Trump's scot-free sentencing is proof of special treatment throughout trials
Trump’s scot-free sentencing is proof of special treatment throughout trials
David Smith
in Washington
President-elect gets unconditional discharge for hush-money conviction – a rare sentence that cements impunity
From the article:
"Step back and consider the big picture. A year ago Trump faced four criminal cases. He was convicted in only one of them, widely seen as the least consequential, and received a no-penalty sentence, a slap on the wrist. He is about to be sworn in as the most powerful man in the world. Merchan concluded the hearing by telling him: “Sir, I wish you godspeed as you assume your second term in office.”
A portion of the blame lies with the man he will replace, Joe Biden. The current president’s decision to appoint Merrick Garland as attorney general proved a fatal mistake. Garland was far too cautious in prosecuting Trump over his role in the January 6 2021 insurrection and mishandling of classified documents.
Charlie Sykes, an author and broadcaster, wrote on the Atlantic’s website that Biden “misread the trajectory of Trumpism. Like so many others, he thought that the problem of Trump had taken care of itself and that his election meant a return to normalcy. So he chose as his attorney general Merrick Garland, who seems to have seen his role as restoring the Department of Justice rather than pursuing accountability for the man who’d tried to overturn the election.”"
more at link:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/10/trump-sentencing-hush-money-analysis