Washington DC: In an unprecedented legal development, President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced on Friday in his hush money case, but Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan declined to impose any punishment. The ruling cements Trump’s conviction while ensuring he faces no jail term or fine, allowing the 78-year-old Republican to return to the White House unencumbered by legal threats.
This punishment-free judgment brings a subdued conclusion to a historic case that marked the first time a former president and leading presidential candidate stood trial as a criminal defendant. Among the four criminal indictments Trump faces, this was the only one to reach trial—and possibly the only one that ever will.
A Conviction Without Consequence
Judge Merchan had the authority to sentence Trump to up to four years in prison for his conviction on 34 felony counts. Instead, he opted for an unconditional discharge, effectively ending the case while sidestepping constitutional complexities. This decision also solidifies Trump’s place in history as the first individual convicted of a felony to ascend to the presidency.
Trump did not attend the Manhattan courtroom in person for the sentencing. Instead, he made a brief virtual appearance from his Palm Beach, Florida, home. Wearing a dark suit and seated next to one of his attorneys with an American flag in the background, Trump used the opportunity to reaffirm his innocence.
“It’s been a political witch hunt,” Trump declared via video link. “It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and obviously, that didn’t work.” He further described the case as “a weaponization of government” and “an embarrassment to New York.”
A Norm-Shattering Case
The conclusion of this case caps an extraordinary saga that saw the former and future president charged with orchestrating a scheme to silence allegations of extramarital affairs ahead of the 2016 election. The nearly two-month trial revealed sordid details of Trump’s alleged involvement in a hush money plot—details that ultimately did little to dent his political standing.
Trump’s conviction on all 34 felony counts by a Manhattan jury stands as a historic legal milestone. However, the trial and its aftermath failed to diminish his popularity with voters, who handed him a second term in office despite the courtroom drama.
