Judge Sets Trump Sentencing Date Four Days Before GOP Convention

Judge Juan Merchan has set the date for former President Donald Trump’s sentencing after the Manhattan jury found him guilty on all counts on Thursday — and it falls four days before the start of the Republican National Convention where Trump is set to be nominated.

After beginning deliberations on Wednesday, the jury found Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made to porn actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. After the verdict was delivered, Merchan scheduled the sentencing for July 11, just days before the GOP convention in Milwaukee that will begin on July 15.

The sentencing date set by Merchan was blasted by Donald Trump Jr., who wrote on X, “Sentencing is 4 days before the GOP Convention…They’re not even trying to hide the ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!!”

The Federalist co-founder Sean Davis added, “The corrupt Biden donor judge whose daughter raised millions attacking Trump just coincidentally scheduled the Soviet show trial sentencing to be a week before the GOP convention.”

Trump’s sentencing will also come just two weeks after his first presidential debate against President Joe Biden, which is scheduled for June 27.

Trump has blasted the judge and the prosecution throughout the trial, arguing that he’s being politically targeted by Democrats and the Biden campaign to keep him off the campaign trail. Manhattan Democratic District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought the 34 charges against Trump, accusing him of being part of a “catch-and-kill” scheme to conceal information and influence the 2016 election. The former has denied having an affair with Daniels and pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The verdict is likely to be appealed by Trump’s legal team, and experts doubt the presumptive GOP presidential nominee will be thrown in jail. Instead of imprisonment, Trump could face probation or be ordered to community service.

Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.