US President-elect Donald Trump is facing sentencing for covering up hush money payments to a porn star.
The court is set to convict Trump on Friday, making him the first felon to hold the office of President in the White House.
The sentencing will take place in a Manhattan courtroom, but Trump is expected to attend virtually.
Although the incoming president will not serve jail time, the 34 counts of falsifying business records, for which he was convicted in May 2024, carry potential prison sentences. However, it is anticipated that he will receive the mildest criminal sanction available: an unconditional discharge, a relatively uncommon measure.
Witnesses testify against Trump
During the trial, Trump was compelled to watch as a series of witnesses testified that he had fraudulently covered up illicit payments of up to $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to prevent her from disclosing their affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election, which he ultimately won.
- Daniels provided detailed testimony about her sexual encounter with Trump—an encounter he has consistently denied—as well as his flirting and interest in the adult film industry.
- Despite a last-minute plea to the nation’s highest court for a suspension of the criminal proceedings, the Supreme Court ruled that the sentencing could proceed.
- With just 10 days remaining before his swearing-in, prosecutors argued on Thursday that it was inappropriate for the apex court to hear the case when Trump still had avenues of appeal to pursue in New York.
“This Court lacks jurisdiction over a state court’s management of an ongoing criminal trial when the defendant has not exhausted his state-law remedies,” the prosecution told the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Trump’s lawyers contended that the immunity from prosecution granted to a US president should be extended to a president-elect. However, New York State Associate Justice Ellen Gesmer dismissed these arguments.
What you should know
Trump was certified as the winner of the 2024 presidential election on Monday, four years after his supporters rioted at the US Capitol in an attempt to overturn his 2020 defeat.
- On November 6, 2024, Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris to become the 47th President of the United States.
- The former 45th president must now preside over a nation deeply divided by social, racial, cultural, and economic hostilities.
- The last time a defeated US president avenged his loss was in 1892 when Grover Cleveland achieved this feat.
President Joe Biden, in a wide-ranging interview with US Today, said he thinks he would have defeated Donald Trump and won re-election in November. He however added that he was unsure if he would have had the stamina for another four-year term.
