Donald Trump 1st US President To Be Sentenced As Felon, But Avoids Jail, Penalty

Donald Trump today became the first felon in the White House after a US court upheld his conviction in a hush money case. He has been sentenced to an ‘unconditional discharge’ for covering up unaccounted payments to a porn star.

This means that the President-elect has been found guilty of his charges, but will not face any jail time or penalty because he has been elected President of the United States and will take oath to the country’s highest office on January 20 – a post that brings with itself an immunity of being above the law while in office and beyond.

And so, though the 34 counts of Donald Trump falsifying business records on which he was convicted in May 2024 carried potential jail time, the judge could do little about it, ending up having to spare the President-elect.

Donald Trump did not even attend the session of court in person, choosing to do so virtually, knowing well that he would not be sent to jail.

“This court has determined that the only lawful sentence that permits entry of a judgement of conviction without encroaching on the highest office of the land, is an unconditional discharge,” said New York judge Juan Merchan delivering the sentence.

He judge went on to say that “Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances.” With the constitution protecting the highest office in the United States, there was no other option for the judge than to give an “unconditional discharge” to the former president. Any other judgement risked encroaching the immunity accorded to the country’s highest post.

Even before the sentencing, to avoid the dubious distinction of being the first felon ever in the White House, Donald Trump used all his power and resources in making a last-ditch effort to skirt past it.