It's been a whirlwind few days for Donald Trump, the first criminal president in U.S. history. On January 20, Trump returned to office despite being convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a New York trial court. The case stems from his efforts to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election by hiding reimbursements made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The trial court granted Trump an "unconditional discharge," meaning he won't face imprisonment, probation, or a fine. However, the conviction remains on his record, making him the first and only criminal elected to the presidency. Trump's legal team has been working to overturn the conviction, pointing to the landmark Supreme Court decision in Trump v. United States, which could potentially lead to the reversal of his New York conviction.
In Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court established a new constitutional rule that evidence related to a president's "official acts" cannot be admitted in subsequent criminal cases unless prosecutors clear a high legal threshold. Trump's team argues that the trial court failed to follow this new framework, which could render the conviction invalid.
Before his sentencing, Trump asked the Supreme Court to intervene and block the proceedings, claiming that the charges were politically motivated and that he was entitled to presidential immunity. However, New York prosecutors urged the justices to allow the sentencing to go ahead as scheduled, emphasizing that Trump's conviction rests on conduct for which he is not entitled to immunity.
The prosecutors argued that Trump can attend the sentencing hearing by video to minimize any burden and that he can appeal after being sentenced. They also dismissed Trump's suggestion that he cannot be sentenced because he is the president-elect, stating that no judicial decision or guidance from the Department of Justice has ever recognized that the unique temporary immunity of the sitting president extends to the president-elect.
Despite Trump's efforts to have the Supreme Court intervene, the justices declined his request. However, four conservative justices – Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Thomas – publicly noted their disagreement with this decision, signaling that they may be ready to take up the issue of Trump's conviction sooner rather than later.
As the case heads to the New York Court of Appeals, Trump's legal team is likely to continue arguing that the Supreme Court's decision in Trump v. United States requires the conviction to be erased. The Supreme Court's eventual involvement seems inevitable, and the outcome could have significant implications for Trump's presidency and the institution of the presidency as a whole.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
