United States President-elect, Donald Trump, on Friday, became the first person with a felony conviction to ascend to the presidency after New York Judge Juan Merchan sentenced him to an unconditional discharge for concealing hush money payments to a porn star.
The unprecedented sentence came despite Trump’s last-minute attempts to avoid this outcome.
Trump’s May 2024 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records carried the possibility of prison time or fines.
However, Judge Merchan issued the lightest criminal sanction available—a rare unconditional discharge.
“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances,” Merchan remarked. “The only lawful sentence that permits entry of a judgment of conviction without encroaching on the highest office of the land is an unconditional discharge.”
The sentencing, held in a packed Manhattan courtroom, followed a trial marked by legal battles and Trump’s fiery public comments.
Trump, who attended virtually, appeared with two U.S. flags behind him, wearing a red tie with white stripes, watching the proceedings with visible impatience.
“This has been a terrible experience. I think it’s been a tremendous setback for New York and the New York court system,” Trump declared before the sentence was announced. “It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election.”
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass condemned Trump’s actions as a calculated effort to deceive.
“The verdict in this case was unanimous and decisive, and it must be respected,” he stated. Steinglass accused Trump of engaging in a “premeditated and continuous deception” by hiding payments to Stormy Daniels to prevent her from revealing their alleged affair during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump’s legal team had sought to delay the sentencing, but the New York State appeals court dismissed their request, and the U.S.
Supreme Court allowed the proceedings to move forward. Prosecutors argued against any postponement, asserting that Trump still had avenues for appeal within the state system.
The unconditional discharge affirmed the jury’s guilty verdict while sparing Trump from jail time or fines.
Legal experts noted the historical weight of the decision. “He’s thumbing his nose at the judge, the jury, and the justice system,” said Bennett Gershman, a former prosecutor and legal scholar, ahead of the sentencing.
Outside the courthouse, Trump’s supporters braved strong winds to display a large banner bearing his name, while opponents held signs reading, “Trump is guilty.”
Judge Merchan’s ruling came just ten days before Trump’s scheduled inauguration for a second term, which was officially certified earlier in the week.
The sentencing underscores Trump’s controversial path to the presidency, coming four years after his supporters stormed the Capitol to contest his 2020 election loss.
Prosecutor Steinglass criticized Trump’s rhetoric, which he said was “designed to have a chilling effect” on the judicial process.
“This defendant has caused enduring damage to public perception of the criminal justice system,” he added.
While Trump avoided harsher penalties, the conviction marks a defining moment in U.S. history, solidifying his place as the first president-elect with a felony conviction.
