Donald Trump says conviction in hush money trial has been ‘very hard’ for wife Melania

Shweta Sharma

3 June 2024 at 2:57 am·2-min read

Donald Trump has said his historic conviction on felony charges has been “tougher” on his family, particularly wife Melania Trump.

Taking his first questions after a verdict was reached in his trial on Thursday, the former president spoke about how his trial and subsequent conviction have affected his family in an interview on Fox & Friends Weekend.

The Republican candidate for president said that his success in the November election would be his “revenge” against what he claimed were false charges and “a scam”.

Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying financial records in an attempt to keep adult film star Stormy Daniels quiet about an alleged affair in the 2000s, becoming the first American president ever to be criminally convicted.

He is still leading in the polls to win the next election.

Trump during his interview with Fox News (Fox News)

In the course of the trial, Ms Daniels alleged that they had a sexual encounter in 2006, which Trump denies.

When asked how his wife dealt with the trial and the conviction, Trump said: “She is fine, but I think it’s very hard for her. She’s fine, but she has to read all this crap.”

“I think in many ways it’s tougher on my family than it is on me,” he said when asked how his family felt.

Trump stayed out of the picture during the trial although Trump’s son from his first marriage, Eric Trump, was seen at the hearings to support his father.

Mr Trump met Melania in 1998 and they married in 2005. A year later they had their son Barron Trump.

Barron Trump walks after receiving his diploma during his graduation ceremony at Oxbridge Academy (AP)

Trump said Barron, 18, was doing “amazing” and called him a “smart guy”.

“He’s tall, good looking, guy’s a very good student and he’s applied to colleges and gets in to everywhere he goes,” Trump said.

“He’s very sought after from the standpoint he’s a very smart guy, a very tall guy, and he’s a great kid. He’s cool, he’s pretty cool.”

Trump said he would accept home confinement or jail time if he was sentenced.

“I’m not sure the public would stand for it,” he added. “I think it would be tough for the public to take. At a certain point, there’s a breaking point.”

He is scheduled to be sentenced on 11 July, four days before Republicans gather to formally choose their presidential nominee to face Democratic incumbent Joe Biden in November’s election.

The former president has vowed to appeal. He could potentially face a maximum of four years in prison for each or any of the 34 counts.

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