This Morning got a bit tense today when a guest accused Dermot O’Leary of ‘putting him on the spot’ while they were discussing convicted criminal, Donald Trump.

In a monumental decision, the former US president, 77, was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his historic criminal trial in New York on Thursday. Dermot and Alison were discussing the jury’s damning verdict with journalists Gyles Brandreth and Tom Swarbrick. However, when Dermot suggested there was a three-strikes law in the US, suggesting you “get life” if you’re in prison three times, Tom looked perplexed.

Discussing the possibility of Trump being behind bars, dad-of-one Dermot asked: “Doesn’t America have that three strikes and out policy… so if you’re in prison three times, you get life?”

Tom Swarbrick he told Dermot O’Leary he felt ‘put on this spot’ on This Morning ( 

Image:

ITV)

Hesitating, Tom said: “I don’t know about that.” Responding, Dermot said: “Like I said, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot there” to which Tom replied: “I feel put on the spot now.”

Quickly composing himself, he said: “I think you’d have to do something very, very serious. On the grand scale of all seriousness, this is not on the more serious end.” Gyles, who was sporting a Donald Duck jumper, stepped in among the awkwardness, clarifying: “You would not normally be sent to prison for this sort of offence.”

After Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records to commit election fraud, a string of celebrities have thrown their support behind him.

The former US president is set to be sentenced on 11 July – just days before the start of the Republican National Convention on 15 July where Trump is expected to be formally nominated for president again.

After being found guilty, The Apprentice star could face a maximum sentence of four years in prison. However, others who have previously been convicted of the same crime have more often than not received shorter sentences or probation.

Following the verdict, Trump defended himself outside the court as he insisted the conviction was a “disgrace” due to him being “a very innocent man”. Trump also said the trial was “rigged” and that the judge was “conflicted” and “should never have been allowed to try this case”. “This is long from over,” he added.

Following his conviction, Piers Morgan was one of the first celebrities to defend Trump. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the TalkTV host typed: “This is a sad, shameful and ridiculous day for America. To drag a former President, who is running for President again, through criminal courts over something so trivial feels a massive overreach & an incredibly divisive and obviously politically partisan action.”

In another tweet, he added: “Trump’s donation websites are crashing… my guess is this verdict will propel him back into the White House.”

Elsewhere, Caitlyn Jenner echoed: “An outrageous day for America. The entire process has been outrageous, of course. Shame on the state of New York.”