Trump slams ‘corrupt’ judge after he is ordered to appear for sentencing in hush-money case: Live updates
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.Donald Trump has slammed Judge Juan Merchan on Truth Social after he required the president-elect to appear for sentencing in his hush-money case on January 10, just ten days before his inauguration.
“I never falsified business records,” Trump wrote on Saturday morning. “It is a fake, made up charge by a corrupt judge who is just doing the work of the Biden/Harris Injustice Department, an attack on their political opponent, ME!”
A jury of 12 New Yorkers found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records after a six-week-long trial in May.
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.
Merchan indicated on Friday Trump wouldn’t be jailed at his sentencing, instead noting he’ll impose “a sentence of unconditional discharge.” This means no jail time, probation or fines will be imposed on the president-elect.
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.”
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Awkward moment for Fox News host over speaker vote
Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade was left with a bit of egg on his face on Friday when he sounded the alarm that House Speaker Mike Johnson had lost yet another Republican vote from the GOP’s razor-thin majority, further placing Johnson’s bid to retain the gavel in doubt.
Unfortunately for the Fox News star, it appears he was taken in by an online joke from a now-former congressman.
Justin Barangoa reports.
Fox host delivers ‘bad news’ about speaker vote — and is immediately embarrassed
“All right. Good point,” a chastened Brian Kilmeade said at the end. “He’s not there anymore, so I shouldn’t have brought that up. My bad.”
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