Former U.S. President Donald Trump was found guilty in the involvement of paying hush money over sexual harassment allegations. He stated that the possibility of him receiving a prison sentence or house arrest would be “hard for the public to accept.”
In an interview with Fox News‘ Fox & Friends that aired on June 2, when asked how he would handle the possibility of house arrest or a prison sentence, Trump said, “Such a situation could arise. I’m okay with it.”
He added, “I’m not sure if the public can tolerate that,” emphasizing, “I think it would be hard for the public to accept. At some point, there will be a breaking point.”
Trump’s remarks could suggest the potential for public unrest similar to the January 6, 2021 incident when his fervent supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to dispute the results of the 2020 election.
The jury in the criminal trial of Trump’s “sexual harassment hush money” trial found him guilty on all 34 criminal charges brought against him on May 30. Thus, Trump has become the first former President in U.S. history to be found guilty in a criminal trial.
Following the jury’s guilty verdict, Judge Juan Merchan who is presiding over the case is scheduled to sentence Trump on July 11. This date is close to the Republican National Convention (July 15-18), which will nominate the Republican presidential candidate.
Trump was brought to trial on charges of paying $130,000 through Michael Cohen to silence adult actress Stormy Daniels and then manipulating company records to make it look like legal consulting fees.
The adult actress claimed to have had a sexual relationship with Trump before the 2016 election.
In the interview, Trump responded to the sentencing hearing that would take place four days before the convention: “That’s part of the game (created by the opposition).” He added, “It’s always been like that,” and shared that he had advised his lawyers, “Don’t plead for anything.”
Trump revealed that the guilty verdict is a more complicated ordeal for his family.
He touched base on how his wife, Melania Trump, is handling the situation. He shared, “She’s okay, but it’s tough for her. I think the verdict is harder on my family in many ways than it is on me.”
Trump also refuted President Joe Biden’s criticism that he is a threat to democracy, saying it’s “just the opposite.”
Trump stated, “Right now, I’m ahead of a person (President Biden) who can’t even put two sentences together and is destroying America. He’s the worst President in the history of this country and a danger to the country.”
Adding on, “They (Biden’s side) are spreading false information that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. I’m the opposite. They are the threat to democracy.”
Regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said, “I got along well with Putin,” but warned, “We have to be careful with him. Since I’m watching him, he’s not doing good things right now.”
When asked how he would handle Putin if he regained power, he didn’t mention a specific plan but said, “I think I can end it (the war) very quickly. I got along very well with Putin and Zelenskyy (Ukrainian President). I would have them both in the same room.”
Regarding North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, he said, “I got along very well with Kim. I know him quite well. He’s a very smart guy.”