Landmark Trump Guilty Verdict Gets Cheers, Jeers In New Jersey

NEW JERSEY — It was either proof that “no American is above the law,” or a “miscarriage of justice” – depending on whom you ask. But either way, the conviction of former president Donald Trump was a milestone that will echo in U.S. history. And there is no shortage of opinions on the matter in New Jersey.

A Manhattan jury convicted Trump on all 34 felony counts in his criminal hush money trial on Thursday. At the heart of the charges are reimbursements paid to Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen for a $130,000 hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels in exchange for not going public with her claim about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. Prosecutors say the reimbursements were falsely logged as “legal expenses” to hide the true nature of the transactions.

The case is the first of Trump’s four indictments to reach trial. It makes him the first president in American history to be criminally convicted. See Related: Trump Found Guilty By Jury On All 34 Counts In Hush Money Trial

Trump called the trail a “disgrace” and vowed the legal battle is “far from over,” adding that “the real verdict will be on Nov. 5 by the people” as he continues to ramp up his re-election campaign.

But some Congress members from New Jersey, including Trump’s frequent Democrat foil, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, said the former president got his day in court – and lost.

“Today, our legal system has reaffirmed that no one is above the law, not even a former president,” Booker said in the wake of Thursday’s landmark verdict.

“The fact is that former president Trump was afforded his due process rights and was able to mount a full defense in a court of law, like every criminal defendant should,” Booker continued. “The 34 guilty verdicts in [Trump’s] case mean that a jury of his peers, after impartially reviewing the evidence presented and having sworn an oath to perform their duties faithfully, unanimously determined beyond a reasonable doubt — 34 separate times — that the former president broke the law.”

U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ-2), a Republican who is chairing Trump’s re-election campaign in New Jersey, had a different take.

“Make no mistake about it, this will go down as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in American history,” Van Drew wrote. “This is a sad day for the American people regardless of whether they are Republicans, Democrats or Independents.”

“This administration has weaponized our government on an unimaginable scale and if they can do this to [former president Trump], they can do it to any one of us moving forward,” the congressman added.

Another Trump supporter – the New Jersey Republican Party – put out a fundraising call in the former president’s name in the wake of Thursday’s verdict.

“It’s a sad day for our country, but we must keep fighting,” the NJGOP wrote.

This sentiment – that it was a “sad day” for the nation – was also felt by U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11). But according to the Democratic congresswoman, it’s also proof that the “rule of law” is worth fighting for.

“No American is above the law, including a former president,” Sherrill said. “Trump has shown that his priority is to serve only himself, both financially and otherwise. The American people deserve to know the full scope of Trump’s criminal schemes and activities.”

“While today is a sad day in our nation’s history as Donald Trump becomes the first president to be convicted of a crime, it is also a critical day for the rule of law,” said Sherrill, a former federal prosecutor.

“The former president must be held accountable for all his illegal actions, and it is paramount that we protect the judicial process and our democratic institutions,” she added.

It isn’t the first time that Sherrill has criticized the former president this year. Prior to Trump’s campaign trip to Wildwood on May 11, the congresswoman slammed him for his track record of failures in the Garden State during a press call with Biden-Harris 2024 communications director Michael Tyler.

“I suspect that when Trump holds that rally in Wildwood, you will see a lot of people coming from outside our state, because here inside our state, we know that Trump filed for bankruptcy five times … that he really undermined the economic viability of Atlantic City … that he didn't pay workers, he didn't pay contractors, he had small businesses going out of business because of his failed promises,” Sherrill said.

“We knew how important for example, the Gateway Tunnel was going to be to jobs here in New Jersey,” Sherrill continued. “And yet we saw again and again and again, Trump undermining it, holding fake infrastructure weeks weekly, while getting nothing accomplished.”

• See Related: Gateway Tunnel In Jeopardy; Trump Administration Trashes Obama-Era Deal

In New Jersey – where registered Democratic voters significantly outnumber their GOP peers – some residents took a victory lap on Thursday.

“Went and did early voting today for the upcoming NJ Democratic primary,” a social media user posted on X. “Barely an hour later, Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts in Manhattan. It's been a great day.”

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