Trump Reacts to Unconditional Discharge
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President-elect Trump criticized Judge Juan Merchan’s sentence of an unconditional discharge, which means no penalty but keeps his conviction in his legal record.
“ That result alone proves that, as all Legal Scholars and Experts have said, THERE IS NO CASE, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE, and this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED,” he posted on Truth Social on Friday.
Trump said he will appeal the conviction.
“ That result alone proves that, as all Legal Scholars and Experts have said, THERE IS NO CASE, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE, and this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED,” he posted on Truth Social on Friday.
Trump said he will appeal the conviction.
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Trump Given an Unconditional Discharge
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Judge Juan Merchan said he’ll give President-elect Trump an unconditional discharge. This means that no penalty is issued other than a conviction being entered on Trump’s legal record.
The sentencing formalizes Trump’s felony conviction.
Trump is expected to appeal the conviction.
The sentencing formalizes Trump’s felony conviction.
Trump is expected to appeal the conviction.
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Judge Merchan Speaks From the Bench
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After President-elect Donald Trump defended his innocence, Judge Juan Merchan began speaking from the bench.
Merchan said a judge must consider a case’s facts and any mitigating or aggravating circumstances.
“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” he said.
Merchan said a judge must consider a case’s facts and any mitigating or aggravating circumstances.
“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” he said.
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Trump Calls Case ‘An Embarrassment’
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President-elect Donald Trump said during his sentencing for the falsification of business records that the case was “an embarrassment” to New York.
“I got indicted over calling a legal expense a legal expense,” Trump told the New York court on Friday.
“I just want to say I think it’s an embarrassment to New York, and New York has a lot of problems, but this is a great embarrassment.”
Trump noted that he did not personally record the hush money payments in his books as that task was performed by his accountants.
He also contended that labeling them as legal expenses was appropriate given that they were reimbursements for a service performed by his attorney.
“I didn’t call them construction, concrete work. I didn’t call them electrical work. I didn’t call them—they called a legal fee, or a legal expense, a legal expense.”
The president-elect added that he felt the case qualified as a weaponization of justice and that he had been treated “very, very unfairly.”
“I got indicted over calling a legal expense a legal expense,” Trump told the New York court on Friday.
“I just want to say I think it’s an embarrassment to New York, and New York has a lot of problems, but this is a great embarrassment.”
Trump noted that he did not personally record the hush money payments in his books as that task was performed by his accountants.
He also contended that labeling them as legal expenses was appropriate given that they were reimbursements for a service performed by his attorney.
“I didn’t call them construction, concrete work. I didn’t call them electrical work. I didn’t call them—they called a legal fee, or a legal expense, a legal expense.”
The president-elect added that he felt the case qualified as a weaponization of justice and that he had been treated “very, very unfairly.”
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Trump Speaks
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After President-elect Donald Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, rebutted the prosecution, Trump spoke virtually via Teams.
“This has been a very terrible experience. I think it has been a tremendous setback for New York and the New York court system,” Trump said.
The president-elect called the case a “political witch hunt.”
“It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and obviously, that didn’t work,” he added.
Trump suggested that voters witnessed what happened in the courtroom and threw their support behind him because they thought it was a “disgrace.”
“I’m totally innocent. I did nothing wrong,” he said.
“This has been a very terrible experience. I think it has been a tremendous setback for New York and the New York court system,” Trump said.
The president-elect called the case a “political witch hunt.”
“It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and obviously, that didn’t work,” he added.
Trump suggested that voters witnessed what happened in the courtroom and threw their support behind him because they thought it was a “disgrace.”
“I’m totally innocent. I did nothing wrong,” he said.
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Trump Lawyer Disagrees With Prosecution
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Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, who will be nominated to be the president-elect’s deputy attorney general, contests the prosecution’s remarks regarding the president-elect’s conduct.
“I very, very much disagree with much of what the government just said about this case, about the legitimacy of what happened in this courtroom during this trial, and about President Trump’s conduct fighting this case," he said.
“I very, very much disagree with much of what the government just said about this case, about the legitimacy of what happened in this courtroom during this trial, and about President Trump’s conduct fighting this case," he said.
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Prosecutors Agree to Unconditional Discharge
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Prosecutors agreed with Judge Juan Merchan, saying he’ll issue an unconditional discharge—resulting in no penalty but leaving a conviction on Trump’s legal record.
This, said Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass, is due to “all the circumstances of this case, its unique posture, and the defendant’s status as president-elect.”
“The verdict in this case was unanimous and decisive, and it must be respected,” he said.
Trump, he said, could have gotten as much as four years behind bars.
This, said Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass, is due to “all the circumstances of this case, its unique posture, and the defendant’s status as president-elect.”
“The verdict in this case was unanimous and decisive, and it must be respected,” he said.
Trump, he said, could have gotten as much as four years behind bars.
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Trump Appears Virtually for Sentencing
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President-elect Donald Trump will attend his sentencing via a video feed from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday.
Judge Juan Merchan is expected to sentence Trump to an unconditional discharge, meaning that the president-elect will face no penalties for the 34 felony counts of falsifying business records he was convicted of last May.
Trump maintains his innocence of any wrongdoing in the case. He petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his sentencing, but the high court rejected that request.
Judge Juan Merchan is expected to sentence Trump to an unconditional discharge, meaning that the president-elect will face no penalties for the 34 felony counts of falsifying business records he was convicted of last May.
Trump maintains his innocence of any wrongdoing in the case. He petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his sentencing, but the high court rejected that request.
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Trump Vows to Appeal
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President-elect Donald Trump has promised to appeal the case “for the sake and sanctity of the presidency.”
“I will be appealing this case, and am confident that JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.
“The pathetic, dying remnants of the Witch Hunts against me will not distract us as we unite and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
His pledge followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s denial of his request to stop his sentencing from going forward.
The court reasoned that Trump’s claims of evidentiary violations could be addressed during the ordinary course of appeal. The justices also noted that Trump was slated to receive a no-penalty sentence, so the burden he faced was light.
“I will be appealing this case, and am confident that JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.
“The pathetic, dying remnants of the Witch Hunts against me will not distract us as we unite and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
His pledge followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s denial of his request to stop his sentencing from going forward.
The court reasoned that Trump’s claims of evidentiary violations could be addressed during the ordinary course of appeal. The justices also noted that Trump was slated to receive a no-penalty sentence, so the burden he faced was light.
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What to Know
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A New York judge will soon sentence President-elect Donald Trump for the crime of falsifying business records.
Here’s what to know about the case:
Here’s what to know about the case:
- Trump was convicted last May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal $130,000 in hush money payments his attorney made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
- Daniels and Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, testified against him in court.
- Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg prosecuted the case.
- Judge Juan Merchan is the presiding judge.
- Trump remains under a gag order that bars him from speaking out about the prosecution team, court staffers, or their family members, including Merchan’s daughter.
- Merchan has indicated he plans to order an “unconditional discharge,” a no-penalty sentence that ensures Trump will see no jail time.
- Trump is expected to appear virtually for his sentencing.
- The president-elect is the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony.
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