Donald Trump Gets Unexpected Support for New York Pardon

Following Donald Trump's guilty verdict in his criminal hush money case, Representative Dean Phillips, a Minnesota Democrat, called for the former president to be pardoned on Friday.

In a case brought forward by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, faced trial in New York City on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels by Trump's then lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged the payment was meant to prevent her from speaking publicly about her claims of having an affair with the former president in 2006.

On Thursday, a jury handed down a guilty verdict on all 34 felony counts following the trial, which lasted more than a month throughout April and May. Trump, who has long denounced the prosecution as a "witch hunt," has said he is innocent of all charges and has denied the affair happened. His legal team says they will fight the case, which will include an appeal if necessary.

On Friday, Phillips who challenged President Joe Biden for the Democratic 2024 presidential nomination, took to X, formerly Twitter, to share his thoughts on Trump and the guilty verdict.

"Donald Trump is a serial liar, cheater, and philanderer, a six-time declarer of corporate bankruptcy, an instigator of insurrection, and a convicted felon who thrives on portraying himself as a victim. @GovKathyHochul should pardon him for the good of the country," he wrote.

Newsweek has reached out to Phillips' office, Trump's spokesperson and New York Governor Kathy Hochul's office via email for comment.

However, the congressman received backlash as some rejected the idea that Trump be pardoned.

X user KuckelmanAshley wrote, "Just stop. What's good for the country is supporting the rule of law and holding people accountable for their crimes, no matter who they are. NO ONE is above the law."

In response, Phillips hit back at critics in a post on Saturday as he explained the hush money case is "energizing his base."

"You think pardoning is stupid? Making him a martyr over a payment to a porn star is stupid. (Election charges are entirely different.) It's energizing his base, generating record sums of campaign cash, and will likely result in an electoral boost," he wrote.

This comes after protesters stationed outside Manhattan's Trump Tower warned of a "civil war" as they rallied in support of Trump on Friday.

"I believe these far radical left are trying to start a civil war," one man wearing a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat told Newsweek.

Trump's campaign said on Friday that he "nearly doubled" his daily fundraising record following the guilty verdict.

"Today, the Trump campaign announced a record shattering small dollar fundraising haul following the sham Biden Trial verdict totaling $34.8 million—nearly double the biggest day ever recorded for the Trump campaign on the WinRed platform," the Trump campaign previously said in a statement sent to Newsweek.

Meanwhile, Phillips' comments came after he endorsed Biden in the 2024 presidential election in March, shortly after dropping out of the race.

"...In light of the stark reality we face, I ask you join me in mobilizing, energizing, and doing everything you can to help keep a man of decency and integrity in the White House. That's Joe Biden," he wrote on X announcing his drop out of the race.

Biden and Trump are the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees following a series of primary wins and are headed for a rematch in November. Their first debate is set for June 27, with a second one in September.