The Manhattan courtroom was quiet for hours, with many anticipating that deliberations would continue into Friday. However, a late-day note from the jury changed everything.
For most of Thursday, there was little activity from the jury in Donald Trump’s hush money trial.
However, shortly after 4 p.m., everything changed when the panel of 12 New Yorkers sent a note to the judge indicating they had reached a verdict in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president.
The jury foreperson then read the verdict aloud just feet from Trump, who had spent over six weeks in court listening to testimony from 22 witnesses. Moments earlier, Trump and his legal team appeared upbeat, with defense attorney Todd Blanche laughing and Trump smiling.
In less than two days, the jury found Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Here’s a recap of what transpired on Day 23—the final day—of Trump’s hush money trial:
Analyzing the Jury’s Actions
Before resuming deliberations on Thursday, the jury requested to rehear testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker and Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer,” who served as the prosecution’s key witness.
Alina Habba, a legal spokesperson for Trump, saw this as a positive sign. “The fact that they’re asking those questions is a good sign,” she told NBC News, suggesting it could indicate disagreement among jurors. “You don’t want a quick turnaround,” she added, referring to a potential verdict.
Meanwhile, Trump’s aides and allies gathered around the courthouse. Inside the courtroom, Trump’s son Eric sat behind his father, accompanied by advisers like Boris Epshteyn and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a potential vice presidential candidate for the GOP.
Additionally, the jury requested to rehear a portion of the instructions Judge Juan Merchan had delivered to them the day before.
Following the morning’s courtroom proceedings, the jury resumed their deliberations.
A Quiet Break Followed by Action
In the courthouse’s media overflow room, video monitors displayed the date and a ticking clock against a dark blue background.
For much of the afternoon, the video feed remained inactive. It later resumed, capturing prosecutors taking their seats, followed by Trump and his legal team.
An atmosphere of tension pervaded the courtroom as Trump and Blanche sat side by side, hands clasped over their mouths, exchanging whispered words and occasional laughter.
Judge Merchan then announced what many presumed would be the day’s final update: the jury would be dismissed at 4:30 p.m.
However, moments later, he read a note: “We, the jury, have a verdict. We would like an extra 30 minutes to fill out the forms if that’d be possible.”
As Merchan made the announcement, Trump sat with his arms crossed, engaging in whispered conversation with Blanche. Any hint of levity quickly faded from the defense table. Trump’s attorneys, who had been deeply engrossed in conversation moments before, now scarcely exchanged words.
The verdict was delivered swiftly, following 9½ hours of deliberation.
Trump maintained a stoic expression as Merchan announced the sentencing date for July 11.
For days, reporters had scrutinized every yawn and scribble from the jury for clues. Now, the 12 New Yorkers who had found Trump guilty on all counts exited the room, passing by Trump and his legal team. Trump, now the first U.S. president to be criminally convicted, showed little emotion.
Shortly afterward, Trump walked into the hallway to address the cameras, reiterating many of the allegations he had made throughout the trial.
“This was orchestrated by the Biden administration to damage, to harm a political adversary,” he asserted, emphasizing that voters would ultimately determine the “true verdict” in the November election.