support for nominating another candidate. RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said Trump’s verdict was “handed down by a partisan and biased judge” and claimed Democrats have “weaponized” the justice system to attack Trump. 

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“The real verdict will take place on November 5 when Americans vote for a president they trust to bring down prices, secure the southern border, restore America’s leadership around the world and Make America Great Again,” Whatley said in a statement after the jury found Trump guilty on all counts. 

Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is co-chair of the RNC. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a longtime political moderate, on Friday announced he is leaving the Democratic Party and has registered as an independent.

Manchin, who is not running for re-election, will continue to caucus with Senate Democrats until the end of his term, his office confirmed to Fox News Digital, meaning the balance of power in the upper chamber will not change significantly. He is currently chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

“From my first day in public service in 1982, I have always focused on doing what’s best for my state and my country, without regard to party or politics. Throughout my days in elected office, I have always been proud of my commitment to common sense, bipartisanship and my desire to bring people together. It’s who I am. It’s who I will always be. I have never seen America through a partisan lens,” Manchin said. 

“However, since becoming a United States Senator in 2010, I have seen both the Democrat and Republican parties leave West Virginia and our country behind for partisan extremism while jeopardizing our democracy. Today, our national politics are broken and neither party is willing to compromise to find common ground. To stay true to myself and remain committed to put country before party, I have decided to register as an independent with no party affiliation and continue to fight for America’s sensible majority.”

JOE MANCHIN FACES PRESSURE FOR 11TH-HOUR RUN TO SECURE CRITICAL SEAT FOR DEMOCRATS

Sen. Joe Manchin registered as an independent in the West Virginia State Capitol on Friday. (@Sen_JoeManchin)

Manchin’s surprise decision comes amid reports that he is being encouraged to run for governor of West Virginia by moderate Republicans dissatisfied with the party’s nominee, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. It also comes ahead of a deadline for filing as an independent in West Virginia. 

Questioned about those reports last week, Manchin downplayed the rumors but would not rule them out. He said the Democratic nominee, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, is a friend. 

MANCHIN ON 2024 PROSPECTS: I’D NEVER BE A SPOILER

Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., speaks during a “Politics & Eggs” event at the New Hampshire Institute Politics at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Jan. 12. Manchin has stated that he is not running for re-election in November. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

“I heard that this morning, the rumors. I’ve supported my friend Steve Williams, we’ve known each other for 40 years, got him involved. He’s a good person. I don’t know what’s going on. So basically, I’ll just wait until I go home,” Manchin said. 

The West Virginia MetroNews report quoted sources “close” to the senator who said at least 20 Republicans “with financial resources” have encouraged Manchin to run for governor.

WEST VIRGINIA’S MANCHIN ADDRESSES REPORT HE’S BEING RECRUITED TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR

Manchin previously declined to run for president as a third-party candidate challenging Democratic incumbent President Biden and presumptive Republican nominee former President Trump. (Getty Images)

Since that report was published, Manchin was reportedly bombarded by people urging him to run at an event at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, according to WVMetroNews. The Greenbrier is notably owned by the state’s current governor, Democrat-turned-Republican Jim Justice, who is term-limited and now is the GOP’s Senate nominee to replace Manchin.

“The talk about the possibility of Joe Manchin running for West Virginia governor again is real,” wrote Hoppy Kercheval, a news anchor and one of the state’s most recognizable media figures.

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The Democratic primary is over and Manchin could not run for governor as a Democrat. But his sudden and unexpected decision to become an independent opens the door for a bid for the governor’s mansion, or even a re-election effort for Senate. 

Manchin will have several more weeks to decide whether to run for Senate or mount a bid for his old job as governor. 

Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.