Trump Melts Down Over Having to Face a Single Consequence
Donald Trump will avoid jail time in his New York hush-money criminal conviction—but that doesn’t mean he’s happy with the result.
In a Friday order, Judge Juan Merchan dealt the final blow to any suggestions of serious consequences for the president-elect’s guilty verdict. Merchan wrote that “unconditional discharge” had become the “the most viable solution” for Trump, indicating that the incoming president would not be hampered down with fines, court-appointed supervision, or incarceration.
But that outcome was, apparently, not satisfactory for the convicted felon, who took to Truth Social to rant about how the lingering effects of the trial still prevented him from bad-mouthing the judge.
“D.A. Alvin Bragg never wanted to bring this lawless case against me,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “He was furious at the way it was handled, and especially angry at MARK POMERANTZ for his behavior, and what he did. Ultimately, the Biden/Harris DOJ forced Bragg to concoct anything to embarrass TRUMP.”
“But it was even more so what the CORRUPT and TOTALLY CONFLICTED POLITICAL HACK Judge did, and is doing, on this sham trial,” Trump continued. “I even have, STILL, an Unconstitutional Gag Order where I am not allowed to speak about the Judge’s highly disqualifying Conflicts of Interest. Virtually ever legal scholar and pundit says THERE IS NO (ZERO!) CASE AGAINST ME.”
Trump also claimed that New York’s legal system was fundamentally corrupt and was contributing to the fleeing of businesses from the country’s banking capital.
“The Judge fabricated the facts, and the law, no different than the other New York Judicial and Prosecutorial Witch Hunts,” Trump wrote. “That’s why businesses are fleeing New York, taking with them millions of jobs, and BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAXES. The legal system is broken, and businesses can’t take a chance in getting caught up in this quicksand. IT’S ALL RIGGED, in this case against a political opponent, ME!!!”
Although Trump will face consequences more or less in name only, former U.S. District Attorney Joyce Vance argued in her legal column Civil Discourse that there could still be a light at the end of the tunnel in Merchan’s order. Rather than forcing sentencing before Trump’s inauguration, Merchan’s decision to release Trump with “unconditional discharge” effectively takes the wind out of Trump’s sails should he try to do away with the criminal conviction altogether, according to Vance. It could also help delay Trump’s sentencing until he’s out of office again, in which case, all bets are off.