the verdict — handed down just hours ago — comes after two days of delebrations by the jury. the former us president could face up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each count. here's what he said outside the court right after the verdict. this was a disgrace. this was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who is corrupt. it is a rigged trial, a disgrace. they wouldn't give us a venue change. we were at 5% or 6% in this district, in this area. this was a rigged, disgraceful trial. the real verdict is going to be november the 5th by the people, and they know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here. we didn't do a thing wrong. i'm a very innocent man and it's ok, i'm fighting for our country, i'm fighting for our constitution. our whole country is being rigged right now, this is being done by the biden administration in order to hurt a political opponent. i think it is a disgrace and we will keep fighting, we will fight to the end and we will win, because our country has gone to hell. we don't have the same country any more, we have a divided mess. we area we are a nation in serious decline. millions and millions of people pouring into our country right now from prisons and from mental institutions, terrorists, and they are taking over our country. we have a country that is in big trouble. but 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, thank you very much. the former president speaking in the courthouse in manhattan. the biden—harris campaign released this statement shortly after the verdict was read, saying, quote: 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. alvin bragg — the manhattan district attorney overseeing the criminal case against donald trump — spoke earlier on thursday. the 12 everydayjurors 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 reasonable doubt, that the defendant donald trump is guilty of 3a counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, to conceal a scheme to corrupt the 2016 election. i did myjob. our job is to follow the facts and the law without fear or favour, that's exactly what we did here, but i feel gratitude to work alongside phenomenal public servants who do that each and every day. it matters that you all write about it and lots of matters that you don't, i did myjob, we did ourjob, many voices out there, the only voice matters is the voice of the jury, and the jury has spoken. joining me live from new york is our north america correspondent, nada tawfik. nada has been covering the trial since the beginning. we appreciate all your coverage, thank you for staying there with us. just walk us through this verdict and what thejury through this verdict and what the jury has through this verdict and what thejury has decided. through this verdict and what the jury has decided.- the jury has decided. yeah, well, these _ the jury has decided. yeah, well, these 34 _ the jury has decided. yeah, well, these 34 counts - the jury has decided. yeah, well, these 34 counts all i the jury has decided. yeah, | well, these 34 counts all ran together so it was no surprise that they found donald trump guilty on all of them. what they represented by the 11 checks, the 11 invoices and the 12 general business ledgers that they said donald trump oversaw the falsification of in order to cover up his conspiracy to corrupt the 2016 election. and jurors saw each piece of that evidence. it was backed up, they believed the prosecution's narrative clearly, with testimony from people within donald trump is backin people within donald trump is back in circle but also audio recordings of donald trump, tweets he made calling the payments to: reimbursements. so thejury was quite payments to: reimbursements. so the jury was quite consistent in finding donald trump guilty on all 34 of these counts. you were there — on all 34 of these counts. you were there when _ on all 34 of these counts. you were there when we - on all 34 of these counts. you were there when we heard there would be a verdict announced, when the guilty verdict was read out, just walk us through, what's the reaction among new yorkers there?— yorkers there? well, first of all, yorkers there? well, first of all. many — yorkers there? well, first of all. many of _ yorkers there? well, first of all, many of us _ yorkers there? well, first of all, many of us had - yorkers there? well, first of| all, many of us had prepared ourselves that the jury would be dismissed for the day, then all of a sudden we were told that there is a verdict. it was just an absolute sense of energy, rush, where everyone along the press line gathered themselves to get ready to bring what was a historic decision to the public. and evenin decision to the public. and even in the park opposite, there had been —— it had been loud all day with those who support donald trump passionately protesting but everybody seemed to have gone into a mode of silence, to wait to hear what that verdict was. and then as i was reading it out on air, i heard cheers from the park is clearly the news had filtered through there. then very quickly, we saw donald trump's supporters are starting to filter out. so what a moment here in newark, a historic moment at this quarters. historic moment at this quartere— historic moment at this auarters. . . ., , ~ ., ~ quarters. nada tawfik, thank ou ve quarters. nada tawfik, thank you very much _ quarters. nada tawfik, thank you very much for _ quarters. nada tawfik, thank you very much for your- quarters. nada tawfik, thank i you very much for your coverage in newark. —— in new york. joining me now is michael zeldin, former federal prosecutor with the us department ofjustice. how do you view this verdict? you have to respect the verdict of a jury no matter what the verdict is. in this case, i think the prosecution laid out a strong case corroborating michael cohen who had the direct knowledge, the trump team put on no real defence, so thejury weighed all the the jury weighed all the evidence, thejury weighed all the evidence, testimonial and documentary, came to this conclusion. 0ryou documentary, came to this conclusion. or you can do is say that the system worked and that's good. just say that the system worked and that's good-— that's good. just reminders, ou sa that's good. just reminders, you say that _ that's good. just reminders, you say that the _ that's good. just reminders, you say that the trump - that's good. just reminders, i you say that the trump defence didn't put up a defence, how didn't put up a defence, how did they go about defending donald trump and do you think they did a good enoughjob? well, apparently not, he lost. but their primary strategy was to fend trump by cross—examining government witnesses. they put on two witnesses. they put on two witnesses of the road, neither of which did very much to support donald trump, and the cross—examination obviously did not compel the jury to reach a verdict of not guilty. they essentially put michael cohen, the star witness, on trial, and the star witness, on trial, and the failed to convict.— the failed to convict. there are questions _ the failed to convict. there are questions over - the failed to convict. there| are questions over whether the failed to convict. there i are questions over whether or not trying to paint michael cohen as a ladder would end up affecting this case. we heard in from judge merchan to the jury in from judge merchan to the jury that they could disregard testimony from any witness they found not credible. do you think at the end that evidence stood up in the minds of the jury? stood up in the minds of the 'u ? , , . . , stood up in the minds of the 'u ? , , , ., ., jury? yes, because it had to. michael cohen, _ jury? yes, because it had to. michael cohen, as _ jury? yes, because it had to. michael cohen, as a - michael cohen, as a co—conspirator, not charged in the case but a co—conspirator, could not convicted donald trump on his own. thejudge instructed thejury that trump on his own. thejudge instructed the jury that you cannot convicted donald trump of the word of michael cohen alone, so they had a look at the corroborative evidence, documentary and test tomorrow and they found in combination that testimony documents and michael cohen was enough to reach the guilt beyond reasonable doubt verdict. what do ou reasonable doubt verdict. what do you make — reasonable doubt verdict. what do you make of _ reasonable doubt verdict. what do you make of the _ reasonable doubt verdict. what do you make of the way - reasonable doubt verdict. what do you make of the way that the district attorney alvin bragg navigated this trial? we have seen so many cases against donald trump has failed to get off the ground, this one was donein off the ground, this one was done in six weeks, he got his guilty verdict for so we heard him say in that press conference a few hours ago, i did myjob. conference a few hours ago, i did my job-— did my 'ob. and he did to his 'ob. did my job. and he did to his job- the _ did my job. and he did to his job. the luck— did my job. and he did to his job. the luck that _ did my job. and he did to his job. the luck that he - did my job. and he did to his job. the luck that he had i did my job. and he did to his| job. the luck that he had was thejudicial job. the luck that he had was the judicial system was cooperating with the executive branch, the prosecutors. 0n the other trump cases, the executive branch was reading for trials but the judiciary was holding everything up. so there was a cooperative judiciary that gave him a trial date, we had a judge who ran a tight ship and we got the verdict. it would be nice to see that in some of the other cases before the election so the american people can decide whether or not donald trump is guilty of other crimes or not. but so far, the courts are the roadblock. but so far, the courts are the roadblock-— roadblock. we had a verdict here of course, _ roadblock. we had a verdict here of course, but - roadblock. we had a verdict here of course, but this i roadblock. we had a verdict here of course, but this is l roadblock. we had a verdict l here of course, but this is not the end of the road in new york, there is a sentencing hearing july the 11th, what do you expect will come next year and do you think donald trump will appeal?— will appeal? well, what comes next is donald _ will appeal? well, what comes next is donald trump - will appeal? well, what comes next is donald trump and i will appeal? well, what comes next is donald trump and his l next is donald trump and his team will have to meet with the probation department, take a statement from the defendant and make a recommendation to the court about probable sentence. the prosecutor does have its own recommendations, as to the offence. —— is the defence. then onjuly the 11th will be the sentencing judge can issue up to 20 years in prison or probation, there is no mandatoryjail time, then no mandatory jail time, then once no mandatoryjail time, then once thejury, rather no mandatoryjail time, then once the jury, rather once the sentence is imposed, then trump can appeal. we'll have to see how fast the appeal goes through the system, but we will get an appellant decision before november but i think thatis before november but i think that is unlikely. —— we might get an appellant decision. thank you very much. thanks for havin: thank you very much. thanks for having me- _ joining me now is ty cobb, former trump white house lawyer. great to have you here with us on bbc news. were you surprised that the jury in the end took only two days of deliberations for making this verdict? mat only two days of deliberations for making this verdict? not at all. i for making this verdict? not at all- i think _ for making this verdict? not at all. i think | — for making this verdict? not at all. i thinki am _ for making this verdict? not at all. i think i am on _ for making this verdict? not at all. i think i am on the - for making this verdict? not at all. i think i am on the record i all. i think i am on the record of having predicted a verdict of having predicted a verdict of no later than tomorrow. i think the reason is that this is a very simple case. the indictment, which will be the subject of significant challenges on appeal, the jury instructions which will be the object of significant challenges on appeal, the evidence that kamen will also be challenged on appeal, really all mandated this verdict. —— the evidence that came in. the 34 cryans, the conduct in those 34 cryans, the conduct in those 34 accounts was clearly proven. —— 34 crimes. preventer records and checks and book—keeping entries, and the testimony of david pecker and michael cohen and others. whether they actually prove the crime charge and whether that is constitutionally sufficient, those will be issues that the appellants will have to deal. with. while the likelihood is that the convictions will be sustained, the defence has a much better chance on appeal than most defendants in a case of this sort. but given the course that the da chose to pursue, the statute he intended to rely on the way it was charged and the evidence in the jury charged and the evidence in the jury instructions, i think this was a verdict that was virtually mandatory. and the jurors did exactly what they were asked to do, they followed the instructions, they took it seriously and they came back with a conviction, and you have to accept that and you have to honour that.— honour that. throughout the entire case _ honour that. throughout the entire case and _ honour that. throughout the entire case and relieved i honour that. throughout the i entire case and relieved before it as well, we heard a lot of criticism from some people from trump supporters and donald trump supporters and donald trump himself about the strength of the evidence against him. i rate the case? everybody pilly compared the four criminal cases and they said this was likely the weakest, and yet here we have a conviction on all 34 accounts. i don't think this was ever the weakest case. i think the reality is that this is the worst case legally, much of the criticism, frankly, about the case came from some of the da's office's most senior lawyers, at least one of whom has resigned when the da chose to abandon the prosecution, which resurrected the efforts of district attorney bragg's efforts to prosecute the former president. but the person, his view was that the better case was the fraud case, which resulted in a significant verdict but not criminal, rather than this case, which had legal problems that he identified. so i think the concerns about this case are the legal theory behind it and the legal theory behind it and the statute, i'm not sure those are going to salvage trump on appeal, think the likelihood is that these convictions will be sustained about the appeals will not be frivolous, there are serious issues. i will not be frivolous, there are serious issues.- will not be frivolous, there are serious issues. i want to ask you. _ are serious issues. i want to ask you. what _ are serious issues. i want to ask you, what do _ are serious issues. i want to ask you, what do you i are serious issues. i want to ask you, what do you think. ask you, what do you think thoseissues ask you, what do you think those issues might be when it comes to our appeal? case will mr trump's lawyers playing out? they will have a number of grounds, they will argue about the venue, the changed venue, the venue, the changed venue, the bias and palpable prejudice they talk about of new yorkers against trump, the fact he was 95% unfavourable in that jurisdiction, and they will argue, credibly i believe, that theissues argue, credibly i believe, that the issues of the constitutionality of the statute is applied, the absence of notice of alleged crime that was covered up, which of course the jury only learned of yesterday in the instructions, and issues of intent and knowledge on the part of the former president as to those crimes. so i think there are some serious constitutional issues and i think that the courts will be forced to grapple with them, i'm not sure that they are going to go the defence's way and i think the likelihood is that there were a but those are not frivolous objections. but those are not frivolous objections-_ but those are not frivolous ob'ections. ., ., , , ., , ., objections. you observed, as a la er objections. you observed, as a lawyer in _ objections. you observed, as a lawyer in the — objections. you observed, as a lawyer in the white _ objections. you observed, as a lawyer in the white house, i objections. you observed, as a lawyer in the white house, to | lawyer in the white house, to the donald trump administration, there is a historical nature to this, becoming now the first president, orformer or serving, to be convicted of a crime. how do you reflect on that, and that simple statement that, and that simple statement that donald trump now enters the history books?— that donald trump now enters the history books? yes, i think this is 30,000 _ the history books? yes, i think this is 30,000 feet, _ the history books? yes, i think this is 30,000 feet, whether l this is 30,000 feet, whether people hate trump or love him, and the united states is almost evenly split on the issues for reasons that befuddled me. but i think as americans, this is a day for sober reflection. every day for sober reflection. every day that trump is in the spotlight as a potential leader of our country should cause people to think, why? has happened to america but now a former president is a convicted felon and he is soon to be a candidate for the presidency yet again, and he is currently the leader in the polls in that process? i think that is sad for america, process? i think that is sad foramerica, i process? i think that is sad for america, i think it is sad for america, i think it is sad for the world. certainly, america as a leader of the free world is tarnished today and was tarnished onjanuary world is tarnished today and was tarnished on january the 6th and was tarnished when trump took and used and abused and retained the classified documents at mar—a—lago. i think all this confident —— but all this behaviour is reprehensible and the fact many americans do not see it that way is puzzling to me and said to me. —— sad. i am greatly saddened as an american that we have reached this point in history but we are here. we will have — history but we are here. we will have to _ history but we are here. we will have to leave it there. ty cobb, former white house lawyer, thank you for your perspective. mi; lawyer, thank you for your perspective-_ lawyer, thank you for your --ersective. g , ., ~ perspective. my pleasure, thank ou. here is how some others are reacting to the verdict. michael cohen — trump's former attorney and fixer — who testified as the prosecution's key witness, said thursday marked an important day for accountability and the rule of law. mr trump's allies also responded including us house speaker mikejohnson writing on x ' today is a shameful day in american history.�* democr