Ten days before his presidential inauguration, Donald Trump is set to be sentenced Friday morning in New York for what the presiding judge has described as a “premeditated and continuous deception” to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election.
Trump will attend the 9:30 a.m. hearing virtually from his Mar-a-Lago estate. The sentencing concludes a nearly decade-long legal saga and cements Trump’s unprecedented status as the first former president to be convicted of a crime. Despite facing up to four years in prison, Trump is expected to receive the lightest sentence allowed under New York law, likely an unconditional discharge.
The case centers on allegations that Trump orchestrated a scheme to silence an adult film actress who claimed she had an affair with him in 2006, just months after the birth of his youngest son. Trump has consistently denied the allegations and maintains his innocence.
“So I’ll do my little thing tomorrow. They can have fun with their political opponent,” Trump told reporters Thursday night ahead of the sentencing.
Trump was convicted in May after a six-week trial but managed to delay his sentencing three times, citing a combination of legal maneuvers and his successful presidential campaign. However, his lawyers’ latest attempt to delay the sentencing, arguing that the president-elect should be immune from prosecution, was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday night.
The court’s narrowly divided decision, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining the three liberal justices, found that the sentencing imposed a “relatively insubstantial” burden on Trump given the anticipated outcome.
Judge Juan Merchan, who has overseen the case since April 2023, indicated in a filing last week that he plans to issue an unconditional discharge, a rare sentencing option that finalizes the case without imposing any punishment—no jail time, fines, or probation. Merchan justified the decision by emphasizing the need for finality and respecting the principle of presidential immunity, which takes effect once Trump is inaugurated on January 20.
The sentencing is expected to last approximately one hour and include an allocution, allowing Trump to address the court. Judge Merchan is also likely to comment on the nature of the crime and Trump’s behavior throughout the trial. In a filing last week, Merchan criticized Trump’s “disdain” for the judiciary, citing his frequent attacks on judges, juries, and the justice system as a whole.
“Defendant’s disdain for the Third Branch of government, whether state or federal, in New York or elsewhere, is a matter of public record,” Merchan wrote.
Since his conviction, Trump has repeatedly claimed he is the victim of political persecution. After the verdict in May, he dismissed the trial as a “disgrace” and labeled Judge Merchan “corrupt.”
Trump’s sentencing will mark the conclusion of a contentious chapter in his political career. As he prepares to take office, Trump remains defiant, framing the case as a political attack and insisting the “real verdict” will come on November 5, when voters cast their ballots in the next election.
