A judge rules Donald Trump will not face jail or fines for hush-money payments, closing a significant chapter in his political journey
New York: So, guess what? Donald Trump just dodged jail time and fines over that hush-money case. A judge decided on Friday that he won’t face any punishment for the whole thing. Can you believe it?
The judge’s ruling means Trump has a guilty verdict on his record, but he’s not going to jail or anything like that. This whole case has been hanging over him as he tries to make a comeback for the presidency.
Now, here’s the kicker: Trump is the first president ever to have a felony conviction while in office. The judge, Justice Juan Merchan, said he didn’t impose any jail time because the Constitution gives presidents some serious legal protections.
But he also made it clear that just because Trump has those protections, it doesn’t mean what he did was okay. The judge emphasized that the seriousness of the crime still stands.
Trump, who insists he’s innocent, plans to appeal the guilty verdict. He even went on TV, flanked by his lawyer and two American flags, to call the whole thing a political hit job aimed at ruining his chances for re-election.
He said, “This has been a very terrible experience,” and added, “I’m totally innocent, I did nothing wrong.”
The case revolved around a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair during Trump’s 2016 campaign. Trump claims nothing happened between them and that this is all just a ploy by his political rivals.
