Donald Trump is appealing Judge Juan Merchan’s two rulings that dismissed his attempts to toss his conviction in the hush money case, and the president-elect is seeking a stay of Friday’s scheduled sentencing. Trump’s appeal comes on the same day that he will be certified as the winner of the 2024 presidential election – and four years since he tried to overturn his election loss and his supporters rioted at the US Capitol. On Friday, Merchan rejected Trump’s attempt to throw out his conviction because he’s been elected president, scheduling Trump’s sentencing in the hush money case for Friday – though Merchan made clear he would not sentence Trump to any jail time.
Trump’s lawyers argued that the sentencing must be put on hold while his appeals play out. They have asked for a response from Merchan by 2 p.m. ET Monday. “The Court should vacate the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, and suspend all further deadlines in the case until President Trump’s immunity appeals are fully and finally resolved, which should result in a dismissal of this case, which should have never been brought in the first place,” Trump’s filing states.
Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records over payments to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen to reimburse a $130,000 hush money payment made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels, in order to keep her from speaking out about an alleged affair before the 2016 election. Trump has denied the affair. Trump was initially set to be sentenced in the case in July, but that was delayed until after the election in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity. Last month, however, Merchan rejected Trump’s attempt to dismiss the case on the basis of presidential immunity.
Meanwhile President-elect Donald Trump has denied a Washington Post article that said the incoming administration would take a more limited approach to tariffs than indicated during the presidential-election campaign. Trump denied the report in a message on his Truth Social account. “The story in the Washington Post, quoting so-called anonymous sources, which don’t exist, incorrectly states that my tariff policy will be pared back. That is wrong. The Washington Post knows it’s wrong. It’s just another example of Fake News,” he wrote. The Washinton Post, citing three people familiar with the matter, said tariffs would be applied to every country but only cover imports critical to national or economic security. The report also said no final decisions had been made. The dollar pulled back sharply after the Washington Post report. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index, a measure of the currency against a basket of six major rivals, was down 0.6% but moved off session lows after Trump’s remarks.
Trump asks court to delay Friday’s sentencing for his hush money conviction, denies limited approach to tariffs
