Donald Trump Seeks Yet Another Delay to Hush Money Sentencing
NewsweekSep 16
Judge Suspends Deadlines in Trump Hush Money Case
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Above: Trump sits in Manhattan Criminal Court on May 30, 2024. Image copyright: Justin Lane/Pool/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
New York Judge Juan Merchan issued a written order on Tuesday postponing all deadlines in the state's case against Pres.-elect Donald Trump over his falsifying of business records to at least Nov. 19.
Trump was convicted by a jury on 34 counts related to hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels, to cover up an affair prior to the 2016 presidential election. His sentencing had been tentatively scheduled for Nov. 26.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
There's no reason why the results of the presidential election should stop this case from moving forward. While the federal Justice Department has made it a policy not to prosecute a president, this is a state case. Letting Trump off the hook would make a mockery of the jury's verdict, especially since he was a private citizen when convicted. Justice should still be served.
Republican narrative
The Democrats' attempts to take down Trump via lawfare have failed, and his election win should put an end to the political witch hunt. Sentencing a president-elect would create an embarrassing spectacle for the US. The Democrats, who are always preaching about preserving democracy, shouldn't stand in the way of the peaceful transfer of power. All cases against Trump should be thrown out.
