Trump blasts hush money conviction as political warfare

• Former President Donald Trump denounced his criminal hush money trial a day after a New York jury convicted him on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
• The case relates to a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels by his then-fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen.
• Trump's press conference was held at Trump Tower, where he had launched his 2016 Republican campaign for the White House.

Former President Donald Trump angrily denounced his criminal hush money trial in rambling remarks Friday, a day after a New York jury convicted him on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Trump called the case "very unfair" as he cycled through many of his previously voiced criticisms of trial judge Juan Merchan, the prosecutors, witnesses and the charges in Manhattan Supreme Court.

"These are bad people," Trump told reporters at Trump Tower, where he launched his first Republican presidential campaign nine years earlier.

"This can't be allowed to happen to other presidents," he said. "It should never be allowed to happen in the future, but this is far beyond me."

"This is bigger than Trump, this is bigger than me, this is bigger than my presidency."

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