Former President Donald Trump’s Republican presidential primary opponents offered a variety of reactions to the guilty verdict in his New York City trial, ranging from blasting Democrats for pursuing the charges against him to complete silence.

The jury 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.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott posted a video of himself on X blasting what he called a ‘hoax,’ a ‘sham’ and evidence of an ‘obsolete injustice justice system.’

‘DA Bragg and the judge should be ashamed of themselves. This isn’t just ridiculous, this actually erodes the confidence that Americans have in the justice system. Unbelievable,’ Scott said.

‘But good news is coming. DA Bragg, hear me clearly. You cannot silence the American people. You cannot stop us from voting for change. Joe Biden’s injustice, Joe Biden’s two-tier injustice system, weaponizing the justice system of the United States of America against a political opponent, un-American. Joe Biden, you’re fired. We the people stand with Donald Trump.’

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum wrote, ‘This verdict is a travesty of justice. The judge was a Biden donor. The prosecutors were Biden supporters. This Lawfare should scare every American. The American people will have their say in November,’ while entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy predicted the trial’s outcome would ultimately backfire, referencing District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s promise to ‘nail Trump,’ and Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter being a ‘Democratic operative.’

Former Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News Digital Trump’s conviction was ‘an outrage and disservice to the nation.’

‘No one is above the law, but our courts must not become a tool to be used against political opponents. To millions of Americans, this was nothing more than a political prosecution driven by a Manhattan DA who ran for office on a pledge to indict the former president and this conviction undermines confidence in our system of justice,’ he said. 

‘This conviction also sends a terrible message to the wider world about the American justice system and only further divides us at a time when the American people are struggling under the failed policies of the Biden administration at home and abroad. Having been convicted in a court of law, the former president has every right to appeal this conviction and I trust it will be overturned on appeal in a manner that will restore public confidence in our system of justice and equal treatment under the law.’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote, ‘Today’s verdict represents the culmination of a legal process that has been bent to the political will of the actors involved: a leftist prosecutor, a partisan judge and a jury reflective of one of the most liberal enclaves in America — all in an effort to ‘get’ Donald Trump.’ 

‘That this case — involving alleged misdemeanor business records violations from nearly a decade ago — was even brought is a testament to the political debasement of the justice system in places like New York City,’ he wrote. ‘This is especially true considering this same district attorney routinely excuses criminal conduct in a way that has endangered law-abiding citizens in his jurisdiction.

‘If the defendant were not Donald Trump, this case would never have been brought, the judge would have never issued similar rulings, and the jury would have never returned a guilty verdict. In America, the rule of law should be applied in a dispassionate, even-handed manner, not become captive to the political agenda of some kangaroo court.’

Conservative commentator Larry Elder called the verdict an ‘outrage’ and declared that ‘a monster has been unleashed.’

‘If Democrats don’t think Republican AGs and DAs can’t unleash lawfare on Democrat politicians, think again!!!’ he added.

Businessman Perry Johnson wrote, ‘Today marks a troubling chapter in American history. This was always a political maneuver, not a legal one. The Biden Administration’s weaponization of the justice system is evident, showing that Democrats will go to any lengths to silence and eliminate political rivals.’ 

‘The American people recognize this as lawfare, and they understand its peril. President Trump will rightly appeal this unjust verdict — and he WILL WIN!’ he added.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a staunch Trump critic, took a different, not-so-surprising approach, calling on the verdict to be respected.

‘It is not easy to see a former President and the presumptive GOP nominee convicted of felony crimes; but the jury verdict should be respected. An appeal is in order but let’s not diminish the significance of this verdict,’ he wrote.

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd have so far remained silent since the verdict was handed down.

Representatives of Haley did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. A spokesperson for Christie declined to comment.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., received backlash on social media in response to her reaction to the criminal conviction of former President Trump in a post where she mocked the former president.

‘Trump shut your mouth!’ Waters posted on X following Trump’s conviction. 

‘You talk about saving the Constitution? You’re the one who has disrespected the Constitution and you have supporters who believe we should get rid of the Constitution! Just shut your mouth, you’re convicted on all counts!’

The post, which ignited an immediate push back from conservatives on social media, received over 1 million views on X.

‘Woman who implored supporters to physically get up in the faces of any Trump administration official has thoughts to share…,’ Fox News contributor Joe Concha posted on X.

‘Literally no one who supports Trump nor Trump wants to get rid of the Constitution,’ former U.S. Attorney and Executive Director of Right on Crime Brett Tolman posted on X.

‘These people are mentally ill,’ radio host Mike Sperrazza posted on X. ‘TDS is real.’

‘Such ugliness and I bet it goes all the way to the bone,’ author Juanita Broaddrick posted on X. 

‘This woman is a corrupt criminal who has laundered over a million dollars in campaign cash to her daughter,’ Red State writer Bonchie posted on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to Waters’ office for comment but did not receive a response.

Waters was widely criticized for what many labeled a call to violence in 2018 when she encouraged her supporters, ‘If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.’

Waters denied that she had promoted violence.

Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree on Thursday. Each count carries a maximum prison sentence of four years. In total, Trump faces a maximum sentence of 136 years. 

Moments after the verdict was delivered by the jury, the former president spoke to reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom. 

‘This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt, as a rigged trial and disgrace. It wouldn’t give us a venue change,’ Trump said. ‘We were at 5% or 6% in this district, in this area. This was a rigged, disgraceful trial.’ 

Trump said ‘the real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people.’ 

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. had some harsh words for President Biden and the Democratic Party following former President Trump being found guilty in his New York City criminal trial on Thursday.

Kennedy, a thorn in the side of Democrats who are worried he might derail Biden’s chances at winning re-election, wrote in a post on X that the verdict would ultimately ‘backfire’ and accused his former party of attempting to destroy democracy.

‘The Democratic Party’s strategy is to beat President Trump in the courtroom rather than the ballot box. This will backfire in November. Even worse, it is profoundly undemocratic,’ Kennedy wrote. 

‘America deserves a President who can win at the ballot box without compromising our government’s separation of powers or weaponizing the courts. You can’t save democracy by destroying it first,’ he wrote. ‘The Democrats are afraid they will lose in the voting booth, so instead they go after President Trump in the courtroom.’ 

Kennedy said the difference between his campaign and efforts by Democrats to take down Trump through the judicial system was that he was challenging the latter on his record as president, including on the coronavirus pandemic, his environmental record and his ‘support for the war machine.’

‘These are the issues that shape American lives. I’ll challenge him on these things, but the Democrats won’t. You know why? Because they pursue the very same policies.’

Shortly after the verdict against Trump was handed down, Kennedy responded to an interview question live on X about a ‘convicted felon’ running for office, and whether that was something he supported. He responded that the only constitutional requirements to be president were the minimum age requirement, being a citizen and being born in the U.S.

‘Technically, if you were in prison, convicted of murder or some other crime, you could still hold the office of President of the United States,’ he added.

Trump was found guilty on all counts in his historic and unprecedented criminal trial, making him the first former president of the United States to be convicted of a crime. 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts.

A handful of winners and losers have emerged following the unprecedented trial of former President Trump that found him guilty on all counts. 

Trump was found guilty on all counts Thursday after the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office charged him with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. 

Trump pleaded not guilty and has maintained his innocence. 

Here are some of the winners and losers following the verdict who were involved in or surrounded the case after six weeks of court proceedings. 

WINNER: DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE 

Prosecutors in District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office finished the Trump trial victorious with the jury finding Trump guilty. 

‘I did my job. Our job is to follow the facts and the law without fear or favor. And that’s exactly what we did here. And what I feel is gratitude to work alongside phenomenal public servants who do that each and every day in matters that you all write about. … I did my job. We did our job. Many voices out there. The only voice that matters is the voice of the jury. And the jury has spoken,’ Bragg said Thursday evening. 

‘The 12 everyday jurors vowed to make a decision based on the evidence and the law, and the evidence and the law alone. Their deliberations led them to a unanimous conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, Donald J. Trump, is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree to conceal a scheme to corrupt the 2016 election,’ Bragg continued in the press conference, adding that such white collar crimes are at the ‘core to what we do at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.’ 

The office, however, did face widespread condemnation from conservatives who argued the case should never have been brought in the first case, especially amid the 2024 presidential election when Trump is leading in many polls. 

WINNER: DONALD TRUMP 

Though Trump was found guilty on all counts, his base has apparently not been swayed by the trial. Google searches for ‘Donald Trump donation site’ spiked when the verdict was announced, while campaign donation site WinRed experienced an outage. The campaign is anticipated to receive a windfall following the verdict Trump slammed as ‘disgraceful.’ 

‘Very disappointed, I wanted him to be acquitted,’ a male Trump supporter told Fox News Digital outside the courtroom.

‘Just very sad. I wish this case had not been brought.’

Additionally, a recent New York Times poll, which was released amid the trial, found Trump is leading Biden in a majority of key battleground states, including, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Arizona.

WINNER: DEMOCRATS 

The Democratic Party and its lawmakers took a victory lap following Trump’s guilty verdict, including President Biden’s re-election campaign touting: ‘In New York today, we saw that no one is above the law.’

‘Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain. But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box. Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president,’ Biden campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler said in a post-verdict statement.

Other Democrats who frequently tussle with Trump and Republicans, such as Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff who said that ‘despite his efforts to distract, delay, and deny – justice arrived for Donald Trump all the same.’

‘It matters that the Republican nominee for president is a convicted criminal,’ Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. posted. 

‘Boom,’ Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said in a brief post to X.

LOSER: LEGAL SYSTEM

‘Lawfare’ became a top word punted around by legal experts amid the case, with Trump himself arguing that the Biden administration promoted the case in a bid to hurt his chances of reclaiming the White House come November. 

‘Bragg’s scheme was to manipulate the legal system by bringing specious criminal charges to damage or delegitimize Trump’s candidacy for president.  It is classic ‘lawfare’ —weaponizing statutes not because the law has been broken but because the accused poses a political threat,’ Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett wrote in an opinion piece published by Fox Digital this week. 

Jarrett’s comments echo what many other legal experts have said throughout the trial: lawfare is at play, and the case has thus damaged the legal system overall. 

‘We see a legal system that is really disassembling, that is devolving,’ Turley said on Fox News when addressing the ‘selective prosecution’ of Trump. 

‘One of the things that is also in jeopardy right now is our judicial branch, and it’s our system of government itself. And I don’t think we can say often enough here, how much that has been abused under this administration with local prosecutors, state prosecutors, and at the federal level, who are using lawfare,’ Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said in a press conference outside of the Manhattan courtroom earlier this month. 

New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik also filed an ethics complaint against presiding Judge Juan Merchan for an alleged conflict of interest related to his daughter’s role representing Democrat politicians and political action committees. And sent another letter to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct and the Office of the Inspector General of the New York State Unified Court System, warning of ‘potential misconduct’ regarding Merchan’s repeated assignments to cases involving Trump or his allies. 

‘One cannot help but suspect that the ‘random selection’ at work in the assignment of Acting Justice Merchan, a Democrat Party donor, to these cases involving prominent Republicans, is in fact not random at all,’ Stefanik wrote in the letter.

LOSER: DONALD TRUMP

Trump’s guilty verdict could land the 45th president behind bars, or he could even be sentenced to home confinement. Trump could still run for the White House from behind bars, as the Constitution does not place restrictions on presidential candidates based on criminal record. It stipulates that those pursuing the White House be natural-born citizens who are at least 35 years old. 

The 45th president will be sentenced on July 11, which is just four days before the Republican National Convention kicks off in Milwaukee that month. Trump vowed Thursday to ‘fight till the end’ after the ‘rigged, disgraceful trial.’

‘This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people,’ Trump said outside the court Thursday. 

‘This was a rigged decision right from day one. With a conflicted judge who should have never been allowed to try this case. Never. And we will fight for our Constitution. This is long from over.’ 

LOSER: ROBERT DE NIRO 

Actor Robert De Niro faced backlash at the tail end of the trial when he headlined a Biden-Harris campaign event in Manhattan, where he claimed in public remarks that Trump could ‘destroy the world.’

‘Donald Trump wants to destroy not only the city, but the country. And eventually he could destroy the world,’ De Niro said at the press conference this week. President Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris were present during the campaign event. 

Following his remarks, De Niro was shouted down by supporters as a ‘washed-up actor,’ ‘trash,’ and accused of being a ‘paid actor for the DNC.’ 

‘You’re a f–king idiot,’ De Niro shouted at one of the pro-Trump protesters. 

The event was subsequently slammed on social media by critics as a ‘terrible look for Democrats,’ and compared to satirical political comedy show ‘Veep.’ 

‘​​This was so over-the-top as to simply be useless. And what a stupid mistake on the part of the Biden campaign. More reason why Democratic leaders are probably going to be concerned that he’s the likely nominee of their party,’ Fox News contributor Karl Rove previously said of De Niro’s comments.