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“Before 12 New Yorkers branded Donald Trump a felon, a very different kind of jury — one assembled at the sumptuous Pierre hotel on Fifth Avenue — had reached a verdict of its own,” Bloomberg reports. “Even if the courtroom jury found him guilty as charged, the wealthy Wall Streeters at the Pierre concluded, he’d still be their choice for the White House.” Daily Beast: Elon Musk is absolutely raging about Trump verdict.

Wall Street Journal: “The former reality-television star’s 2016 victory may have upended politics for good. Trump overcame numerous obstacles to win, including allegations of sexual impropriety by numerous women. He lost in 2020 as the pandemic ravaged the country, and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U. S. Capitol was thought by many to be the start of the end for Trump.

“We’ve entered new political and legal territory as a nation. Donald Trump will now force every GOP candidate to trash our judicial system.” — Presidential historian Tim Naftali, on X.

“A profound sense of rage — and an insatiable thirst for revenge — is permeating virtually every corner of the Republican Party in the wake of former President Trump’s historic conviction,” Axios reports. “No one knows how the verdict will affect the outcome of the election. But the immediate impact is undeniable: America’s political fabric has been fundamentally altered.” Said Texas attorney general Ken Paxton (R): “This is a battle of good versus evil.” Said Tucker Carlson: “This won’t stop Trump.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) blasted Donald Trump’s conviction in his New York hush money case, predicting Trump will successfully appeal the “absurd” verdict, The Hill reports. Said Johnson: “Today is a shameful day in American history.” He added: “The American people rightfully see this is lawfare, and they know it is — and dangerous.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who has steadfastly refused to comment about the presidential race or his long-running feud with Donald Trump, came to Trump’s defense Thursday night, The Hill reports. Said McConnell: “These charges never should have been brought in the first place. I expect the conviction to be overturned on appeal.”