Trump team lashes out after he’s ordered to appear for sentencing in hush-money case before inauguration: Live
Justice Juan Merchan rejected president-elect’s push to dismiss verdict on grounds of presidential immunity, finding no legal impediment to proceeding
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Your support makes all the difference.After a New York judge set President-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing in his hush-money case for January 10 — just ten days before his inauguration — his spokesperson called the order a “witch hunt” and said Trump would “continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead.”
Judge Juan Merchan indicated Trump wouldn’t be jailed, but the extraordinary development puts the president-elect on course to be the first president to take office convicted of felonies. In a written decision, Merchan said he would sentence the former and future president to what’s known as a conditional discharge, in which a case gets dismissed if a defendant avoids rearrest.
Following the order, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung issued a statement claiming that “the Constitution demands” that the case be “immediately dismissed.” He said the president-elect must be allowed to continue his presidential transition “unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts.”
Cheung concluded: “There should be no sentencing.”
Trump ripped the entire case as a “rigged charade” Friday on Truth Social.
Before Merchan’s ruling, House Speaker Mike Johnson was reelected at the start of the 119th Congress. Despite having Trump’s endorsement, the Louisiana representative earned 218 votes, the bare minimum.
Jeffries nominated by Rep Pete Aguilar
Over on the Democratic side, California Rep Pete Aguilar rises to nominate New York Rep Hakeem Jeffries as speaker.
Aguilar says he stands to speak on behalf of the “governing majority” to applause among House Democrats.
He begins by congratulating McClain on her first speaker-nominating speech: “As someone who's given a few of these, I can say you served your ... conference well.”
Aguilar emphasizes how Mike Johnson used and needed Democratic votes to keep the government open and to pass major legislation over the past year.
Johnson nominated by Lisa McClain, chair of Republican conference
Mike Johnson is nominated for speaker by Lisa McClain, chair of the Republican conference.
She says they have the opportunity to "take our country back" with Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Thune, and Donald Trump in charge.
“No speaker is perfect and no one will ever be,” McClain says in her speech nominating Johnson.
Applause as it’s announced Matt Gaetz will not serve in Congress
Johnson makes commitments to placate holdouts ahead of crucial speaker vote
Speaker Mike Johnson posted the following statement on X ahead of the crucial speaker vote including commitments to cutting spending, auditing federal agencies, and aggressive appropriations reviews.
Here’s what he wrote in full:
The American people have demanded an end to the status quo, and a return to fiscal sanity. That’s why the citizens of our great country gave President Trump the White House and Republican control of both chambers of Congress. If we don’t follow through on our campaign promise for fiscal responsibility, we don’t deserve to hold power. The national debt is a grave threat to America’s economic and national security – and no issue exemplifies the Congress’ failures more.
Republicans have a real opportunity in the next two years to make meaningful spending reforms to eliminate trillions in waste, fraud, and abuse, and end the weaponization of government. Along with advancing President Trump’s America First agenda, I will lead the House Republicans to reduce the size and scope of the federal government, hold the bureaucracy accountable, and move the United States to a more sustainable fiscal trajectory.
As Speaker, I commit to:
1. Create a working group comprised of independent experts – not corrupted by lobbyists and special interests – to work with DOGE and our committees on implementing recommended government and spending reforms to protect the American taxpayer.
2. Task that working group with reviewing existing audits of federal agencies and entities created by Congress – and issuing a report to my office for public release.
3. Request House committees undertake aggressive authorizations and appropriations reviews, including providing additional resources where needed, to expose irresponsible or illegal practices and hold agencies/individuals accountable that have weaponized government against the American people.
If we want to restore fiscal responsibility, we must start by being transparent about the dollars that are spent, address the issues we find, and then hold those accountable who have misspent funds. Republicans have a mandate to implement the America First Agenda, and as Speaker, this will be my priority.
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