NEW YORK >> Donald Trump sought to turn the enormous public interest in his criminal conviction to his advantage today, taking over the gilded lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan to deliver a rambling 33-minute speech laden with baseless attacks on the prosecution team and the presiding judge and other falsehoods and misleading claims, while boasting about receiving a windfall in campaign contributions. He also said he would appeal the conviction.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee and the first person who has served as commander-in-chief to become a convicted felon, derided the trial as “rigged,” made numerous false statements about what had taken place in court and called the judge “a devil.” The speech came one day after he was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened to derail his 2016 presidential campaign.

President Joe Biden said a few hours later that Trump’s remarks were reckless, dangerous and irresponsible. Trump, who did not testify in the trial, had been “given every opportunity to defend himself,” Biden said.

“Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, and it literally is the cornerstone of America,” Biden said at the White House. “The justice system should be respected.”

Trump’s sentencing is set for July 11. He faces probation or up to four years in prison.

Here is what else to know:

— At Trump Tower today, Trump continued to attack people who testified against him in the seven-week trial, specifically his former fixer, Michael Cohen, the star witness for the prosecution. He also admitted that he had gotten “very upset” with his lawyers.

— The guilty verdict gave Biden’s campaign a fresh way to frame the 2024 election: a stark choice between someone who is a felon and someone who is not. The verdict is likely to focus attention on Trump in a way that Biden’s supporters have long hoped it would.

— Though Trump has promised to appeal, any such effort will take time, and New York’s appellate system could take years to dispose of the case.

— Despite his felony conviction, Trump can still run for president. The Constitution sets very few eligibility requirements, and there are no limitations based on character or criminal record. If elected, Trump could not pardon himself because presidential pardon power does not extend to state cases.

— Trump’s campaign said it had raised $34.8 million after the verdict, shattering online records for Republicans. That money will help him close the gap with Biden, who has so far held the financial advantage.

— Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg risked his reputation by indicting Trump in a case that some prominent Democrats said wasn’t strong enough to have brought against a former president. Instead, Bragg cemented his place in history as the first prosecutor to convict a former president.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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