"Rigged trial," "very unfair" verdict, the judge called a "tyrant" and Joe Biden "the dumbest president we've ever had" in an America that has become a "fascist state." The day after the unanimous and historic decision by the Manhattan Criminal Court jury, finding him guilty of falsifying business records, Donald Trump delivered a long, rambling and often incoherent monologue on Friday, May 31.

There was no genuine press conference at the Trump Tower, contrary to the promise made in the invitation. The Republican candidate has surely had enough of adversarial debates after six weeks of hearings. In front of the news channels' indulgent and fascinated cameras, he preferred to revisit the trial in his own way: outrageous and riddled with lies.

One of his favorite targets was Judge Juan Merchan. After presiding over the hearing with a skillful blend of authority and flexibility, Merchan will pronounce the former president's sentence on July 11. Theoretically, it could involve imprisonment time, either suspended or not.

Immediately, and more bluntly than ever, Trump singled out the judge as a target for his supporters' vindictiveness, fueling questions about the safety of everyone involved, from Merchan to the prosecution team to the 12 jurors, whose anonymity has been preserved. According to Trump, the defense witnesses during the trial – only two, compared to 20 for the prosecution – "were literally crucified by this man who looks like an angel but he’s really a devil."

For a long time, Trump had claimed that he wanted to testify in his own defense. His lawyers wisely convinced him otherwise, since he could have incriminated himself on the stand. In the strict context of a criminal trial, the liberties he constantly takes with the facts and the truth could have backfired. Yet on Friday, the billionaire repeated that he would have loved to come forward and speak out, without making it clear why he hadn't done so.

In long digressions, the Republican candidate criticized certain aspects of the proceedings, such as the gag order imposed on him. "This can't be allowed to happen to other presidents," he said of the verdict. The case is "bigger than Trump, this is bigger than me, this is bigger than my presidency," he added.

The candidate confirmed that he and his lawyers would be appealing the verdict on "many different things." But the heart of his message involved presenting himself as a sacrificial victim and making an appointment with voters for "the most important day in the history of our country," November 5.

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