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A judge has ruled that US President-elect Donald Trump should be “impeached without cause,” ending the former US president’s first impeachment trial.
The verdict in the bribery case means that the incoming president received no punishment, including jail time or fines, but still holds the position as the first US president to be convicted of a crime.
“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and interesting case,” Justice Juan Merchan said shortly after announcing the verdict, calling it “an extraordinary case”.
Appearing via video from Florida and flanked by his lawyer and two prominent American flags, Trump declared his “innocence”.
It was the first time in a year and a half that Trump said more than “not guilty” or a brief response.
Given an opportunity to speak before his sentencing, Trump criticized the case for several minutes.
“This has been very painful,” he said.
He said there had been “weapons” in the courts and said the case was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for political reasons.
“I want to explain that they treated me very unfairly, and I thank you very much,” he said before speaking.
As Bragg watched Trump speak directly to him for the first time, he was left speechless. However, he laughed when Trump said Bragg didn’t want to bring the case.
After Trump made his remarks, Justice Merchan took a few minutes to consider the “puzzling” aspects of the case.
Justice Merchan said that despite the media and the political circus outside, “when the doors of the court were closed, it was no more special than all the other cases that are happening at the same time”.
But he added that after Trump was found guilty, the case changed again when the American people elected him in November as the second president.
After careful consideration, he concluded that “the only acceptable decision, without compromising the highest position of the country”, was to be released without reason – a decision that will allow the American people to be an unchallenged president pending court cases.
Trump was found guilty by a jury in New York on 34 counts of falsifying business records in May 2024. His sentence was delayed several times due to Supreme Court rulings and the November presidential election.
The charges stemmed from a conspiracy to cover up the payment of money to a major movie star in the days leading up to the 2016 election. Prosecutors said the payment was a way to disrupt the election in order to keep important information from voters, thus violating the law.
In October 2016, Trump’s lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen, paid a woman named Stormy Daniels $130,000 (£106,000) to keep quiet about the years she allegedly had sex with the soon-to-be president.
After he was elected, Trump gradually returned Cohen’s money — then falsely documented it as litigation expenses. Each of Trump’s criminal convictions is related to a false document related to the cover-up.
Trump has denied the allegations and denied having sex with Ms Daniels. He repeatedly said that the case was torturing people for political reasons.
The six-week trial became a legal, political and media storm. Larger-than-life figures like Cohen and Daniels stood up to face questions from Trump’s lawyers.
Trump brought several family members and Republican allies to court each day to fill the benches behind his defense table. Every day, he turned a small street sign outside the courthouse into his pulpit, using that opportunity to insult judges, journalists, and other opponents.
Trump also used the furor from the trial to raise millions from his supporters for his lawsuits, and his campaign to oust the White House.
During his four years in office, Trump has been impeached four times, including his New York case. In the end, he was the only one who was convicted.
On the street and on social media, Trump used his executive order to portray himself — and his supporters — as the victims of justice.
Despite numerous impeachment charges, including two that attempted to influence the results of the 2020 election, Trump narrowly defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
His victory dismissed two federal charges against him, including one for election tampering and one for mishandling classified documents. Third, the election tampering case in Fulton County, Georgia, has been delayed by sideshows for months.
Trump’s only financial case came to an end, when Justice Merchan dug in his heels in early January and demanded that Trump appear or appear in person for sentencing.
The battles did not end there. Trump’s lawyers mounted a tough appeal and appealed to the US Supreme Court to stop Friday’s hearing.
The Supreme Court rejected him in a summary judgment handed down on Thursday night.
They also fought to have the case dismissed, arguing that president-elects are immune from prosecution, an argument Justice Merchan rejected but will continue to argue with higher courts.
As Trump’s trial in New York came to a close on Friday, it also ended one of the most controversial chapters in his history and politics.
When he is sworn in 10 days from now, he will do so as the first US president to be convicted of a felony.
As he concluded his ruling on Friday, Justice Merchan had a final message for Trump.
“I wish you Godspeed as you prepare for your second term,” he said.
