>> we will wait to see. and as you suggest, i certainly believe that is the case. judge juan marchand certainly will be likely coming up with whatever decision he comes up with, mostly on his own. and he's had some time to think about this. certainly the potential that he would have to come up with a sentence for a former president of the united states who lay today was found guilty on 34 felony counts in a new york courtroom. again, the former president donald trump back at trump tower tonight deciding what his next move will be as he continues in this race for president. world news tonight begins right now. >> this has been a special report >> announcer: from abc news world headquarters in new york, this is "world news tonight" with david muir.

>> david: good evening, again, everyone. for those who have been joining us for our abc newslive coverage we now join the entire nation with "world news tonight" on this thursday night, a special edition here as we begin with the breaking news, a stunning moment in american history, donald trump, the former president of the united states, found guilty on 34 felony counts, the first former president of the united states convicted on criminal charges. the dramatic turn of the courtroom, the judge signaling he would excuse the jurors for the day. you could see the former president actually joking with his attorney at that point and then jurors telling the judge that they had, in fact, reached a verdict. whiplash in the courtroom. a sudden change in temperature when the former president realized he was about to learn his fate. they deliberated nearly ten hours over the course of two days. short time ago, donald trump returning to trump tower right here on fifth avenue in manhattan after his conviction pumping his fists, waving at the cheering crowd. back in court, the former president sitting stone-faced as each of the charges was read one

by one guilty on all 34 counts and the former president shaking his head at finals reacting immediately coming before the cameras calling the trial "rigged, disgraceful," saying "real verdict will be november 5th by the people. i short time later we witnessed as we were carrying this live the former president seen leaving the courthouse getting into an suv, the secret service there gathered to drive back to trump tower. he will return to the courthouse on july 11th to be sentenced by judge juan merchan just days before the republican national convention, in fact, sentencing four days before the rnc meets. our chief legal analyst dan abrams at the desk on what it means, the law, the decision, this moment in history and our correspondents with reaction, mary bruce at the white house tonight. rachel scott on capitol hill with reaction from republicans. what this does in the race for president. but first the dramatic scene that played out late today from

aaron katersky leading us off at the courthouse. >> reporter: tonight, former president donald trump defiant arriving home at trump tower after being found guilty of all 34 charges. trump now a convicted felon. the historic verdict coming after nearly ten hours of deliberations, a unanimous jury of 12 new yorkers made trump the first president in history to be a convicted criminal. it was an extraordinary turn in the courtroom. just moments before jurors signaled they had reached a verdict, judge juan merchan indicated he was going to excuse them for the day. then, a dramatic shift, trump went from joking with his attorneys to sitting stone-faced looking down as the jury read the verdict count by count. prosecutors proving trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 hush payment to porn actress stormy daniels to keep her story from voters before the 2016 election. >> mr. president, how do you

feel? >> reporter: the former president then marching out of the courtroom with his lawyer, todd blanche, by his side. >> this was a rigged, disgraceful trial. the real verdict is going to be november 5th by the people. >> reporter: outside court -- >> guilty! >> yes! >> reporter: -- cheers could be heard in the crowd as news of his conviction spread. >> guilty! >> reporter: the trial lasting seven weeks, 22 witnesses taking the stand including trump's former fixer and lawyer, michael cohen, who trump's defense team called the greatest liar of all time. cohen late today releasing a statement saying, "today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law. while it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters." and stormy daniels in a statement tonight saying, no man is above the law. trump seen leaving the courtroom late today, getting into his suv surrounded by security. judge juan merchan

thanked the jury for their handling of a "very stressful and difficult task," saying "you are excused with the gratitude of the court." court dismissed. the sentencing date set for donald trump, july 11th, just four days before the republican national convention. >> all right, so let's get to aaron katersky, our chief investigative correspondent live outside the courthouse again tonight and, aaron, as we were on the air you reported on this extraordinary shift in temperature in that courtroom. judge juan merchan at first indicated that jurors would be going home for the day, that this would sort of bleed into a third day of deliberations, which ostensibly would be a good sign for the defense team and the president that they had not come to a unanimous decision here. suddenly the judge then getting a note from the jury that they had reached their verdict. can you describe the shift in tone, the sort of whiplash in that courtroom and certainly what that must have been like for the defense table? >> it was really incredible to watch. former president trump joking with his defense attorney todd

blanche at one point, the defense attorney keeled over and laughing nearly hitting his head on the defense table he was laughing so hard, prosecutors too sharing pleasantries, laughing with one another and when the judge returned to the bench saying we're not going home because the jury has reached a verdict, the mood in the room instantly shifted. everything became much more rigid. court officers flowed into the room. there was not a sound from the crowd until the jury walked in and rendered its historic verdict, david. >> david: aaron katersky leading us off tonight, aaron, our thanks to you as always. i want to bring in chief legal analyst dan abrams. you and i were talking. two days of deliberations and know the judge instructed this jury to make sure you cannot come up with a verdict here, guilty or not guilty based solely on the testimony of michael cohen. you must look at the totality of the evidence. there must be corroborating evidence. they asked about david pecker's testimony from "the national enchoir ir"to be reread along with other things and came up with their decision, their

unanimous verdict, guilty on all 34 counts at the end of day two. what did that signal to you? >> that they clearly believed the corroborating evidence, right? it's can't just be about michael cohen. so it means that when they were asking to have that testimony reread of david pecker, they wanted to be reminded what exactly did he say? in particular about how this scheme started, cording to the prosecutors this starts in 2015, not in 2016. that's when the effort begins in a meeting with david pecker. michael cohen and donald trump discussing how to find potentially negative stories about donald trump and make sure that they don't see the light of day. prosecutors made it clear in their closing arguments that that was the beginning of this, when they asked to have that read back, that meant at the least they were following the prosecutor's road map. >> david: a couple of quick follow-up questions from a legal perspective being a convicted felon means nothing in the race for president. he moves forward.

>> correct. he can run for president no question and he can even vote based on the fact that he is a florida resident, florida law says they defer back to the state where it happened. that would mean new york and in new york the only way you can't vote if you're actually serving time as a felon. >> david: i think about the viewers at home on this. we know judge juan merchan is planning a sentencing at this point for july 11th, i believe, which is four days before the republican national convention. i know lehman observers including you do 23409 believe any time behind bars is likely here, but what is the scope of what we could see? >> anything from no time to up to four years. and even if it's no time, the question becomes are there nuances, right? could it be home confinement? could it be poe base? could there be community service? so the judge has enormous discretion but most believe because it's a low-level felony testimony be on the low end.

>> david: we will witness a convicted felon sentenced by a judge to, you know, as you say potentially home confinement or community service or whatever the judge decides, and that person is still running for president. >> right, and, remember, it doesn't mean he's actually serving the sentence immediately after the sentencing. they could actually delay that as they appeal it and potentially not have to serve the sentence until after the election. >> david: dan, thank you. to olivia rubin who has been in the courtroom and also in the overflow room as we know in new york. no cameras in court and relied on olivia and our team inside the courthouse every single day able to watch themselves as this plays out and olivia you were on the air with me earlier. i thought that dynamic that you described of jurors walking into that room was extraordinary. we'll have to find out in the days and weeks to come if this was something they talked about, whether the foreperson or perhaps the two attorneys who were members of the jury said this is the way we'll present

ourselves but you described them walking in almost single file bringing no drama. no emotion, their heads down, very little interaction or even looking at the former president. >> reporter: exactly and donald trump, david, as well, stone-faced and motionless as we have seen for so much of this trial. hardly any reaction from him. almost detached from the proceedings with the occasional head nod and, of course, after this was all over, what we saw every single day, the jury getting up and filing out of the courtroom in that single file line, just inches away from the former president after they had just delivered his fate in their hands and many of them looking down. donald trump watching many of them looking at the floor. >> david: our team reporting here that as the counts were read, you know, count one guilty, count two, guilty and down the list, that donald trump's reaction at one point he began to shake his head but simply stopped as the number of guilty investors rendered on

multiple counts here continued to grow. >> reporter: it appeared at count 4 is when he shook his head. it is the reaction we have seen from donald trump so many times then, of course, before he left the courtroom, david, donald trump standing and adjusting his jacket, looking nervously around the room and making his way out for the last time, david. >> david: olivia, thank you. let's get right to our washington correspondent jonathan karl tonight. jon, the race for president, folks at home, we have seen this in the polling have said overwhelmingly that they did not want a joe biden/donald trump matchup. it is what the country is staring down as we head toward election day and the polls show it is a one or two-point race. in many of the key battleground states trump ahead of biden and pollsters will ask right away, does this conviction change any of the minds of those who have said they would vote for donald trump? >> reporter: david, pollsters have been asking this question

hypothetically saying, if donald trump were to be convicted of a crime, if he were to be convicted of a felony, would that change your support for him and the overwhelming majority of trump supporters have said no but there have been on average in polls including an abc news poll just a month ago, 20% of voters who say they would support donald trump and say at least reconsider their support for donald trump if he were to be convicted for a felony, if that holds, that could be dever stating to his presidential campaign, again, given how close this is but will it hold? i mean, we just don't know, david. it's important to remember trump is now -- he was indicted on four different venues, two federal, one state, now this one in new york and each of those indictments actually only helped his campaign. he actually only improved after being indicted. so we'll see what happens now

that an indictment has led to a conviction. >> david: jon karl with us as well. thank you. i want to bring in john santucci who covered him for many years. it's my understanding eric trump was in the courtroom today. other children have been in the courtroom along the way but noticeably absent, melania trump and ivanka trump. >> reporter: interesting. eric has been by his father's side for much of this case, many of the other cases but, of course, his brother donald trump jr. had been there earlier in the week. ivanka and melania have not been present at any of his court cases or any of his campaign events for this cycle so far. david, tonight i can tell you within the trump family and inner circle surprising two ways, surprised at how quick this verdict came down but not a lot of surprise, david, in what the verdict ultimately was. >> david: at least at the outset they know there is a positive. they have reported that their site has crashed when it comes to fund-raising but then the

reality in the weeks to come they have to run with the former president now a convicted felon. >> reporter: david, actually just moments ago my colleague learning donald trump tonight is actually participating in a fund-raiser here in new york so continuing that push, david. >> john, thank you. right to mary bruce. mary, you were on the air with me earlier and reported in realtime as it was coming to your iphone, reaction from the biden campaign. we witnessed and you have reported many nights here the president seldomly actually even pointing out that donald trump was in the middle of this criminal trial other than to sort of needle the trump campaign saying the former president is busy, i hear. in so many words, i paraphrase. does that tactic change moving forward. >> reporter: well, david, we still have not heard directly from the president himself. but his campaign says it shows no one is above the law. this verdict is a political gift to democrats and the president but his campaign is being careful not to celebrate this too much.

they don't want to be seen as feeding into trump's narrative that this was all something of a political hit job. that's something the president adamantly rejects but in a muted statement they say today's verdict does not change the fact that there is still only one way to keep donald trump out of the oval office, at the ballot box saying convicted felon or not trump will be the republican nominee for president, david. >> all right, mary bruce with us at the white house, mary, thank you. let's bring in rachel scott because, rachel, reaction came in very swiftly from republicans on the hill. republican leaders across this country, they are united behind donald trump. >> reporter: united behind the former president after this verdict today. the speaker of the house, mike johnson calling today a shameful day calling this a political exercise not a legal one. johnson, of course, 1 of 37 republican officials that visited that manhattan courthouse to show their support for the former president, even trump's former rivals including florida governor ron desantis who once said trump's indictment sucked the oxygen out of the

republican primary tonight blasting the verdict. the bottom line, david, this is a republican party that has only grown more closer to donald trump even after today's guilty verdict. >> rachel scott in washington, thank you. we have just learned that the new york city district attorney alvin bragg is going to address the cameras just moments from now. reaction coming in from downtown manhattan where the courthouse is. we'll take you live for a moment. historic reversal from the white house. the biden administration giving ukraine permission to strike inside russia with american made weapons for the first time. let's turn to martha raddatz for late reporting. >> reporter: tonight with the russian assault on ukraine's second largest city kharkiv intensifying, the biden administration has made a major rehearsal allowing u.s. supplied weapons to be fired inside russia.

for years, the administration balked at the idea, fearing a strike on russia itself with u.s.-made weapons could draw the u.s. into direct conflict with russia. u.s. officials insisting tonight the u.s. weapons will be used only to strike russian military sies that are being used to launch weapons into kharkiv. more than a dozen other western countries have also approved weapons being used inside russia. but vladimir putin already with threatening response, calling it an escalation, "another step towards a serious conflict in europe and around the globe." it will be the pentagon that will coordinate exactly whether weapons can strike inside russia but, david, there is no question this is a big change. david. >> david: martha raddatz reporting from washington. martha, thank you. we have learned alvin bragg, the d.a. in new york addressing cameras and we'll pause here so that the entire network can join us, stay tuned.

special report. now reporting. david muir. >> good evening again everyone. i'm david muir in new york. for those of you here in the east already watching world news tonight, we now join the rest of the country as we listen in on alvin bragg, the manhattan district attorney. of course, prosecutors winning their case against the former president of the united states late today, getting guilty verdicts on all 34 felony counts. let's listen to alvin bragg. good evening, first and foremost, i want to thank the jury for its service, jurors perform a fundamental civic duty. their service is literally the cornerstone of our judicial system. we should all be thankful for the careful attention, that this jury paid to the evidence and the law and their time and commitment over these past several weeks, 12

everyday new yorkers and, of course, our alternates, her testimony from 22 witnesses, including former and current employees of the defendant, media executives, book publishers, custodians of records and others. they reviewed call logs, texts, messages and emails. they heard recordings. they saw checks and invoices, bank statements and calendar appointments. this type of white collar prosecution is core to what we do at the manhattan district attorney's office. in the 1930s, district attorney thomas dewey ushered in the era of the modern independent professional prosecutor. we're now nearly years dedicated professionals in this office have built upon that

fine tradition. a major part of our practice during that nearly 90 years has been public integrity work, including cases involving jurists, local and state electeds, public servants and others. i want to phenomenal prosecution team, embodying the finest traditions of this office, alvin bragg thanking the team behind him. >> the prosecutors who won this case, but primarily opening by thanking the 12 everyday new yorkers, in his words, who served in this case, alvin bragg here in new york. for those of you watching world news, we'll have more on this harrowing scene in new york city and machete attack in times square that's coming up in a moment. and for the rest of the country, we'll see you a little later for world news as. this has been a special report from abc news

news. a har rowing scene in new york city. a man was attacked by a machete in the heart of times square. the victim was stabbed in the legs at 45th street and broadway, an area packed with tourists, at least three people have been detained. police believe it began as a dispute between vendors selling items on the street. tonight the cdc confirming a third human case of bird flu here in the u.s. the second case in michigan.

health officials say all three cases involve dairy farm workers exposed to infected cows. the latest has symptoms of respiratory illness, none of the cases are directly linked. the cdc says there is no everyday of the virus spreading from person to person. we're also tracking storms. severe weather returning to hard-hit parts of texas. most of the state at risk for possible tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail. the threat stretching east tomorrow from san antonio to memphis. up to six inches of rain possible in some of those areas, parts of texas just can't get a break. we'll be back with an update on the news of this day in a moment. (vo) you might be used to living with your albuterol asthma rescue inhaler, but it's a bit of a dinosaur, because it only treats your symptoms, not inflammation. treating both symptoms and inflammation with rescue is supported by asthma experts. finally, there's a modern way to treat symptoms and asthma attacks. airsupra is the first ever dual-action rescue inhaler

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will now campaign for president in this country as a convicted felon found guilty late today on all 34 felony counts here in new york after two days of dmrib rations there was a moment today when they thought the jury would go home. the judge then informing donald trump and his defense attorneys that a verdict had been reached. the temperature suddenly changing in that courtroom. a jury of 12, 7 men and 5 women, the jury agreeing upon -- agreed upon by the prosecution and the defense. we have learned tonight that trump's sentencing is now set for july 11th, just four days before he accepts the prs presidential nomination at the republican national con vejs. i'm david muir here in new york. thank you for joining us. i'll see you here tomorrow night.

accounts. this jury in new york city. a jury of his peers finding the former president guilty on every single felony count brought against him by the manhattan district attorney's office. >> this was a rigged, disgraceful trial that the real verdict is going to be november

fifth by the people. >> president trump calling this a rigged trial immediately after hearing the verdict. guilty on all 34 counts in the new york hush money trial. good afternoon. thanks for joining us. >> i'm larry beil and i'm julian glover. we begin our coverage today with the very latest happening in new york. here's abc news reporter reena roy. >> former president donald trump found guilty. jurors delivering the verdict on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the hush money payment to adult film actress stormy daniels. trump reacting to the verdict. >> this was a disgrace. this was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt. but the real verdict is going to be november 5th by the people and they know what happened here. and everybody knows what happened here. >> last year, trump pleaded not guilty to the felony charges brought by manhattan district attorney alvin bragg. >> while this defendant may be unlike any other in american history. >>