Trump says 'okay' with possible prison sentence or house arrest after historic conviction

CNN
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Former President Donald Trump said he was “okay” with serving potential prison time or house arrest following his historic conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records .

“I’m OK with that,” Trump told Fox News in an interview broadcast Sunday when asked about potential sanctions. “I saw one of my lawyers on TV the other day saying, 'Oh no, you don't want to do that to the president.' I said: you don't beg for anything.

But Trump added: “I don’t think the public would stand for it. I'm not sure the public would support it.

“I think it would be difficult for the public to understand that at a certain point there is a breaking point,” Trump said.

His comments come just days after a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of all charges in his secret trial, making him the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first presidential candidate to a major party to be convicted of a crime in the United States. in the middle of a campaign for the White House.

Judge Juan Merchan set Trump's sentencing for July 11 at 10 a.m. ET. Merchan could sentence Trump to probation or up to 4 years in state prison on each count, with a maximum of 20 years.

For now, the former president is still not in prison awaiting sentencing. He claimed in the Fox News interview that he had done nothing wrong and denounced the “sick” people involved in his conviction.

“I fight for the Constitution,” Trump said, adding that the trial had been “harder” on his family than on him. Speaking specifically about his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, the former president said: “She's doing well, but I think it's very difficult for her. I mean, she's fine. But it's… you know, she has to read all this bullshit.

Asked whether he might seek political retaliation if he wins the 2024 presidential election, Trump said that while succeeding seems “beautiful,” it's “terribly difficult when you see what they've done.”

“These people are so mean, and at the same time, the country can come together,” he added.

This story has been updated with additional information.