STORMY Daniels’ husband has broken his silence after former President Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Barrett Blade said his wife is still processing the news of Trump’s conviction in the historic hush money trial.
Former President Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records on ThursdayCredit: EPA/JUSTIN LANE / POOL
Stormy Daniels’ husband, Barrett Blade said his wife feels ‘vindicated’ after the guilty verdictCredit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
“She was brought into this. This wasn’t her seeking justice for herself. She was standing up for herself early on and saying what was right, but this whole hush money trial is really nothing … it’s not her story,” he told CNN.
However, Blade said that Daniels “feels a little vindicated that, you know, she was telling the truth.”
On May 7, Daniels testified that she and Trump, 77, had a brief, sexual encounter in 2006 at a Lake Tahoe hotel room.
The adult film star told the jury that she hit Trump’s backside with a rolled-up magazine before having unprotected sex with him.
At the time, Trump’s wife, Melania, was pregnant with their son Barron.
A month before the 2016 presidential election, Trump instructed his then-attorney Michael Cohen, to pay Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about the alleged affair, said prosecutors.
Trump has denied both the affair and the act of using his funds to pay off Daniels.
During testimony presented by the state, the prosecution argued that Trump disguised the reimbursement payments he made to Cohen as legal retainers.
Blade, who works in the adult entertainment industry, said he would have supported the jury decision either way.
“Hopefully people will finally start seeing the truth and if they do, they do, if they don’t, they don’t. I don’t know that that ever changes,” he said.
‘A RIGGED TRIAL’
Trump slammed the guilty verdict while speaking to reporters outside the Manhattan courthouse, calling himself a “very innocent man.”
“This was a disgrace,” said Trump, who became the first former US President to be convicted of a felony.
“This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who is corrupt. 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, but the real verdict is going to be November 5th by the people, and they know what happened here; everybody knows what happened here,” he added, referring to the presidential election.
“We didn’t do a thing wrong. I’m a very innocent man and it’s okay, I’m fighting for our country, I’m fighting for our constitution.
“Our whole country is being rigged right now. This was done by the Biden administration in order to wound and hurt a political opponent.”
Trump called out Judge Juan Merchan, saying that he should’ve never been allowed to oversee the trial.
“We have a country that’s in big trouble, but this was a rigged decision from day one with a conflicted judge who should’ve never been allowed to try this case,” he said.
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11 at 10 am EST and he is expected to appeal.
A FIGHTING CHANCE
Despite his conviction, Trump can still be president if he’s elected in November.
“There’s nothing prohibiting a convicted felon from being president of the United States,” former prosecutor Neama Rahmani told The U.S. Sun.
Donald Trump’s next steps
Rahmani added that Trump’s presidency wouldn’t be affected even if he’s jailed for his crimes.
“Theoretically, Trump could be in prison and still be president of the United States, earning the Constitution,” he told The U.S. Sun.
“The only requirements are that he be 35 and be born in the United States and not have engaged in an insurrection.”
Earlier this month, Daniels testified that she was given money to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she had with TrumpCredit: Getty
Blade said he would have supported any decision the jury would have madeCredit: Getty