Trump calls sentencing ‘despicable charade’, says unconditional discharge proves ‘THERE IS NO CASE’

Trump, whose presidential inauguration is scheduled for 20 January, argued “I was given an UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE. That result alone proves that, as all Legal Scholars and Experts have said, THERE IS NO CASE, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE, and this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED.”

“The real Jury, the American People, have spoken, by Re-Electing me with an overwhelming MANDATE in one of the most consequential Elections in History. As the American People have seen, this ‘case’ had no crime, no damages, no proof, no facts, no Law, only a highly conflicted Judge, a star witness who is a disbarred, disgraced, serial perjurer, and criminal Election Interference,” Trump said, who is is the first US president – former or sitting – to face a criminal trial, let alone a guilty verdict and subsequent sentencing.

“Today’s event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice,” he continued.

Addressing the court via video shortly before receiving his sentence, Trump called the case “a very terrible experience”, an “injustice” and a “political witch-hunt”.

“This has been a very terrible experience. I think it’s been a tremendous setback for New York, the New York court system,” he said, appearing next to his lawyer, Todd Blanche. “I get indicted for business records? Everybody should be so accurate. It’s been a political witch hunt … to damage my reputation so that I’d lose the election. Obviously that didn’t work.”

President-elect Donald Trump seated next to his attorney Todd Blanche, gives his sentencing statement on screen virtually during his sentencing hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court., Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

As he delivered the sentenced, Merchan emphasised that Trump’s victory in the presidential race did not “reduce the seriousness of the crime or justify its commission in any way,” even though it had to be taken into account.

“The protections [of the presidency] are, however, a legal mandate which, pursuant to the rule of law, this court must respect and follow. However, despite the extraordinary breadth of those protections, one power they do not provide is the power to erase a jury verdict,” Merchan said.

“It was the citizenry of this nation that recently decided that once again you should have the benefits of those protections which include, among other things, the supremacy clause and presidential immunity. It is through that lens and that reality that this court must determine a lawful sentence.”

Merchan, who was subject to intense criticism and threats as he oversaw Trump’s case, then told the president-elect: “Sir, I wish you godspeed as you assume your second term in office.”

Trump was found guilty on 30 May 2024 of falsifying business records with the intent to commit a second crime.