Trump allies say his felony conviction has helped unify Republicans

Allies of former President Donald Trump say his felony conviction Thursday in a New York hush money case has helped energize and unify the Republican Party.

"He's already using this verdict to fundraise," Bryan Lanza, a former Trump aide who remains close to the campaign, said in an interview with NPR. "He's already using this verdict to rally the party. He's already using this verdict to contrast himself against Joe Biden. And so, obviously, this verdict is going to be front and center in nearly everything we do."

Trump has survived numerous controversies that would doom most any politician. His team says this is no different.

They had been preparing for this potential verdict for weeks, claiming the prosecutor and judge were biased. Trump said Mother Teresa couldn't beat the charges.

Just minutes after the verdict was read, the campaign blasted supporters with fundraising pleas with graphic images of Trump attached to slogans like "Never Surrender." Trump called himself a "Political Prisoner."

"From just minutes after the sham trial verdict was announced, our digital fundraising system was overwhelmed with support," Trump campaign senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement.

Trump's campaign said Friday morning that it had raised more than $34.8 million in the hours after the verdict. The large haul was "nearly double" its previous single-day fundraising record on the WinRed platform, which is used for Republican donors, according to the campaign.

Trump has repeatedly seen fundraising surges after notable developments in the criminal cases he faces.

Political impact is unclear

While the conviction of a former president is historic, it's unclear what impact it will have on the 2024 election. The