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DONALD Trump’s sentencing was a politically-motivated bid to embarrass him and punish those who voted for him, his supporters have claimed in the wake of Friday’s verdict.
President-elect Trump was formally sentenced in his hush-money case on Friday but avoided any punishment.
This means he will be free to serve his second term in the White House, despite being the first convicted felon to hold America’s highest office.
Lee Cohen, Research Fellow for Transatlantic Affairs at The Bow Group, told The U.S. Sun that Judge Merchan’s decision was a witch-hunt, but doesn’t believe it will harm the Republican in the long term.
“This sentencing is nothing more than a blatant political witch hunt, orchestrated by Trump’s adversaries to undermine his presidency before he even steps back into the Oval Office,” he said.
“It’s a rush to embarrass President Trump, especially in the
context of today’s sentencing.”
Cohen accused the New York courts that brought the case – related to hush-money payments made to adult movie star Stormy Daniels to cover up an affair – of “overstepping their bounds.”
He said the case “should never have come about” and was an attempt to “advance personal agendas.”
But he added that the case was unlikely to “damage Trump’s reputation globally.”
Trump has already spoken out following the decision, calling it a “despicable event” on his Truth Social app.
While Friday’s verdict was expected, the case was still an extraordinary first in American history.
The decision to uphold Trump’s conviction comes just 10 days before he is to be sworn in as president in Washington DC.
He is expected to host conservative House Republicans on Friday as they gather to discuss the new administration’s priorities.
Trump’s sentencing ended in an unconditional discharge.
He will not have to do any jail time nor pay a fine or face any community service punishment.
However, he cannot own a gun and will have to provide a DNA sample for the state’s crime databank, under New York law for convicted felons.
Trump’s supporters gathered outside the Manhattan criminal court as his sentencing was read out.
TRUMP’S VERDICT FALLOUT
NEAMA Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and President of West Coast Trial Lawyers, spoke to The U.S. Sun about the implications of Trump’s “unconditional discharge.”
“Trump still has a decent chance of getting the conviction overturned on appeal based on presidential immunity, especially in the United States Supreme Court, where four of the Justices were willing to grant his emergency appeal.
“But if Trump’s convictions are affirmed on appeal, it is more likely that he will be imprisoned if he is convicted of a more serious crime in the future.
“Criminal history and felony convictions are factors that judges take into consideration at sentencing.
“A future prosecution and incarceration is unlikely, though. A sitting president can’t be prosecuted, a former president can only be prosecuted for unofficial acts, and jailing a former president with secret service protection is impractical.
“Trump will be well into his 80s when he is out of office, and when he dies, he can’t be prosecuted either.”
His campaign team put out a fundraising email within minutes of the verdict calling for fresh donations.
Trump responded shortly afterward on Truth Social with a lengthy tirade against the court.
“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 wrote.
Cohen agreed, adding that the president-elect had faced unprecedented scrutiny.
“There’s no one who’s been more under the legal microscope, and had the legal system used against them weaponized against them more than President Trump,” he said.
