Melania Trump jets to New York with Barron to comfort Donald after guilty verdict

Melania Trump has arrived in New York City along with her son Barron and the pair are comforting husband Donald following his guilty hush money trial verdict.

The former first lady and her son were already in New York when the verdict was read earlier on Thursday, CNN reported. It was not immediately clear exactly when the pair arrived.

Melania was notably absent from Trump's criminal trial this month, despite several other family members showing up to give their support.

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She also did not attend a fundraiser dinner with Trump at a private residence on Thursday night in New York City.

Melania had for months not appeared at her husband’s campaign events, notably being absent at his victory party on Super Tuesday.

But Melania and Barron are now in New York to seemingly provide comfort to Trump, who has called the guilty verdict in his criminal hush money trial a "disgrace."

In comments to reporters following his conviction, Trump said: "This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people. They know what happened, and everyone knows what happened here.”

The presumptive GOP nominee became the first former US president to be convicted of felony crimes Thursday after the jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex.

Judge Juan M. Merchan set sentencing for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where GOP leaders, who remained resolute in their support in the aftermath of the verdict, are expected to formally make him their nominee.

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Trump is expected to appeal the verdict and will face an awkward dynamic as he returns to the campaign trail tagged with convictions. There are no campaign rallies on the calendar for now, though he traveled Thursday evening to a fundraiser in Manhattan that was planned before the verdict, according to three people familiar with his plans who were note authorized to speak publicly.

He’s expected to appear Friday at Trump Tower and will continue fundraising next week. His campaign was already moving quickly to raise money off the verdict, issuing a pitch that called him a “political prisoner.”

The falsifying business records charges carry up to four years behind bars, though Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg would not say Thursday whether prosecutors intend to seek imprisonment, and it is not clear whether the judge — who earlier in the trial warned of jail time for gag order violations — would impose that punishment even if asked.

The conviction, and threat of imprisonment, will not bar Trump from continuing his White House pursuit.