By the time he appeared virtually in Merchan’s courtroom Friday morning, Trump knew full well that he would face no real penalty for his conviction. The judge was well-aware that we bubble-wrap presidents and protect them from legal proceedings and sentences that could undermine their ability to do their jobs.

Donald Trump was sentenced without penalty in the New York hush money case Friday after a symbolic – and historic and unprecedented – hearing following the first felony conviction of a former and soon-to-be sitting president.

Friday’s punishment was largely symbolic, but it ensured that Donald J. Trump would become America’s first felon president.

The Republican president-elect formally received his sentencing after he was convicted of 34 felony counts. Will this affect his presidency?

President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced to unconditional discharge in the hush money trial on Jan. 10. Supreme Court Signals It’s Likely to Uphold TikTok Ban in US 10 Old-School Sports Cars That Can Actually Take A Beating Mel Gibson's house burned down in LA wildfires while he was on Joe Rogan's podcast Delta Airlines praised for holding flight to allow daughter time with dying mother Whales can live way longer than scientists had thought,

The president-elect's sentencing after being convicted of 34 felony counts in hush-money case draws a wide range of reactions from supporters, critics

The charges related to payments Trump’s company made to a lawyer, Michael Cohen, to reimburse him for paying off porn actor Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential campaign.