Don moanin'

Rambling Trump slams judge, Biden and immigration | Tired ex-president whinges he was hit by 'nasty gag order'

- CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

DONALD Trump moaned about his porn star hush money conviction yesterday and claimed “we are losing our country” to immigrants.

The former president, 77, gave a rambling 33-minute speech from Trump Tower as his supporters many of whom are aligned with the far right called for violence after he was found guilty of falsifying business records.

Trump, who could face up to four years in prison, has called the trial "rigged" and said he will appeal.

From a lectern at his New York skyscraper, Trump began speaking first about immigration before blasting trial judge Juan Merchan, then President Joe Biden and back to migration.

Mr Biden responded that Trump was found guilty by a unanimous jury and "it's reckless, it's dangerous, it's irresponsible for anyone to say this is rigged just because they don't like the verdict". Trump said of Judge Merchan: "As far as the trial itself, it was very unfair.

"We weren't allowed to use our election expert. You saw what happened to some witnesses on our side, they were literally crucified by this man. He looks like an angel, but he's really a devil.

"There's never been a more conflicted judge. I'm under a gag order, nasty gag order, where I've had to pay thousands of dollars in penalties."

Discussing his conviction, he added: "Falsifying business records, that sounds so bad. That's a bad thing for me, I've never had that before."

Trump, who looked tired, claimed the payment he made to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen was not criminal and was documented as a legal expense.

A bookkeeper "correctly marked it down in the books", he said, but "without any knowledge from me".