President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced Friday in his hush money case, but the judge declined to impose any punishment. The outcome cements Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.

Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan could have sentenced the 78-year-old Republican to up to four years in prison. Instead, he chose a sentence of unconditional discharge, sidestepping thorny constitutional issues by effectively ending the case. This ensures that Trump will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency.

The sentencing came just 10 days before Trump’s inauguration for a second term. His lawyers had tried unsuccessfully to forestall a trial, and later to get the conviction overturned, the case dismissed, or at least the sentencing postponed. Merchan, a Democrat, repeatedly postponed the sentencing, initially set for July, but last week he set Friday’s date, citing a need for “finality.”

What Trump Said During the Hearing

Appearing by video from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump addressed the court for about six minutes. He called his criminal trial and conviction “a very terrible experience” and insisted he committed no crime. “It’s been a political witch hunt,” he said. “It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and obviously, that didn’t work.”

Trump also described the prosecution as “an embarrassment to New York” and said the case represented “a weaponization of government.” He argued that voters had seen what happened in the courtroom and supported him overwhelmingly in the election.

The Judge’s Remarks

Judge Merchan spoke for about seven minutes, noting that “never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances.” He acknowledged the extraordinary nature of the case but observed that once the courtroom doors closed, the trial itself was “no more special, unique or extraordinary than the other 32 criminal trials that took place in this courthouse at the same exact time.”

Merchan added that “it is the legal protections afforded to the office of the president of the United States that are extraordinary, not the occupant.” He wished Trump “godspeed in your second term in office” before handing down the sentence.

Prosecutors’ Stance

Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass, speaking for the prosecution, recommended an unconditional discharge based on the unique posture of the case and Trump’s status as president-elect. However, he strongly criticized Trump’s conduct, saying, “Instead of preserving, protecting and defending our constitutionally established system of criminal justice, the defendant — the once and future president of the United States — has engaged in a coordinated campaign to undermine its legitimacy.”

Steinglass noted that Trump’s pre-sentence report described him as seeing himself above the law. Despite this, the prosecutor said an unconditional discharge was the “most practical sentence prior to his inauguration.”

Defense Arguments

Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche insisted that “American voters got a chance to see and decide for themselves whether this is the kind of case that should have been brought. And they decided. And that’s why, in 10 days, President Trump is going to assume the office of the president of the United States.”

Blanche also disagreed with the government’s characterization of the trial and Trump’s efforts to fight the case, saying he “very, very much” disagreed with much of what the prosecution had said.

Background of the Case

The hush money case accused Trump of falsifying his business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels late in his 2016 campaign. Daniels was paid not to disclose a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump a decade earlier – an encounter Trump denies. The payment was orchestrated by Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen, who later pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations and became a key prosecution witness.

Trump was convicted last May on 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former American president convicted of felony crimes. The trial stretched over seven weeks, with 22 witnesses testifying, including Daniels, Cohen, former supermarket tabloid publisher David Pecker, and White House insiders. Trump did not testify.

Impact of the Conviction

Although Trump avoided any punishment, the conviction carries lasting consequences. He remains a convicted felon unless the verdict is overturned on appeal. Under federal law, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. Additionally, New York law requires every person convicted of a felony to provide a DNA sample for the state’s crime databank. Trump can still vote in Florida, his state of residence, because Florida restores voting rights after completion of the sentence (which in this case was immediate due to the unconditional discharge).

Trump has announced he will appeal the conviction, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, echoed Trump’s criticism, calling the case “a politically motivated and contrived witch hunt.”

Other Criminal Cases

The hush money case was the only one of four criminal indictments against Trump to go to trial. Since his November election victory, special counsel Jack Smith ended two federal cases: one involving efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and another concerning the hoarding of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. A separate state-level election interference case in Georgia is in limbo after an appeals court removed prosecutor Fani Willis.

Outside the Manhattan courthouse after sentencing, a festive atmosphere prevailed among Trump supporters, who waved flags and celebrated the outcome. One supporter, retired power plant worker Jerry Gasowski, said, “No penalty at all is great news. It’s great news for our country.”

As Trump returns to planning for his new administration, the historic sentencing marks a quiet end to an extraordinary case – the first criminal prosecution of a former U.S. president and major presidential candidate, which ultimately concluded without any penalty but with a permanent mark on his record.

Source: AP News News