Donald Trump Calls Hush Money Case a 'Scam' After Being Sentenced to 'Unconditional Discharge' — as Social Media Users Accuse The Justice System of 'Only Favoring The Rich'
Jan. 10 2025, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
Donald Trump wasn't satisfied with the extraordinary ruling in his New York hush money case, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Despite being given an "unconditional discharge," which meant the president-elect would not imprisoned, pay a steep fine or serve probation after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records, Trump still threw a tantrum on social media.
Meanwhile, backlash erupted online with users pointing to the 78-year-old's sentencing as an example of a "broken" two-tiered justice system – one for the ultra wealthy and another for everyday citizens.
Judge Juan Merchan announced the sentence on Friday, January 10, after previously denying multiple dismissal requests from Trump's legal team.
Prosecutors recommended the sentence, saying in court: "We must be respectful of the office of the presidency."
With the unconditional discharge, Trump's conviction still stands, meaning he will become the first convicted felon to take office at his inauguration on January 20.
Outside the courthouse, protestors held signs reading "Felon in Chief" to mark the historical moment.
Once again, Trump soon took to Truth Social to air his grievances over his legal woes.
He wrote: "The Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt. After spending tens of millions of dollars, wasting over 6 years of obsessive work that should have been spent on protecting New Yorkers from violent, rampant crime that is destroying the City and State, coordinating with the Biden/Harris Department of Injustice in lawless Weaponization, and bringing completely baseless, illegal, and fake charges against your 45th and 47th President, ME, I was given an UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE."
The president-elect then called the case a "sham" while repeating his claim about "legal scholars" arguing there was "no case" and his charges should have been dismissed.
He added: "The real Jury, the American People, have spoken, by Re-Electing me with an overwhelming MANDATE in one of the most consequential Elections in History.
"As the American People have seen, this “case” had no crime, no damages, no proof, no facts, no Law, only a highly conflicted Judge, a star witness who is a disbarred, disgraced, serial perjurer, and criminal Election Interference."
Trump concluded his tirade by branding his sentencing "a despicable charade" before vowing his legal team would "appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice."
Online social media user reacted with disgust to Merchan's ruling.
On Instagram, one user wrote: "Found Guilty but no punishment. Great lesson for young Americans to learn from. Rich and powerful people don't have the same laws and penalties applied to them as the rest of us."
Another said: "This is proof that we live under a two-tier justice system. So what is the point of the entire case?"
A third chimed in, "The justice system only favors the rich. It is not just," while another wrote, "Why do we even have laws?"
One user called out the hypocrisy of the case, writing: "Meanwhile, people going to jail for everything else because they aren't rich."