Trump was convicted of 34 crimes in the courtroom.

As the courtroom awaited the verdict in the hush money trial against former president Donald Trump, he seemed to be in a surprisingly relaxed state. This was a significant moment in history, as a guilty verdict had never before been delivered against a US president. Despite the gravity of the situation, Trump was seen smiling and laughing with his attorney, Todd Blanche, as they waited for Judge Juan Merchan to announce that the jury was being sent home for the day.

With all parties present, the judge returned to the bench at 4:13pm, informing them that the jury would be dismissed in approximately 15 minutes. As Merchan exited the courtroom, Trump, his lawyers, and the prosecutors remained behind, waiting for the end of the day. However, everything suddenly changed when the judge re-entered at 4:36pm with a surprising note: the jury had reached a verdict.

The jury needed 30 minutes to complete their paperwork, leaving Trump and the attorneys sitting in the courtroom until the judge and jury returned. During this time, they mostly sat in silence, occasionally engaging in small talk. As the judge returned to the bench, he warned everyone against any emotional or disruptive reactions before the jury entered.

The six alternates were the first to enter and sit behind the prosecutors in the gallery. Then, the 12 jurors took their seats in the jury box. The clerk proceeded to ask the jury foreman about each of the 34 counts, to which he answered "guilty" 34 times. As the verdict was read, the attorneys remained silent and serious, while the only sound in the filled press gallery was that of feverish typing.

Initially, reporters were unable to see Trump's facial reaction as the courthouse had turned off the video screen while the foreman read most of the verdict. It was only towards the end that the video was turned back on, allowing reporters to see Trump's stone-faced and frowning expression. Even as the jurors were polled one-by-one to confirm their verdict, Trump remained stoic and turned to look at them as they walked past the defense to exit the courtroom.

All 12 jurors maintained serious expressions as they confirmed their verdict, answering "yes" or "yes it is." As they left, none of them appeared to look in Trump's direction. As Trump himself walked out of the courtroom, his face was red and his frown evident. His son Eric, who was the only apparent supporting guest aside from Trump's son, shook his hand and patted him on the back in an emotional exchange.

It was a tense and serious moment for all present in the courtroom, as the fate of a former president was being decided. And even though Trump maintained a calm demeanor throughout, his true emotions could be seen in the tight grip and pat on the back from his son. As he left with his entourage and advisors, only Steve Witkoff was seen accompanying him.

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