The political fallout from Trump’s conviction
Will a Manhattan jury’s verdict help Democrats nationally?
Donald Trump appeared at UFC 302 and received a huge ovation from the fans at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday night as fans awaited the main event featuring Dustin Poirier challenging for Islam Makhachev’s UFC Lightweight Championship.
Trump walked into the arena with UFC president Dana White. He also stopped for a second to greet comedian Theo Von. Trump shook the hands of some fans and waved to the crowd.
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Donald Trump attends the UFC 302 event at Prudential Center on June 1, 2024, in Newark, New Jersey. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The former president then took his spot just outside the UFC Octagon and readied to watch the main card.
It was one of Trump’s first public appearances since he was found guilty on all counts in a New York criminal trial on Thursday.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts.
"This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt as a rigged trial and disgrace. It wouldn't give us a venue change," Trump said afterward. "We were at five percent or 6% in this district, in this area. This was a rigged, disgraceful trial."
Trump said "the real verdict is going to be November 5th by the people."
Former President Trump smiles at Dana White while attending the UFC 302 mixed martial arts event Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Newark. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
"And they know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here," Trump said. "You have a Soros backed DA and the whole thing."
He added: "We didn't do anything 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."
Trump said that the case was "done by the Biden administration in order to wound or hurt an opponent, a political opponent."
"And I think it's it's just a disgrace. And we'll keep fighting--we'll fight till the end and we'll win because our country's gone to hell," he said. "We don't have the same country anymore. We have a divided mess. We're a nation of decline, serious decline."
Trump said "millions and millions of people pouring into our country right now from prisons and from mental institutions, terrorists. And they're taking over our country. We have a country that's in big trouble."
Donald Trump looks up during the UFC 302 event at Prudential Center on June 1, 2024, in Newark. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
"But this was a rigged decision right from day one, with a conflicted judge who should have never been allowed to try this case. Never," he said. "And we will fight for our Constitution. This is long from over."
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Trump has made semi-regular appearances at UFC events. He’s close friends with White, who spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Trump’s favor.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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