Long Islanders, elected leaders react to former President Trump's guilty verdict in hush money trial
Political consultant Mike Dawidziak says he does not believe that many voters' minds will be changed because of the conviction.
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Long Islanders and elected leaders expressed divided opinions after a Manhattan jury found former President Donald Trump guilty Thursday on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Further coverage: Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes
Former Long Island Rep. Peter King says he still supports Trump and believes the trial sets a dangerous precedent.
"Today is Donald Trump, he's a billionaire, he can defend himself, but they can target any political opponent and either party can do it," King says. "It's a dangerous, dangerous road we're going down."
Rep. Anthony D'Esposito also expressed his support for the former president on X, saying, "I served with the NYPD for 15 years, I know bad judges & bad verdicts when I see them. Today's ruling was a miscarriage of justice — a partisan witch-hunt that imperils our democracy. @HouseGOP stands with 45 & 47."
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman also expressed his continuing support for Trump and believes the case should’ve never been presented.
"This is the biggest miscarriage of justice that I've witnessed in my life,” he said. “As a lawyer, I can't see any basis for a conviction."
Political consultant Mike Dawidziak says support for Trump on Long Island was "pretty well divided" during the 2020 election.
He says he does not believe that many voters' minds will be changed because of the conviction.
"I don't really see where any savvy Long Islander has their mind changed about Donald Trump because of this trial,” he said.
Matthew Regis, of Massapequa, says this decision strengthens his support for Trump.
"It reinforces it. To bring this country back to where we need it to be and it's not going to change my vote. And hopefully it will change a lot of people's vote when they see the injustice going on."
Tulio Rivera, of Massapequa, says he’s happy about the verdict and hopes it has an impact come November.
"I think it's about time some normality came back to this country,” he said. "I wouldn't hire somebody that had so many failures and so many negative things going on with them, but we got to hire him to run the country? Just doesn't make sense.”
