On Friday, a Manhattan judge sentenced President-elect Donald Trump to no penalty after his conviction for concealing a hush money payment that allegedly hid a sex scandal from voters.

Trump, now set to become the first U.S. president convicted of a felony to assume the White House, received an “unconditional discharge” from Justice Juan Merchan.

During the hearing, Justice Merchan, who presided over the trial, addressed Trump directly. “Sir, I wish you Godspeed as you assume a second term in office,” Merchan said.

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Trump, 78, attended the sentencing remotely from Florida, appearing on video alongside two American flags.

The sentence, which does not include jail time, probation, or fines, clears the way for Trump to appeal the guilty verdict, which he has repeatedly called a political “witch hunt.”

Following the hearing, Trump took to Truth Social to denounce the case. “Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, un-American Witch Hunt,” he wrote. “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.”

UPDATE – Trump: “The Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt.” pic.twitter.com/lwM6qU1iU2

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) January 10, 2025

Trump Responds to ‘Unconditional Discharge’ Sentencing in ‘Pathetic unAmerican Witch Hunt’

“The radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, un American witch hunt after spending 10s of millions of dollars, wasting over six years of obsessive work that should have been spent… pic.twitter.com/bkJtQ7SpRE

— RVM News (@redvoicenews) January 10, 2025

The conviction stems from evidence that Trump concealed payments made to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal about alleged extramarital affairs.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who prosecuted the case, argued that the payments were part of an illegal scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Bragg attended the sentencing, sitting in the second row of the courtroom. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass defended the verdict, calling it “unanimous and decisive.”

He criticized Trump for what he described as “dangerous rhetoric” throughout the trial, accusing him of using threats to intimidate legal officials.

“Such threats are designed to have a chilling effect, to intimidate folks who have a responsibility to enforce our laws,” Steinglass said. “Put simply, this defendant has caused enduring damage to public perception of the justice system and has placed officers of the court in harm’s way.”

The trial featured high-profile witnesses, including Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen, who testified that Trump authorized payments to Daniels to prevent her allegations from surfacing before the 2016 election.

Jurors were shown checks and ledger entries that prosecutors said disguised the payments as legal expenses.

Trump declined to testify during the trial, opting instead to deliver daily remarks in the courthouse hallway, where he criticized the proceedings as politically motivated.

“This is a case that should have never been brought. It’s an injustice,” Trump said during one appearance.

The case has drawn criticism for its legal approach, with Bragg’s office relying on an untested interpretation of New York election law.

Critics have labeled the prosecution a partisan effort, pointing to Merchan’s $35 in donations to Democratic causes in 2020, including $15 to President Biden.

The hush money case was the first of four criminal cases against Trump to reach trial.

Federal charges relating to classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election remain unresolved, with proceedings on hold following Trump’s election to a second term.

In Georgia, a state case accusing Trump of interfering in the 2020 election is in limbo after a court removed the local district attorney due to concerns over a conflict of interest.

Despite the conviction, Trump’s political future remains intact, as Friday’s sentencing concludes a years-long legal saga without imposing penalties that would hinder his ability to serve as president.

With the case now eligible for appeal, Trump’s legal team has vowed to fight the verdict while the president-elect prepares for his return to the Oval Office.