New York judge postpones Trump sentencing
Donald Trump's hush money trial sentencing has been delayed to mid-September


What happened
The New York judge who presided over Donald Trump's hush money trial and criminal conviction has postponed his July 11 sentencing. Judge Juan Merchan is now due to sentence the former president in mid-September, though he could also decide a Supreme Court ruling granting Trump broad presidential immunity fatally compromised the New York state felony fraud convictions.
Who said what
Merchan may "ultimately find no basis to overturn the jury's verdict," The New York Times said, but Tuesday's decision to postpone the sentencing was a "surprising turn of events." The two-month delay will "allow time for Trump to file a formal motion asking for the conviction to be completely tossed out, for prosecutors to respond and for Merchan to rule," USA Today said.
The Supreme Court's ruling may not directly affect Trump's Manhattan conviction "since the conduct at issue was principally about paying hush money to an adult-film actress" and then "reimbursing Trump's former lawyer," The Washington Post said. However, Trump's legal team may use the immunity decision to "attack the trial evidence, since the Supreme Court ruled that evidence related to official acts of a president may not be presented to a jury."
What next?
Merchan will rule on Trump's motion to throw out his guilty verdicts on Sep. 6. If he denies the request, Trump would be sentenced on Sept. 18.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
Trump's strikes on Iran: a 'spectacular success'?
In Depth Military humiliations 'expose the brittleness' of Tehran's ageing regime, but risk reinforcing its commitment to its nuclear program
-
Will NATO countries meet their new spending goal?
today's big question The cost of keeping Trump happy
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Bibi's back: what will Netanyahu do next?
Today's Big Question Riding high after a series of military victories, Israel's PM could push for peace in Gaza – or secure his own position with snap election
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
The ambiguous legal state of ectopic pregnancy care
The Explainer Rep. Kat Cammack's accusations of 'fearmongering' are the latest example of how mixed messages are complicating the debate around abortion