Donald Trump’s campaign has announced that it raised nearly $53 million through online small-dollar donations after his conviction in the New York hush money trial.
The campaign claimed that the verdict had significantly increased support for Trump, with reports that this record amount was equivalent to raising more than $2 million per hour.
Senior campaign officials, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, emphasized that over a third of the total came from new donors, showing strong support from people across the country.
In their statements, LaCivita and Wiles described the Thursday court decision as a “sham trial verdict” and noted that the campaign’s digital fundraising system was temporarily overwhelmed due to the high traffic from small-dollar donors. Despite these technical issues, the campaign managed to raise $52.8 million by Friday evening.
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The conviction came after a jury found Trump guilty on all 34 charges of falsifying business records to hide a sex scandal during the final stages of his 2016 presidential campaign. According to prosecutors, Trump had an affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels shortly after his wife Melania gave birth in 2006.
Trump is scheduled for sentencing on July 11, but he is expected to appeal the verdict.
LaCivita and Wiles accused President Joe Biden and the Democrats of using the legal system for political interference, claiming that this had energized Trump’s supporters more than ever.
However, there is no evidence linking Biden or his administration to the investigation, which was conducted by New York state authorities, not the federal government.
Trump has a history of turning scandals into opportunities, and his campaign website quickly redirected visitors to a fundraising page after the conviction, declaring him a “political prisoner.” The page experienced a temporary crash due to the overwhelming number of visitors.
Trump often portrays his legal troubles as a fight against the “deep state” and Biden’s administration, presenting himself as a martyr for his supporters. He has previously compared himself to figures like Nelson Mandela and Jesus Christ.
There are no indications that the court conviction of Trump will however stop his election run later in December this year.
In the United States, a presidential candidate can continue to run for office even if they are facing legal charges or have been convicted of a crime, since the Constitution does not explicitly disqualify a person from holding the office of President based on a criminal conviction.
