Donald Trump has said he will appeal against his criminal conviction for falsifying business records – insisting he paid a “legal expense” and there was “nothing illegal”.
In a disjointed 40-minute news conference at Trump Tower in New York, Trump started by saying “if they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone” – before going on to criticise his trial and the “highly conflicted judge” who presided over it.
He later attacked Joe Biden, calling him “the dumbest president we’ve ever had”, labelled the gag order imposed during the hush money trial “nasty”, and tested its limits by taking aim at his former lawyer Michael Cohen.
“This [trial] is all done by Biden and his people,” Trump claimed – saying President Joe Biden’s administration worked “in conjunction with” the Department of Justice on his prosecution.
Trump also repeated his allegation that the trial was “rigged” and criticised a decision to refuse his defence’s request for a venue change. “Witnesses on our side were literally crucified,” he continued.
Image: Trump was met with cheers from supporters assembled inside the building. Pic: AP
Image: Trump delivered his speech in the brass and rose marble lobby of Trump Tower. Pic: AP
The former president said “we are going to fight”, adding: “We’re going to be appealing this on many different things.”
His son Eric Trump and daughter-in-law Lara Trump were present for the speech but his wife Melania – who has been publicly silent since the verdicts – was not seen.
Image: Eric and Lara Trump were present – but Melania was not spotted at the event. Pic: AP
On Thursday, a unanimous jury in New York found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to commit election fraud.
The former president covered up a $130,000 (£102,000) payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels as part of a “hush money” scheme to bury stories he thought might hurt his presidential campaign in 2016.
At Trump Tower today, the former president insisted the payment to his former lawyer and fixer Mr Cohen was simply a “legal expense” and “standard stuff” – “there was nothing illegal”, Trump added.
A gag order prevents Trump from publicly criticising witnesses from the hush money trial, including Cohen.
While the former president didn’t name his former lawyer, he labelled him a “sleazebag”, adding: “Everybody knows that.”
He said prosecutors just wanted to find out whether he was “a bad boy here, bad boy there” and said “salacious details” of his alleged encounter with Ms Daniels in a hotel room had “nothing to do with the case”.
In the rambling speech, he also said of his opponents: “These are bad people, these are sick people. They want to stop you from having cars.”
Trump claimed he wanted to take the stand during the trial but said he ultimately decided against it as he feared being prosecuted for perjury if he made a verbal misstep.
“I would have liked to have testified,” he said. “But you would have said something out of whack like, ‘It was a beautiful sunny day, and it was actually raining out.'”
Outside on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, supporters gathered and flew a giant red “Trump or death” flag outside a high-end boutique.
A small group of protesters held signs saying “justice matters” and “guilty”.
Image: Trump supporters gathered opposite Trump Tower ahead of the news conference. Pic: AP
Biden responds to Trump’s conviction
Speaking at the White House two hours after Trump’s news conference, President Biden said it was “reckless, dangerous and irresponsible for anyone to say [the trial] is rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.”
“The American principle that no one is above the law is reaffirmed,” he said. “Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself. Now he will be given the opportunity to appeal the decision.
“That’s how the American justice system works. We should respect it and never let anyone tear it down. We’re America. That’s who we are and that’s who we’ll always be.”
Image: Joe Biden speaking at the White House. Pic: AP
In his speech, Trump claimed the case has bolstered his campaign fundraising with $39m coming in from “small money donors” in the 10 hours after his conviction.
The Trump campaign has slightly different figures and claimed $34.8m (£27.3m) has been raised to support the Republican’s presidential bid since the verdict.
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They also say an influx of supporters crashed their fundraising platform.
Trump is due to be sentenced on 11 July – just a few days before the Republican Party is expected to confirm him as its nominee for the presidential election against Democrat President Biden in November.
There are 161 people still missing in Texas in the aftermath of last weekend’s deadly flash floods, the state’s governor has said.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, governor Gregg Abbot said the number of missing had risen markedly.
He said among the missing were five children and one counsellor from Camp Mystic – where at least 27 people were killed in the flash flooding.
At least 109 people are confirmed to have died in the floods, which took place on the 4 July weekend, but this figure has been steadily climbing ever since.
Image: People comforted each other in Kerville. Pic: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP
The bulk of deaths, and the main search for additional bodies, have been concentrated in Kerr County and the city of Kerrville.
The area was transformed into a disaster zone when torrential rains struck the region early last Friday, unleashing deadly flooding along the Guadalupe River.
Travis County, Kendall County, Burnett County, Williamson County, and Tom Green County were also hit.
Mr Abbot said many of those who were unaccounted for were in the Texas Hill Country area, but had not registered at a camp or hotel, posing further challenges for authorities.
Camp Mystic
Mr Abbot planned to make another visit to Camp Mystic.
The century-old all-girls Christian summer camp was badly hit by the flash floods, with at least 27 campers and counsellors dying.
Image: Hanna Lawrence, left, and Rebecca Lawrence, right. Pic: John Lawrence/AP
Image: Lila Bonner (L) and Eloise Peck both died in the flash floods at Camp Mystic, Texas. Pic: Family handout
Image: Chloe Childress. Pic: Debra Alexander Photography via AP
Some of the victims include Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence, both eight, Chloe Childress, 19, who was among the counsellors at Camp Mystic when the flood hit, and Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner, both nine.
There were scenes of devastation at the camp as the flood water receded.
Outside the cabins where the girls had slept, mud-splattered blankets and pillows were scattered.
Also in the debris were pink, purple and light blue luggage, decorated with stickers.
Image: A view inside a cabin at Camp Mystic after the flooding. Pic: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images
Image: Camper’s belongings lie on the ground following flooding on the Guadalupe River, at Camp Mystic.
Pic: Reuters
‘Everything looked flooded and broken’
One of the campers, 10-year-old Lucy Kennedy, told Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, that she woke up to the sound of thunder at around midnight before the floods struck.
“I couldn’t go back to sleep,” she said. “I just had a feeling that something really bad was about to happen.”
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She said the girls at the camp were told to grab blankets, pillows and water bottles and line up single file as the floodwater rose, before getting airlifted to safety.
Wynne Kennedy, Lucy’s mother, added: “When I saw her, she was wrapped up in a blanket, had a teddy bear.
“We just held each other tight, and I held her all night.”
Their home in Kerrville was also destroyed by the flash floods.
Image: Lucy Kennedy, 10 who was rescued from Camp Mystic, and her mother Wynne. Pic: NBC
Political row
Meanwhile, a political row has unfolded parallel to the recovery efforts, with some questioning whether local authorities sent out warnings and alerts early enough.
Similarly, Democrats have criticised Donald Trump over cuts his Elon Musk-launched Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has made to the National Weather Service – but it isn’t clear whether these actually made any difference.
The flash floods erupted before daybreak on Friday, after massive amounts of rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to rise by eight metres in less than an hour.
The wall of water overwhelmed cabins, tents and trails along the river’s edge.
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The date for Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sentencing hearing has been confirmed.
Following his high-profile trial, the hip-hop mogul was found guilty of two counts of transportation for prostitution by jurors in Manhattan, New York, last week – but was cleared of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Defence lawyers argued Combs, who has been in prison in Brooklyn since his arrest in September last year, should be bailed ahead of sentencing given the not guilty verdicts for the more serious charges, but Judge Arun Subramanian denied this – citing, among other things, the rapper’s own admissions of previous violent behaviour.
Image: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in court after the verdict was delivered. Pic: Reuters/ Jane Rosenberg
The charges of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy carried a potential life sentence. Combs still faces up to 20 years in prison for the prostitution-related offences, but is not expected to receive the maximum punishment.
After the verdict was delivered, the judge scheduled the sentencing hearing for 3 October. At a remote follow-up conference on Tuesday, with agreement from the defence and prosecution, the judge approved the date.
Combs joined the call but did not make any comment.
Any sentence will include credit for time already served – which will be just over a year by the time the hearing takes place.
During his trial, Combs was accused by prosecutors of abusing and coercing three alleged victims, including his former long-term partner, singer and model Cassie Ventura.
Jurors found the allegations did not amount to sex-trafficking or racketeering, or running a criminal enterprise – but they did find him guilty of transporting Cassie and another former girlfriend “Jane” for prostitution offences around the US, and paying male escorts to engage in sexual encounters.
Despite the guilty verdict on those charges, the 55-year-old’s team described it as “the victory of all victories”.
In an interview over the weekend, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said Combs had received a standing ovation from fellow inmates when he returned to jail after being acquitted of the more serious charges.
“They all said, ‘We never get to see anyone who beats the government’,” he said.
Ahead of sentencing, Combs’s lawyers will file their recommendations by 19 September, with prosecutors likely to follow a week later.
Prosecutors previously said the rapper could face about four to five years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, while the defence has suggested a two-year sentence.
Donald Trump has said, again, that he is “not happy” with Vladimir Putin.
In an extraordinary cabinet meeting, the US president criticised his Russian counterpart, and announced he had approved sending defensive weapons to Ukraine.
After weeks of rejecting Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request for defence support – why the sudden change of tact? Is Trump’s relationship with Putin fraying?
And what’s the latest as Trump hosts Benjamin Netanyahu again, a day after the Israeli prime minister announced he had nominated the US leader for the Nobel Peace Prize.
What next in hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza? Tariffs are also back. Trump announces more… and more.
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