Donald Trump, the president-elect, called his sentencing for fraud charges a victory, saying it was another failed attempt by “Radical Democrats” to take him down.
The sentencing came after a New York jury found Trump guilty of fraudulently hiding hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress he allegedly had an affair with. These payments were tied to campaign funds, which critics claimed made the case politically motivated.
During the sentencing, Trump received an “unconditional discharge,” meaning no further punishment would be imposed. He attended the hearing virtually with his lawyer, Todd Blanche.
After the ruling, Trump took to social media, specifically Truth Social, to call the case a “Witch Hunt.” He accused the Biden administration and Democrats of working together to attack him unfairly and claimed the ruling proved there was never a legitimate case.
In his post, Trump stated:
“The Radical Democrats wasted millions of dollars and years of effort on a fake, baseless case against me. They should have focused on solving real problems like crime in New York instead of targeting me. This case had no evidence, no crime, and no legal basis. The judge’s ruling of unconditional discharge shows it was all political interference. The American people see through this scam, and they’ve already shown their support by re-electing me.”
Trump also criticized the judge, calling him biased, and attacked the prosecution’s main witness, saying they were unreliable and dishonest. He vowed to appeal the case, calling it a “hoax” and promising to restore trust in the justice system.
Despite Trump’s claims, Judge Juan Merchan had noted that Trump’s election victory and his upcoming role as president-elect influenced the light sentencing decision. Some analysts described the outcome as a significant legal victory for Trump, as it allowed him to avoid harsher consequences.
Trump used the opportunity to rally his supporters, framing himself as a victim of political attacks while promising to continue fighting back. As he often does, Trump ended his post with his signature phrase, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
