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President-elect Trump was given no penalty in his New York hush money case this morning, but his felony conviction was cemented. Judge Juan Merchan decided to give Trump an unconditional discharge.
There are two ways to spin this:
Trump is the first president to be sentenced as a convicted felon. Trump is free to go — no jailtime, fine or probation in his hush money case.Did Trump attend the sentencing?: He appeared virtually in the roughly 40-minute hearing along with his lawyer Todd Blanche.
Keep in mind: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused Trump’s last-ditch attempt to postpone his sentencing. It was a split decision — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined with the court’s three liberals to deny Trump’s request. The four other conservative justices sided with Trump.
What happens now?: “Trump is expected to appeal [Manhattan District Attorney Alvin] Bragg’s entire theory of the case in addition to his presidential immunity appeals that remain pending. But even a successful appeal would take months, if not years, to progress through the courts. And with Trump set to take office in less than two weeks, legal experts broadly agree that criminal prosecutions cannot proceed against a sitting president.” (The Hill)
Trump told the judge this morning that he is “totally innocent” and said his experience with the Manhattan criminal court system was “very terrible.”
?️ Follow today’s live blog of courtroom updates
?IMMEDIATELY AFTER SENTENCING?:
Trump sent out an email release trying to fundraise on his sentencing. “They’re trying to sabotage the Presidential Transition process. They’re trying to END the presidency as we know it — just before I take office,” Trump wrote.
?️ Happening Today Trump’s looking for an immigration loophole:President-elect Trump’s advisers have been working for months to find a health threat that could justify his case for closing the U.S.-Mexico border, The New York Times’s Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Hamed Aleaziz report.
Trump was able to use that reason in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic: “As he prepares to enter office again, Mr. Trump has no such public health disaster to point to. Still, his advisers have spent recent months trying to find the right disease to build their case, according to four people familiar with the discussions. They have looked at tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases as options and have asked allies inside the Border Patrol for examples of illnesses that are being detected among migrants.”
Keep in mind: Trump’s incoming White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller “has long considered Title 42 a key tool for his goal of shuttering the border to migration. He has essentially been on a yearslong quest to find enough examples of diseases among migrants to justify the use of the law.”
Read the full reporting: ‘Inside Trump’s Search for a Health Threat to Justify His Immigration Crackdown’
TIDBIT:
Check out the latest cover of The New Yorker. It depicts tech billionaire Elon Musk getting sworn in on Inauguration Day with Trump in the background.
Trump wants his old digs back:The Wall Street Journal’s Craig Karmin reports Trump’s “real-estate company is in talks to reclaim its former Washington, D.C., hotel, a move that could offer an early test of how the president-elect will handle potential conflicts of interest.”
Read the full reporting: ‘The Trumps Are in Talks to Reclaim Their Prized D.C. Hotel’
MORE READS:
The Washington Post: DOGE is dispatching agents across U.S. government
The Wall Street Journal: Rival Republican Factions Fight for Trump’s Approval
The Hill: Senate GOP fears land mines in House could derail Trump’s tax agenda
The New York Times: A Rebuke to Trump Provides a Telling Portrait of a Divided Supreme Court
? Internet Buzz? Celebrate: Today is National Bittersweet Chocolate Day!
? ☘️ That was a wild ending: Notre Dame’s football team advanced to the national title game last night in a wild game. ? Watch this clip
? Macy’s and Kohl’s are closing some stores: Retailer Macy’s will be closing more than 60 stores this year, and retailer Kohl’s will close nearly 30 stores before April. ? List of affected stores
? On The AgendaThe House and Senate are out. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in Washington, D.C. (all times Eastern)
1:30 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell brief reporters. ? Livestream
Noon Monday: The House returns.
3 p.m. Monday: The Senate returns. ? Today’s agenda
? And Finally…To fully encapsulate how I’m feeling about the cold, watch this cat patiently wait for its turn on the heat vent.
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