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Donald Trump has slammed Judge Juan Merchan on Truth Social after he required the president-elect to appear for sentencing in his hush-money case on January 10, just ten days before his inauguration.
“I never falsified business records,” Trump wrote on Saturday morning. “It is a fake, made up charge by a corrupt judge who is just doing the work of the Biden/Harris Injustice Department, an attack on their political opponent, ME!”
A jury of 12 New Yorkers found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records after a six-week-long trial in May.
Merchan indicated Trump wouldn’t be jailed, but the extraordinary development puts the president-elect on course to be the first president to take office convicted of felonies.
Merchan indicated on Friday Trump wouldn’t be jailed at his sentencing, instead noting he’ll impose “a sentence of unconditional discharge.” This means no jail time, probation or fines will be imposed on the president-elect.
Following the order, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung issued a statement claiming that “the Constitution demands” that the case be “immediately dismissed.” He said the president-elect must be allowed to continue his presidential transition “unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts.”
MSNBC panel erupts into laughter reading Trump weekend rant about being ‘evilly’ treated by courts
“There has never been a President who was so evilly and illegally treated as I,” Trump wrote. “Corrupt Democrat judges and prosecutors have gone against a political opponent of a President, ME, at levels of injustice never seen before.”
Katie Hawkinson4 January 2025 21:00
Trump claims Dems are ‘giddy’ flags will be half-staff for his inauguration
President-elect Donald Trump claimed that Democrats are “giddy” about flags being flown at half-staff in a sign of mourning and respect to honor the late Jimmy Carter during his inauguration.
President Joe Biden ordered flags be flown at half-staff to honor the late president, who died Sunday at age 100. Trump has tried to politicize the gesture, since the flags will still be lowered during his second inauguration on January 20.
“The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday afternoon. “They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves. Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years – It’s a total mess!”
Kelly Rissman4 January 2025 20:30
Michael J Fox cheered at White House as he steps forward to receive Medal of Freedom from Biden
Cheers rang out through the East Room of the White House on Saturday as actor and activist Michael J. Fox walked up to the stage to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden.
Fox is one of 19 people, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Bono, to be given the award on Saturday, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
“You defend the values of America, even when they’re under attack,” Biden told the honorees. “Together, you leave an incredible mark on our country, with insight and influence that can be felt around the globe.”
Andrew Feinberg, Josh Marcus4 January 2025 20:00
ICYMI: Judge orders Trump to be sentenced on Jan. 10 in hush-money case
In a stunning, 18-page ruling released on Friday, Justice Juan Merchan said he would not sentence Trump to a term of incarceration but would instead impose “a sentence of unconditional discharge” — meaning a sentence of no jail time, probation or fines — as “the most viable solution” and permit Trump to continue to appeal the case.
The hearing is scheduled just 10 days before the president-elect is inaugurated.
Andrew Feinberg, Ariana Baio, Alex Woodward4 January 2025 19:32
Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to donate $1 million to Trump’s inauguration: report
Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to donate $1 million to President-elect Trump’s inaugural committee, according to a report.
Cook’s contribution, first reported by Axios, marks the latest deluge of cash from billionaires into Trump’s inauguration January 20.
Kelly Rissman4 January 2025 19:00
Food stamps, environmental safeguards and denying Ozempic: The ways Republicans could pay for Trump’s tax cuts
Trump is determined to cut taxes for Americans but doing so means the government will need to cut federal spending elsewhere, or risk raising the national debt by trillions of dollars.
Advisers to Trump, such as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, are focused on dramatically reducing federal spending by as much as $2 trillion. They have been given positions heading the advisory committee, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to suggest funding reductions.
Ariana Baio4 January 2025 18:30
Letters to the Editor: It is no surprise that Trump falsely blamed the New Orleans attack on ‘migrants’
The Independent’s readers submitted letters to the editor discussing their thoughts on Donald Trump’s reaction to the deadly attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
Katie Hawkinson4 January 2025 18:00
Inauguration Day is nearly here. These are the promises Trump made for ‘Day One’ in office
So far, he’s already promised to take action on 59 different issues “on Day One,” according to an Axios analysis of pledges made on the campaign trail.
The key MAGA issues he promised to address are closing the border, pardoning the January 6 Capitol riot prisoners, and rolling back protections for transgender students.
Rhian Lubin4 January 2025 17:30
Trump may show ‘display of fighting’ his sentencing next week, analyst says
Maggie Haberman, CNN political analyst and author of Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America, said the president-elect may want a ‘display of fighting’ his sentencing next week.
“He’s very angry about this case in particular,” Haberman told CNN on Friday. ”He may decide that he wants some kind of a display of fighting it.”
“I don’t think we’re going to know that for another two days or so,” she continued.
Trump will be sentenced in his hush money case by Judge Juan Merchan on January 10.
Merchan said he would sentence the former and future president to what’s known as a conditional discharge, in which a case gets dismissed if a defendant avoids rearrest.
Katie Hawkinson4 January 2025 17:00
Trump launches into social media rant over sentencing
President-elect Donald Trump has taken to Truth Social to slam Judge Juan Merchan, who is requiring him to appear for sentencing in his hush-money case on January 10.
The hearing will take place just ten days before his inauguration.
“I never falsified business records,” Trump wrote on Saturday morning. “It is a fake, made up charge by a corrupt judge who is just doing the work of the Biden/Harris Injustice Department, an attack on their political opponent, ME!”
Katie Hawkinson4 January 2025 16:48
