NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt : KNTV : May 30, 2024 4:00pm-4:31pm PDT : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive (2024)

tonight, a watershed moment in this nation's history. for the first time, an american president convicted of criminal conduct, all in the middle of an election season.

donald trump convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records after a manhattan jury deliberated for 9 1/2 hours. will the former president face prison time or just probation for the low-level felonies in the hush money case? and how will the judicial system handle the unprecedented case of a former president with secret service protection? the political fallout. how will this impact donald trump's campaign for the presidency. >> the real verdict is going to be november 5th. >> mr. trump, the presumptive republican nominee defiant tonight, proclaiming his innocence, calling the process rigged, and accusing president biden of backing a political persecution, as he addressed cameras outside the courtroom. the biden campaign saying, quote, we saw that no one is above the law. and how will a nation driven by political division react? our complete historic coverage, coming up.

>> this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening and welcome, everyone. guilty on all counts. donald j. trump, the 45th president of the united states, was found guilty late today in a new york courthouse on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments to a p*rn star just before the 2016 election. the stunning verdict was delivered by a manhattan jury of seven men and five women, who deliberated for two days, making mr. trump the first former american president to be convicted of a crime. he remains the presumptive republican nominee in the close race for president. mr. trump stood in the courtroom in lower manhattan as each of the jurors confirm they agreed with the verdict. afterward, mr. trump called it a disgraceful trial, and still claimed he didn't do anything wrong. in a statement, president biden's campaign said in new york today we saw that

no one is above the law, adding that donald trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain. today's conviction will no doubt have an impact one way or another on this year's election. we have it all covered for you on this historic night, beginning with senior legal correspondent laura jarrett. laura, a historic night in court. >> reporter: indeed, lester. one simple word, "guilty," repeated over and over and over and over. 34 times, those simple words something that happens every day in courtrooms across america. but this time was different. this time about the current presumptive gop nominee, a former american president, something we've never seen before. those ladies and gentlemen of the jury, 12 members from everyday walks of life in new york city, we had a salesman, the foreman, two lawyers. we had someone who was a physical therapist, a speech therapist, all walks of life

coming together for a unanimous verdict today, lester. >> this all occurred when we thought that the jury was about to retire for the evening and come back tomorrow. the court very much caught off guard, it appeared. >> reporter: lester, it had, because we were really not certain we would see the verdict at all. the judge obviously wanted to accommodate that schedule, to do as much as they could. here is our story. tonight, former president donald trump found guilty, convicted by a manhattan jury of all charges. now the first american president ever convicted of a crime. jurors finding mr. trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying his business records to cover up a conspiracy to influence the 2016 election by hiding how he reimbursed his former fixer for paying off a p*rn star before the election. the manhattan jury of seven men and five women included two lawyers, two in finance, and the foreman, in sales, and reached their decision after two days of deliberations after hearing for more than 20 witnesses over six

weeks. the prosecution's case largely came down to whether jurors would believe the word of michael cohen, mr. trump's former attorney and self-described fixer. cohen was the only witness who directly tied mr. trump to the alleged crime of falsifying business records. he testified mr. trump directed him to pay off stormy daniels so she couldn't derail his campaign. she'd alleged a sexual encounter years before, but mr. trump vehemently denied it. prosecutors argued at trial the former president was desperate to keep her silent, panicked after the release of the "access hollywood" tape, and then covered it all up, approving a scheme to disguise the 130,000 payoff with a phony paper trail through invoices, vouchers, and checks. cohen's credibility in this case was key. the defense team branding the new disbarred lawyer, who had been convicted of lying under oath as the mvp of liars with an ax to grind against mr. trump, while prosecutors argued mr. trump chose mr. cohen

for the same qualities that his attorneys now urge you to reject his testimony. mr. trump, who did not testify reacting to the verdict tonight, attacking the case as politically motivated by a democratic d.a. in deep blue manhattan. >> it's 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 5th by the people. >> reporter: outside of court, boos and cheers. >> reporter: late today district attorney alvin bragg reacting to the verdict. >> we arrived at this trial, and ultimately today at this verdict in the same manner as every other case that comes through the courtroom doors. by following the facts and the law.

>> all right, laura, we heard quite a reaction i recall when you were reading that verdict from the crowd. what happens next in terms of sentencing? >> reporter: lester, now this case will proceed to sentencing. both sides will have an opportunity to tell judge merchan what they think is an appropriate sentence. he faces anywhere from just probation to four years in prison maximum on that. it's completely within the judge's discretion, and he will do that sentencing right here on july 11th. lester? >> all right. laura jarrett leading us off with the breaking news. and nbc's peter alexander has been following it all from washington. peter, any reaction from the white house or the biden campaign tonight? >> lester, to be clear, we don't expect to hear from mr. biden about mr. trump's conviction tonight. he is in delaware with his family on the anniversary of his son beau's death. the biden campaign, though, they did put out a statement saying the conviction shows, quote, no one is above the law. it adds, there is still 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.

a white house spokesperson we should note simply saying "we respect the rule of law." the white house and the campaign largely steered clear of commenting on the trial. amid frustrations that wall to wall coverage made it harder to break through with its message, just this week the biden campaign deployed robert de niro and two of the officers who were attacked at the capitol on january 6th to speak at the courthouse. de niro we saw trading insults with trump supporters there. and late tonight a democratic strategist familiar with the campaign's thinking, in their view, a conviction is better than an acquittal, but they say it will not be a central message for the biden campaign. notably, they immediately started fundraising off it. ultimately, they say president biden needs to convince americans that mr. trump's chaos and lawlessness is bad for americans' lives, not just mr. trump's. the bottom line, though, lester, aides have privately acknowledged that they do not believe a verdict either way would dramatically change this race. lester?

>> peter alexander in our washington newsroom. let's bring in hallie jackson now. hallie is with me. how big is the impact on this historic verdict? >> it is historic. it is unprecedented, lester. for that reason, it is not super clear how this is going to play out in a general election campaign. we know a couple things here. that there are potential risks for mr. trump based on some of the numbers we've seen prior to tonight's verdict and prior to tonight's conviction. about two-thirds of american suggest a conviction really wouldn't change their one way or another. but 10 to 20% of independents say a conviction would make them less likely to vote for donald trump. that's important, because this race is very close. it is going to come down to very close margins. so a slice of independents going one way or the other, could make a difference. i emphasize the word "could" because in the past, in the primary we know the former president has reamed rallied his base around him as it related to these legal issues. he fund raised off of them. the question has always been, the x factor has always been does that hold any general election where there is a very different electorate that he would have to

appeal to, lester. >> and there will be an impact certainly on the biden campaign. >> yeah, listen. peter laid it out, the idea that the campaign seems to be taking the long view here, and that is reflected from what senior campaign official told me prior to the verdict coming down. we know the biggest issue for the people they say again and again, it's not legal drama. it's the economy. it's immigration. it's inflation, and it's the border. we hear that again and again. so if that is in fact what drives people to the polls come november, there is a question mark for how this race goes, obviously. it very close. the polls consistently show that in key swing states, president biden trails, though it very close within the margin of error there. you're already seeing, however, the way the former president is trying to turn this case into a rallying cry. he appeared outside, raising his fist in this moment. i wouldn't call it triumph, but i would call it significant for him. he is already releasing a fundraising image similarly with his fist in the air in that way, hoping to get out his base when it comes to november, lester. >> all right, hallie jackson, thank you.

nbc's dasha burns is outside the courthouse in lower manhattan. dasha, what's the reaction been? tell us about the scene outside the court that played out today. >> reporter: well, lester, ever since we heard news that a verdict would be coming, we've seen people of all stripes filing in and out of this public park that is across the street from the courthouse where people can exercise their first amendment rights. they can come here to demonstrate whether they're for trump, against trump, or whatever message they want to give. now today, a large police presence here, much larger than anything that we've seen. just to make sure that all of these protests, all of these conversations are peaceful. i will tell you, once we heard the verdict, once the public was aware of what this jury decided, there were boos and there were cheers. people on all sides of this issue in this park here today. i'll tell you, lester, what's been really fascinating to watch is members of the public simply getting together and having -- having it out, having debates.

we're actually witnessing that right now. you see someone in a donald trump hat, a red hat speaking with people who are not supporters of the former president. things have gotten heated, but have mostly stayed peaceful here as people take in this moment right outside of the courthouse here, lester. >> all right, dasha burns in manhattan, thank you. back with me now is laura jarrett. and also joining us is our nbc legal analyst danny cevallos. danny, let me bring you in here real quick and talk what the team will most certainly appeal. how will that appeal process look like for mr. trump? >> as is usual, in most jurisdictions, he will have 30 days from the date of sentence. not 30 days from today. 30 days from the imposition of the sentence in which to appeal. he surely will. then it will go to the appellate division, which is the intermediate appellate court in new york. and then they will set a briefing schedule. that will take months, if not years. >> it's a long process. laura, let me turn to you for a moment. this is one of four different criminal cases we've been

watching against the former president. talk through where the other cases stand, if we'll likely see another trial before the election. >> lester, it's only one of four, but it may be the only one to see completion before the november election. the others have been bogged down in appeals and delays, perhaps the most serious the one about trying to overturn the last election, that federal case in washington, d.c., still up on appeal with the supreme court trying to decide if the former president is immune from prosecution at all. we also had the other case about trying to overturn the last election in georgia. that one's on appeal because the district attorney there is being challenged on ethical grounds. and then of course we have the one about the former president trying to hoard classified documents in his mar-a-lago estate after he was no longer president that one on indefinite hold there, lester, because of a ruling from the judge. so really, realistically, this one in lower manhattan, a state case may be the only one before the november election,

lester. >> let me turn back to danny. this case, this conviction is uncharted territory, as you have all been saying. how do you move a former president through the justice system? >> differently, to put it briefly, lester. the secret service has already issued a statement apparently saying that they will deal with this as they will deal with it. and the bottom line is what do you do with a person who, if you incarcerate him, has to be accompanied by secret service detail. the answer is we don't know, because it's never happened before. now you also talk about the appeals system. what are the grounds for appeal? most likely, we will see an attack on the statute itself. not necessarily what justice merchan did with the statute, but whether the statute might be unconstitutionally vague. if it's just not clear enough, what conduct is proscribed or what is allowed. you'll probably see appeal on the grounds of jury instructions, if for no other reason than that's the most common, best chance for success ground for appeal in most criminal cases. and then thirdly, you're likely to see an appeal based on the

stormy daniels testimony. that's a factual issue. justice merchan himself expressed surprise that it went into that area, suggesting that the defense should have objected more. the problem is that generally speaking, if the defense didn't object to testimony as it was coming in, they may have waived their opportunity to raise that as a ground on appeal. lester, the general rule is when you're making a record at the trial court level, it's use it or lose it. you must enter an objection on to the record generally to preserve that issue adequately for appeal. >> i think it's fair to say a lot of us were surprised the verdict came as quickly as it did. they did deliberate over nine hours. how would you characterize it versus a typical prosecution? >> in my view, i expected the jury deliberations to go on at least until friday. and then a safe guess was the jury would probably come back before the end of friday. so maybe they were a day early. you're right. nine hours is a lot if you're sitting and intensively working on a case.

but in a case of this complexity, relatively speaking, it was probably a short deliberation. >> all right. danny thanks very much. joining us is tom winter. tom, talk if you can about the remarkable security implications for mr. trump and keeping a former president safe through all this as he goes through the legal process. >> that's exactly right, lester there have been enormous security implications because of this trial. you've seen some of the apparatus behind me over the last couple of weeks. we saw it just in the last several hours or so as we saw the president head up the highway here in new york city. he'll maintain that secret service detail, as danny alluded to. tonight in a statement to nbc news, the secret service says we're going to continue our mission. their words. they say they're going to continue obviously with trump is a former president, so he'll get protected status because of that. he is presumptive republican nominee. after that, his the convention, his security profile will

only increase from there, and with the potential complication if he was to be sentenced to jail. if that was to happen at rikers island, a spokesperson telling nbc news that they will find the, quote, appropriate housing for him there. he could be in a situation potentially where a former president is in a jail cell in one of the country's most famous jail facilities off the runways of la guardia airport sitting in there with secret service. how this will all play out? time will tell, lester. for now, he will maintain, even though he has been found guilty, that secret service protection. >> tom winter, thank you. in 60 seconds, his story and michael presidential historian michael beschloss on this moment, and what lessons from our past apply as the country moves forward. symptom improvement, and reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating,

vision changes, or eye pain occur. ask your doctor about breztri. (♪♪) [shaking] itchy pet? (♪♪) with chewy, save 20% on your first pharmacy order so you can put an end to the itch. get flea and tick medication delivered right to your door. [panting] (vo) if you have graves' disease... ge...and blurry vision,ation delyou need clear answers.or. people with graves' could also get thyroid eye disease, or t-e-d, which may need a different doctor. find a t-e-d eye specialist at isitted.com we're back now. and as we no we're back now. and as we noted, this is the fist time a former president has been convicted of a crime. nbc news presidential historian michael beschloss joins us now. michael, how do you begin to put this moment into context? >> well, this is almost surreal, lester. we'll all remember where we were when we

got this news today, and that's because as you've been saying, first time anyone who has been president has been convicted of criminal conduct, and also someone who six weeks from this day just about, donald trump is likely to be nominated by the republicans as their presidential candidate. it's going to be divisive. a lot of people will be angry. but 50 years ago this summer, the supreme court told president richard nixon he had to give up his secret tapes. they showed that he was probably guilty of a number of criminal offenses. gerald ford pardoned him, but gerald ford, the new president respected the rule of law. he didn't say the system was rigged. what gerald ford said in his inaugural address was this is the system that shows that this is a government of laws and not of human beings. the people rule. >> this obviously, michael, is not an isolation. this is occurring during a historically difficult time in terms of division in this country. is there a historical

analogy about how the country might move forward from this moment? >> well, for more than two centuries, we've had a lot of very controversial legal verdicts. before the civil war, at the time of the cold war, you and i could list them for the next three hours. but the point is that here we are still standing. we're still a republic. the dna of america is to respect the rule of law, even if we disagree with it. there can be peaceful protests. a guilty party can appeal, but in the end, we always respect the rule of law. that's the essence of our country. >> all right. appreciate your perspective. as always, michael, thank you. still to come, more coverage on this historic day in court. plus, the brazen midday machete attack in times square. what we know. plus, the other breaking verdict. chad daybell found guilty in the doomsday killing case. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight.

in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. living with type 2 diabetes? ask about the power of 3 with ozempic®. i love your dress. oh thanks! i splurged a little because liberty mutual customized my car insurance and i saved hundreds. that's great.

i know, right? i've been telling everyone. baby: liberty. did you hear that? ty just said her first word. can you say “mama”? baby: liberty. can you say “auntie”? baby: liberty. how many people did you tell? only pay for what you need. jingle: ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ baby: ♪ liberty. ♪ when dry eye symptoms keep... coming... back... inflammation might be to blame. over-the-counter eye drops can provide temporary relief. xiidra can provide lasting relief. it targets inflammation that can cause dry eye disease. xiidra? no-o-o! xiidra treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. don't use if allergic to xiidra. common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision when applied, and unusual taste sensation. why wait? ask your doctor about a 90-day prescription and pay as little as $0. xiidra. (grunt) if you have moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or crohn's disease... put it in check with rinvoq... a once—daily pill. when symptoms tried to take control,

i got rapid relief... and reduced fatigue with rinvoq. check. when flares kept trying to slow me down... i got lasting steroid—free remission... with rinvoq. check. and when my doctor saw damage,... rinvoq helped visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. check. for both uc and crohn's: rapid symptom relief... lasting steroid—free remission... and visibly reduced damage. check. check. and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin; heart attack, stroke, and gi tears occurred. people 50 and older with a heart disease risk factor have an increased risk of death. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. put uc and crohn's in check... and keep them there with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq and learn how abbvie can help you save.

back now with breaking news in the high profile murder case of so-called doomsday author chad daybell. today an idaho jury found daybell guilty on all counts for the 2019 murders of his first wife and then his girlfriend's two children. the triple murder case included details about the couple's affair and beliefs about the apocalypse. lori vallow daybell, the children's mother, was sentenced to life in prison for the murders last year. and here in new york, police say three people are in custody after man was attacked with a machete in times square.

police say the victim was stabbed in both legs. he was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. when we come back, history in the making. what manhattan's d.a. just said live from the urthouse in lower manhattan. if you have wet amd, you never want to lose sight of the things you love. some things should stand the test of time. long lasting eylea hd could significantly improve your vision and can help you go up to 4 months between treatments. if you have an eye infection, eye pain or redness, or allergies to eylea hd, don't use. eye injections like eyla hd may cause eye infection, separation of the retina, or rare but severe swelling of blood vessels in the eye. an increase in eye pressure has been seen. there's an uncommon risk of heart attack or stroke associated with blood clots. the most common side effects were blurred vision, cataract, corneal injury, and eye floaters.

and there's still so much to see. if you are on eylea or a similar type of treatment, ask your retina specialist about eylea hd today, for the potential for fewer injections. salonpas lidocaine flex. a super thin, flexible patch with maximum otc strength lidocaine that contours to the body to relieve pain right where it hurts. and did we mention, it really, really sticks? salonpas, it's good medicine. a year after a heart attack, mike's feeling like himself again. and did we mention, it really, really sticks? but even though time has passed, his risk of a second attack hasn't. mike is still living in the red. with a very high risk of another heart attack or stroke. he doesn't know with his risk factors his ldl-c (bad cholesterol) is still too high - the recommended level is below 55. are you living in the red? get in the know. learn how to get a free ldl-c test at attackheartdisease.com. no, my denture's uncomfortable!

dracula, let's fight back against discomfort. with new poligrip power max hold & comfort. it has superior hold plus keeps us comfy all day with it's pressure absording layer. time for a bite! if your mouth could talk it would ask for... poligrip. i have relapsing ms, but i still want to spend my time my way. i chose kesimpta because it works for me and my schedule. kesimpta is a b-cell treatment for rms that had powerful results. a reduced rate of relapses... ...active lesions... ...and slowed disability progression. i take it myself once-a-month, at home, or on the go. when i'm ready, treatment time is less than a minute. so more of my time, is up-to-me time. don't take kesimpta if you have hepatitis b, and tell your doctor if you have had it, as it could come back. kesimpta can cause serious side effects, including fatal infections. while no cases of pml were reported in rms clinical trials, it could happen. tell your doctor if you had or plan to have vaccines, or if you are or plan to become pregnant. kesimpta may cause a decrease in some types of antibodies.

the most common side effects are upper respiratory tract infection, headache, and injection reactions. kesimpta fits my life. so how i fill my time is up to me. talk to your doctor about why kesimpta could be right for you. finally tonight, as we mark this moment, let's go back to senior legal correspondent laura jarrett.

laura, you were inside the courtroom. take us through your experience watching all this unfold. >> yes, lester, more than 22 days, it's really a surreal experience from the very first day that i walked on to that 15 floor courtroom in front of judge merchan. we've all covered high criminal profiles. trials. this is different. this was the former president of the united states, the current presumptive gop nominee, facing 12 everyday new yorkers told not to be bias while he is currently running for office. this is an experience that i am not likely to forget any time soon, likely the country not to forget any time soon, changed from this moment forward. it's been a privilege, lester, to coffer it with you. >> well we appreciate you and your team's work. that is "nightly news" for this thursday. thank you for watching. i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night.

by the people. guilty on all counts. donald trump becomes

tv

The latest news, going beyond the headlines to see how lives are affected by the world around them.

TOPIC FREQUENCY

Lester 22, Biden 11, Manhattan 10, Donald Trump 7, Us 7, Mr. Trump 5, Kesimpta 4, Merchan 4, Danny 4, New York 4, Laura 4, Laura Jarrett 4, Washington 3, Crohn 3, Michael 3, Trump 3, United States 2, Gop 2, White House 2, Nbc News 2

Notes

This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code).

info Stream Only