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Donald Trump has thanked Boris Johnson for defending him in the wake of his hush money conviction.
The former president, who last week became the first to be convicted of felony crimes, shared a column by the ex-prime minister calling the trial “a machine-gun mob-style hit-job on Trump”.
“Thank you Boris Johnson!” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In his Daily Mail article, Mr Johnson said a second term in the White House for Mr Trump was “more likely, not less” as a result of the conviction.
A New York jury found Mr Trump guilty of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who said the two had sex.
Mr Trump insisted he was a “very innocent man” and claimed without evidence the trial was “rigged”.
And, jumping to his defence, Mr Johnson wrote: “The American people have looked at this case, and in spite of all the portentous claims about its HISTORIC importance, they have concluded that it was, by and large, a load of stunted-up old nonsense.
“The vast mass of American voters could see what I believe was really happening: that the liberal elites were just appalled at Trump’s continuing popularity and his ability to connect with voters – and they were using anything they could find to derail his campaign.
“If you look dispassionately at his time in office, both on the domestic and international front, it was far more successful than his Left-wing critics allow. They should not be using legal tricks like this to prevent him from receiving the judgement that really matters – the verdict of the people.
“By pursuing these cases, they have helped to make his victory more likely, not less.”
Mr Johnson’s successor Rishi Sunak refused to comment on the ex-president’s conviction last week when asked by reporters.
“You wouldn’t expect me to comment on another country’s domestic politics or judicial processes,” the prime minister said.
His rival Sir Keir Starmer said the guilty verdict was an “unprecedented situation” but promised to “work with whoever is elected president”.
Mr Trump intends to appeal the convictions.
Several of Mr Sunak’s Conservative MPs have backed Mr Trump to return to the White House, including former minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Sir Jacob said Mr Trump is “better disposed” towards the United Kingdom and that he would rather have the Republican candidate than President Biden.
Former prime minister Liz Truss claimed the “world was safer” when Mr Trump was in the White House.
