The lawyer told the BBC that nothing would change the fight at the White House

One of Donald Trump’s lawyers told the BBC that “nothing will change” his fight for the White House – despite being convicted after a historic trial in New York.

A jury on Thursday found Trump guilty of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to former porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election campaign.

Mr. Trump became the first US president to be convicted but he said the trial was rigged and the prosecution was politically arranged.

Alina Habba told Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday that the former president was “the victim of selective, political prosecution.”

After a seven-week trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Mr. Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Mr. Trump will be sentenced on July 11. However, he affirmed that he will appeal his criminal sentence.

Ms. Habba, 40 years old, sat next to Mr. Trump during the trial and said that even if imprisoned, Mr. Trump would still run for president of the United States in November.

“We have seen some corruption in this country that frankly has never been seen before in our justice system,” Ms. Habba told Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday.

“It’s very real, it’s not fake, it’s 100% an issue that this country is going to have to deal with and grapple with in November.

“He’s running for president, nothing will change there.

“The people need him in this country, because frankly, it’s more important than anything anyone else thinks.

“Our people are speaking up, they are donating, they are small donors and they are standing up because they are afraid, because we cannot let this happen to us.”

In a speech at Trump Tower in New York on Friday, Mr. Trump spoke for more than 30 minutes and angrily attacked his political opponents, the jury and the judge in his case.

He called Judge Juan Mercan, who presided over his trial, a “tyrant” and claimed that he literally “crucified” witnesses.

In response, President Joe Biden’s campaign described Mr. Trump as insane and thirsty for revenge.

“That’s how America’s justice system works,” Mr. Biden said, adding that anyone who did that was “reckless” and “irresponsible.” claim that the trial was rigged.

Mr Trump’s unprecedented conviction has deeply divided the US ahead of the November election.

Prosecutors successfully exposed the case. Mr. Trump feared Ms. Daniels would seriously damage his 2016 presidential campaign by publicly accusing him of having sex, causing him to pay for it. Mrs. – then illegally concealed the transaction.

Mr. Trump denies these accusations.

Ms Daniels herself gave evidence. In another development since her conviction, her lawyer told ABC News that Ms. Daniels wore a bulletproof vest when she went to court in New York.

“It was brutal and threatening and so I think just from a fear standpoint of what someone might do,” Clark Brewster said of the atmosphere for Ms. Daniels.

“It’s really fear.”

In exclusive comments for Daily mirrorMs. Daniels said Mr. Trump should be jailed or used as a “volunteer punching bag at a women’s shelter.”

“It’s not over for me. It will never be over for me,” she told the newspaper.

“Trump may be guilty, but I still have to live with the legacy.”

Earlier, Ms. Daniels’ husband, Barrett Blade, told CNN that she felt “a little bit vindicated.”

Mr Blade added that although the trial ended and brought some relief, the tension was not over.

“It puts a different burden on her in terms of what happens next,” Mr. Blade said.

“We take it day by day.”

Also on Saturday, the Trump campaign sent a text message to supporters – one of more than a dozen sent since the ruling – that read in part: “ They want me behind bars. They want me DEAD.”

Some of his most ardent supporters, such as former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, have alleged without evidence that there was a secret plot to assassinate Mr. Trump.

Others have made a less conspiracy argument – pointing out the maximum penalty Mr Trump faces, four years on each of the 34 counts, means he will spend the rest of his life in prison life.

Mr. Trump alluded to this in his most recent fundraising message, saying his enemies were “trying to imprison me for life as an innocent man.”

However, legal experts agree that Mr. Trump would not receive anywhere near the maximum sentence and would be sentenced to a much shorter prison term, if he was sentenced to prison.

Additional reporting by Mike Wendling.

The full interview with Alina Habba will be broadcast on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 09:00 BST on Sunday 2 June.