<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>US President-elect </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> was formally sentenced on Friday morning (2am Saturday morning AEDT) in a New York courtroom for his hush money conviction but the judge declined to impose any punishment. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The outcome cements Trump's conviction while freeing him to return to the White House unencumbered by the threat of a jail term or a fine.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump's sentence of an unconditional discharge caps a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/donald-trump-hush-money-trial-verdict-reached-us-news/6b7de28f-b142-401b-83ae-816913eb0e55" rel="" target="" title="norm-smashing case that saw the former and future president charged with 34 felonies"><span>norm-smashing case that saw the former and future president charged with 34 felonies</span></a><span>, put on trial for almost two months and convicted on every count.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/la-fires-update-pacific-palisades-eaton-fires-burn-at-least-10000-structures-hundreds-of-thousands-evacuated/e18b1ce8-a5d1-418c-baf2-734f6caba066"><strong><span>At least 10,000 structures razed in LA's fires with hundreds of thousands evacuated</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Yet, the legal detour — and sordid details aired in court of a plot to bury affair allegations — didn't hurt him with voters, who elected him to a second term.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan could have sentenced the 78-year-old Republican to up to four years in prison. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Instead, he chose a sentence that sidestepped thorny constitutional issues by effectively ending the case but assured that Trump will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-hush-money-case-conviction-sentencing-new-york-courtroom/b1a6e511-2f08-48d7-b8be-4221ff084afb" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Just 10 days out from his inauguration, the 78-year-old was not present in court and watched the sentencing via a video link from Florida.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump appeared stoic and reserved as he waited for the hearing to begin, wearing a red tie with thin diagonal stripes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One of Trump's attorneys, Todd Blanche, was seated to his right, with the pair sitting in front of a backdrop of American flags with American flag pins on both their suit jackets.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>As prosecutors began their remarks, Trump shook his head, eyes darting around the screen. The camera view was framed tightly on him and Blanche, offering courtroom spectators a much closer view of Trump's expression than during the trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Although Trump was in court for every day of the trial last year, the judge said the president-elect could attend the sentencing via video if he chose.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After remarks from prosecutors and Trump's own lawyers, Justice Merchan asked the president-elect if he'd like to speak.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump took up the opportunity, marking the first time he's addressed the courtroom during the trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This has been a very terrible experience. I think it has been a tremendous set back for New York and the New York court system," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's been a political witch hunt," he said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and obviously, that didn't work."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He argued that voters saw what happened in this courtroom and, like him, thought it was a disgrace and supported him overwhelmingly in the election.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The fact is that I'm totally innocent, I did nothing wrong."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>During his address, Trump suggested the district attorney brought the case against him to hamper his re-election chances and highlighted his 2024 US election win more than once.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I would like to explain that I was treated very, very unfairly, and I thank you very much," Trump said in conclusion.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Merchan says a judge must consider the facts of the case as well as aggravating and mitigating circumstances.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A handful of protesters had gathered in front of the Manhattan federal courthouse Friday morning.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some carried signs reading "DESERVES THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE" and "34 FELONY CONVICTIONS."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, at a park across the street, supporters unfurled a massive flag reading "TRUMP WON."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump was convicted last May of 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The jury found that he falsified records kept by his company to hide the purpose of reimbursements to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen, who had made a $US130,000 ($195,000) payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels during Trump's 2016 campaign to silence her claim of an extramarital sexual encounter. Trump denies they had sex.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The hush money case was the only one of Trump's four criminal indictments to go to trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/as-wildfires-rage-in-los-angeles-trump-doesnt-offer-much-sympathy-hes-casting-blame/42845f95-edf0-4c9a-9a26-e0ac9b63918a"><strong><span>As wildfires rage in LA, Trump doesn't offer much sympathy. He's casting blame</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2024/11/12/09/47/us-election-all-the-people-donald-trump-second-administration-in-photos"><img alt="Trump appointments" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/6fYnOAOCCAa1y-o6y47tD-85DwY=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F3eb51c93-7e95-4073-9905-8869555ff026" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/6fYnOAOCCAa1y-o6y47tD-85DwY=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F3eb51c93-7e95-4073-9905-8869555ff026 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/MTksw4ThxnWYLjxCX4Haff2ARuM=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F3eb51c93-7e95-4073-9905-8869555ff026 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Trump announces flood of new appointments to Pentagon and DOGE </div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2024/11/12/09/47/us-election-all-the-people-donald-trump-second-administration-in-photos">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Since his </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/us-election" rel="" target="" title="November 5 election"><span>November 5 election</span></a><span>, special counsel Jack Smith ended his two federal cases. One pertained to Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss; the other alleged he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A separate, state-level election interference case in Georgia is in limbo after an appeals court removed prosecutor Fani Willis from the case.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><strong><span>Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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