President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced in his New York hush money case on Friday, ending the case that found him guilty of multiple felony counts.
As a convicted felon, Trump has lost the right to possess firearms, but he can still vote, hold federal office and travel outside of the country.
Why It Matters
Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and sentenced. His sentencing hearing, in which Manhattan-based Juan Merchan gave him an unconditional discharge, comes less than two weeks before his inauguration on January 20.
What To Know
In May 2024, a New York jury found Trump, guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels shortly before his first presidential election in 2016. Daniels alleges she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which he denies. Trump has maintained his innocence, claiming the case is politically motivated.
Trump's unconditional discharge means that he will not be punished with prison time, fines or community service. He will, however, have felonies on his criminal record, which changes some things for him moving forward.
What Rights Has Trump Lost?
Trump, who had a gun license and talked about owning guns in the past, has lost his right to possess firearms.
The president-elect could also be banned from any ventures back into the casino business. Trump once owned three casinos in Atlantic City, and if he wanted to reenter the business, he would probably run into an issue because people with criminal records are usually not able to obtain gaming licenses.
What Rights Will Trump Keep?
Trump, who is registered to vote in Florida, will still be able to vote there. Florida only bars people convicted of felonies in outside states from voting if they lost their right to vote in the state where they were convicted. New York bars convicted felons from voting while they are incarcerated, but their voting rights are restored once they are released. Since Trump isn't going to jail, this doesn't apply to him.
Trump can still hold both a tourist passport and also a diplomatic passport as president, which allows him to visit foreign countries for official business. Passports are denied or revoked for felons who are sentenced to prison time or probation, but this doesn't apply to Trump. However, some countries like Canada, the United Kingdom and Israel do restrict or reserve the right to prohibit visits from convicted felons.
A felony conviction could also bar the president-elect from holding liquor licenses. However, Trump's real estate company has said all his properties are owned through corporate entities and that he is not an officer or director of any entity holding liquor licenses.
What About Holding Office?
Trump can hold federal office as a convicted felon, meaning he will still be able to take presidential office this month. However, if he wanted to in run for state and local offices in the future, he might not be able to, depending on which state it is. Some states require a pardon or expungement to allow a person with a criminal record to run for office.
What People Are Saying
Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass said that Trump's behavior and the "enduring damage" he'd caused to the reputation of the justice system would normally result in a heavy sentence. But prosecutors had to "be respectful of the office of the presidency."
"The American public has the right to a presidency unencumbered to pending legal matters...imposing this sentence ensures that," he said.
Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, pushed back in response to the assistant DA's comments.
"I very, very much disagree with much of what the government just said about this case, about the legitimacy of what happened in this courtroom during this trial, and about President Trump's conduct fighting this case," Blanche said.
President-elect Donald Trump appeared by video from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, for the sentencing, where he addressed the court. He said: "I'm totally innocent. I did nothing wrong."
Trump claimed he was the victim of a "political witch hunt."
He added, "It was done to damage my reputation so that I would lose the election, and obviously, that didn't work."
"This has been a very terrible experience. I think it has been a tremendous set back for New York and the New York court system," Trump said.
What Happens Next
Trump could only be pardoned by Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul, which seems unlikely. Hochul did not say whether she would consider pardoning Trump when asked in December 2024, but she said the pardon process requires several elements, including "remorse."
"No one will be treated any better, or any worse, by me when I make those life altering decisions as we're looking at petitions that are coming in throughout the year," the governor said. "So, no one gets extra favors, no one gets treated worse."
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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