What to know as Trump is sentenced:
- President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced to an "unconditional discharge" in the New York hush money case, making him the first president to have been sentenced for a criminal conviction once he's sworn into office Jan. 20.
- The unconditional discharge, which state Judge Juan Merchan said he was likely to impose, allows Trump's conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to stand with no further penalties, such as jail time.
- The sentencing was allowed to go forward after the Supreme Court decided 5-4 yesterday to reject Trump's request to drop the proceeding. Trump said he thought it was a "fair decision" and referred to possible further appeals, such as of the verdict.
- Trump was convicted in May of falsifying records related to hush money that his then-attorney Michael Cohen paid adult film star Stormy Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 presidential election. Daniels testified that she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which he has denied.
Listen to audio of Judge Merchan’s sentence of Trump in hush money case
New York Judge Juan Merchan allowed media organizations to record the audio from inside the courtroom as he sentenced President-elect Donald Trump on Friday to an “unconditional discharge” in the hush money case in which he was found guilty by a jury last year of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
It is the first time in the trial that recordings are being made available to the public from inside the courtroom. Trump appeared at the sentencing virtually from Florida.
Trump calls sentencing 'a despicable charade'
In a lengthy post, Trump called his unconditional discharge sentence a "hoax" and repeated that he will appeal it.
"Today’s event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice," he wrote.
Trump's former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, is also in court today
Rudy Giuliani, who acted as Trump's attorney in several lawsuits, is battling his own legal troubles this morning.
A federal judge will hear arguments today in Giuliani's second contempt of court hearing this week in the defamation case against him involving former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss.
Giuliani is set to be in the Washington, D.C., courthouse where the judge will consider whether the former New York City mayor and lawyer for Donald Trump should be sanctioned with financial penalties for continuing to defame Freeman and Moss on his streaming show despite a court-ordered agreement that said he wouldn’t.
Giuliani, who has called the cases against him "witch hunts," has said that his comments on his show weren’t defamatory and that it “is my First Amendment right to talk about the case and my defense.”
Trump fundraises off of sentencing
Trump sent out a fundraising email immediately after being sentenced, saying he wants to hear from his supporters.
The email links to a page soliciting monetary donations and asking if they stand with him after his sentencing.
Judge leaves the bench
Judge Merchan left the bench at about 10:08 a.m. ET, ending the hearing.
Merchan sentences Trump to unconditional discharge for all 34 counts
Merchan sentenced Trump to unconditional discharge for 34 counts of falsifying business records.
“At this time I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts," he said.
Merchan said he wishes Trump godspeed for his second term in office.
Merchan is beginning sentencing
Judge Merchan is beginning to deliver Trump's sentence. He is explaining his reasoning, nodding to the gravity any judge faces in determining what is a just sentence.
"Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances," Merchan said.
Merchan wants to emphasize that the trial itself was conduct pursuant to the same rules of procedure and law that applies to any other trial, and that once the courtroom doors were closed, the trial was “ordinary” even if the circumstances surrounding this sentencing are anything but. But in a swipe at Trump, he is now making clear that the office of the president itself, not the occupant, is what is exceptional here
"This has been a truly extraordinary case," the judge continued. "Once the courtroom doors were closed, the trial itself was no more special, unique, and extraordinary than the other 32 cases in this courthouse."
Trump complains about gag order
Trump complained about his gag order while speaking during the sentencing hearing.
"I was under a gag order. I guess I'm still under so I probably won't do it now. I am totally innocent. I did nothing wrong," he said.
Trump is still under a gag order in the case.
Trump says the case was brought to attack his presidential campaign
Trump said that New York prosecutors brought the hush money case against him in order to attack his presidential campaign.
“This has been a political witch hunt," he said. "It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election.”
Trump: 'A very terrible experience'
Addressing the court, Trump said the case has been a "setback for New York."
“This has been a very terrible experience,” Trump said through the screen in the courtroom.
He went on to say that the case is a setback for the New York court system, and was "inappropriately handled" by DA Bragg.
Trump called Bragg a "criminal" who was acting as a political opponent.
“They weren’t put down by me, they were put down by accountants," Trump said.