WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Joe Biden said Friday that Donald Trump being found guilty in his New York hush money case reaffirms 鈥渢he American principle that no one is above the law,鈥� and he said 鈥渋t鈥檚 reckless鈥� and 鈥渄angerous鈥� for his predecessor to suggest the legal system was rigged against him.
鈥淒onald 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,鈥� Biden told reporters at the White House, a day after a jury in New York found Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts in a case stemming from the 2016 election.
He added that Trump's 鈥渏ury鈥檚 chosen the same way every jury in America鈥檚 chosen," noted that jurors heard five weeks of evidence and reached 鈥渁 unanimous verdict: They found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts."
The president said Trump could appeal the case 鈥渏ust like everyone else has that opportunity鈥� then pointedly said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 reckless, it鈥檚 dangerous, It鈥檚 irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don鈥檛 like the verdict.鈥�
鈥淥ur justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, and it literally is the cornerstone of America," Biden said. 鈥淭he justice system should be respected. And we should never let never allow anyone to tear it down.鈥�
As the president left the podium after his remarks, a reporter shouted if he had any reaction to Trump calling himself a political prisoner and blaming the president directly for what鈥檚 happening to him. Biden stopped and flashed a grin, but did not answer the question.
He similarly didn't answer when another reporter asked if he thought Trump should appear on November鈥檚 ballot.
None of the developments changed Trump鈥檚 defiant tone as he looked to galvanize supporters ahead of November. Moments after Biden spoke, Trump sent a fundraising email declaring, 鈥淚 WAS JUST CONVICTED IN A RIGGED TRIAL. I AM A POLITICAL PRISONER!鈥�
Biden was at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, marking the anniversary of the 2015 death of his grown son, Beau from brain cancer when the jury reached its verdicts on Thursday, and he offered no personal reaction to the trial at the time. But he returned to Washington on Friday for an event at the White House with the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, and spoke to reporters about the situation in the Middle East before delivering brief remarks on Trump's case.
In comments to reporters at his namesake tower in Manhattan earlier Friday, Trump tried to cast himself as a martyr, suggesting that if he could be convicted, "They can do this to anyone.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 willing to do whatever I have to do to save our country and save our Constitution. I don鈥檛 mind,鈥� Trump said.
Biden for months had carefully avoided involvement in Trump鈥檚 legal drama, looking to keep from feeding into his Republican rival鈥檚 claims that his criminal woes were the result of politically motivated prosecutions. But as the New York trial concluded, Biden鈥檚 campaign became far more vocal about it.
His campaign had released a series of innuendo-laced statements that alluded to the trial to attack Trump鈥檚 policy positions, and then Biden himself quipped that he heard Trump was 鈥渇ree on Wednesdays鈥� 鈥� the trial鈥檚 scheduled day off 鈥� in a video statement when he agreed to debate Trump head-to-head.
With closing arguments underway on Tuesday, Biden鈥檚 campaign even showed up outside the Manhattan courthouse with actor Robert De Niro and a pair of former police officers who responded to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection, in what it said was an effort to refocus the presidential race on the former president鈥檚 role in the riot. That decision came as the campaign felt its message about the stakes of the election was struggling to break through the intense focus on the trial.
Shortly after Thursday's verdict, Biden鈥檚 reelection campaign sought to keep the focus on the choice confronting voters in November and the impact of a second Trump presidency.
鈥淎 second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans鈥� freedoms and fomenting political violence 鈥� and the American people will reject it this November,鈥� Biden spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement.
Weissert reported from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
