Donald Trump watches a UFC mixed martial arts event in New Jersey on Saturday. Photo: Frank Franklin II/AP Photo
Donald Trump said he was “fine” with prison time, but warned his followers could reach a “tipping point” if he is sentenced to prison.
Trump, 77, became the first US president to be convicted of a crime on Thursday when a new York jury found him guilty of 34 charges of falsifying documents to conceal an alleged affair.
The Republican nominee now faces a sentence of up to up to four years in prison when he is sentenced on July 11.
Legal experts say he will likely be sentenced to home confinement or probation, but others say his campaign of attack against Judge Juan Merchan, who will hand down the sentence, could backfire.
“I'm fine with that,” Trump told Fox News when asked about his potential prison sentence in his first interview since his conviction.
“I saw on TV the other day one of my lawyers said : “Oh no, you don’t want to do that to the President.” I said, “You don’t ask for anything, that’s the way it is.” “.
Robert Burke, better known as the Naked Cowboy, outside Trump Tower in Manhattan, the day after his conviction. Photo: Andrew Kelly/REUTERS
But while Trump has said he is resigned to the prospect of jail, he has suggested his supporters may not be. They ransacked the Capitol when Trump refused to accept the 2020 election.
“I'm not sure the public will support it,” he said of a possible prison sentence.
“I think it will be difficult for the public to accept that at some point there comes a tipping point,” he added.< /p>
Trump's warning will resonate in a country already worried about the prospect of unrest and political persecution ahead of the November election. He still faces trial for incitement of insurrection.
The Telegraph reported that Secret Service leaders are drawing up plans to provide 24-hour protection to Trump if he is sentenced to prison.
All former presidents are legally entitled to 24-hour guards for life, making it difficult to find suitable housing.
If Trump is given up to a year in prison, he will likely be sent to the “VIP” West Wing of the notorious Rikers Island prison in Bronx. If he is given a longer sentence, he would have to be held in state prison.
During an interview with Fox News that aired Sunday, Trump also said the trial was “tougher” on his family than for himself.
“I have a wonderful wife who has to listen to this crap all the time,” he said.
“She’s fine, but I think she very hard. I mean, she's fine. But this… you know, she has to read all this nonsense.”
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