Donald Trump is set to be sentenced in Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday morning over his conviction in the hush money case brought against him last year – just 10 days before his second inauguration to the presidency.
The US Supreme Court declined to stop the sentencing on Thursday, with its justices ruling 5-4 in favor of allowing Judge Juan Merchan to go ahead, meaning the president-elect will appear virtually for the sentencing hearing at 9am ET today, with an “unconditional discharge” sentence expected.
Trump called the SCOTUS decision “fair” but insisted he would be filing a further appeal, protesting his innocence and railing against “lawfare” on Truth Social.
Also yesterday, Trump attended the funeral of former president Jimmy Carter in Washington DC, sitting alongside fellow surviving commanders-in-chief Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton.
Earlier, he had called on California Governor Gavin Newsom to resign over the wildfires currently rampaging through Los Angeles, which have already killed 10 people, destroyed more than 1,000 structures and forced 150,000 residents to evacuate.
The president-elect accused Newsom, city mayor Karen Bass, and Biden of “gross incompetence” and declared the city “a total wipeout”.
Key Points
- Donald Trump’s hush money sentencing to go ahead on Friday after Supreme Court declines to block it
- President-elect weighs in on Greenland, Venezuela and California Governor in latest Truth Social deluge
- Trump promises Vladimir Putin meeting: ‘We are setting it up’
- Emotional Gavin Newsom hits back at Trump for ‘politicizing’ LA wildfires
- President-elect shakes hands with estranged VP Mike Pence at Jimmy Carter’s funeral
Trump promises Vladimir Putin meeting: ‘We are setting it up’
09:35
Joe Sommerlad
The president-elect said yesterday a meeting is being set up between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but typically offered no precise timeline for talks between the two leaders.
“He wants to meet, and we are setting it up,” Trump said in remarks before a meeting with Republican governors following his return to Mar-a-Lago after Jimmy Carter’s funeral in DC.
“President Putin wants to meet. He has said that even publicly and we have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess.”
Trump says he’s arranging a meeting with Putin pic.twitter.com/udhsOyiLWI
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 10, 2025
Trump’s return to the White House on January 20 has sparked hope of a diplomatic resolution to end Moscow’s invasion, which began in February 2022, but it has also led to fears in Kyiv that a quick peace deal could come at a high price for Ukraine.
At the same press conference, Trump called his sentencing today a “disgrace”, reiterated his desire to incorporate Canada and Greenland into the United States and reflected on his newfound “friendship” with Barack Obama.
Trump on his sentencing tomorrow: "It's a disgrace ... they can have fun with their political opponent." pic.twitter.com/V5alqGhCoq
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 10, 2025
Trump: "The people of Greenland would love to become a state of the United States of America. Now, Denmark maybe doesn't like it. But then we can't be too happy with Denmark and maybe things have to happen with respect to Denmark having to do with tariffs." pic.twitter.com/iKwNKxn4MA
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 10, 2025
Trump on his interaction today with Obama: "It did look very friendly, I must say ... I said, 'boy, they look like two people like that each other.' And we probably do." pic.twitter.com/o21WNXwdf3
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 10, 2025
Truth Social: Trump weighs in on Greenland, Venezuela and California Governor
09:15
Joe Sommerlad
Also on the president-elect’s social media feed today, we have an ominous “see you again – SOON” message to Greenlanders, his thoughts on events in Caracas and more taunting of poor Gavin Newsom with a cartoonishly simplistic idea for solving the Los Angeles wildfires.
Thank you to the incredible people of Greenland for treating my son, Don Jr, and other representatives, so nicely. We will see you again — SOON!
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 10, 2025
Donald Trump Truth Social 07:09 PM EST 01/09/25
Venezuelan democracy activist Maria Corina Machado and President-elect Gonzalez are peacefully expressing the voices and the WILL of the Venezuelan people with hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating against the regime. The great Venezuelan American community in the United… pic.twitter.com/OmGPY1qCxP
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 9, 2025
Governor Gavin Newscum should immediately go to Northern California and open up the water main, and let the water flow into his dry, starving, burning State, instead of having it go out into the Pacific Ocean. It ought to be done right now, NO MORE EXCUSES FROM THIS INCOMPETENT…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 9, 2025
Speaking of Greenland, the Danish press has alleged that the locals only turned out to greet Donald Trump Jr in Nuuk earlier this week because they were promised a free lunch!
Here’s more from Katie Hawkinson.
Donald Trump’s hush money sentencing to go ahead on Friday after Supreme Court declines to block it
08:45
Joe Sommerlad
Good morning!
The US Supreme Court has ruled against blocking the president-elect’s sentencing in his criminal hush money trial, leaving Donald Trump without any remaining options to block his imminent return to Manhattan Criminal Court.
Trump is therefore scheduled to face New York Justice Juan Merchan at 9am on Friday – just10 days before his second inauguration to the presidency.
Judge Merchan has signalled he will issue an “unconditional discharge” sentence that will not include jail time or fines.
The president-elect will appear virtually, no doubt ashen-faced.
Here’s what Trump had to say about it on Truth Social last night...
I appreciate the time and effort of the United States Supreme Court in trying to remedy the great injustice done to me by the highly conflicted “Acting Justice,” who should not have been allowed to try this case. Every Legal Scholar stated, unequivocally, that this is a case that…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 10, 2025
...and here he is calling it “fair” but saying he still plans to appeal.
And, lastly, here’s Alex Woodward’s report on the stage being set for another momentous day.
Key vote signals Democrat openness to Republicans’ Laken Riley Act
08:30
Oliver O'Connell
A key immigration enforcement measure could be on track for passage thanks to Democrats crossing party lines to support it.
The failure of the Democratic Party’s leadership and standard-bearers to present a winning message on immigration reform in 2024 is coming back to bite outgoing President Joe Biden.
With days left of his presidency and the fight to define his legacy begun, his allies in Congress are seemingly prepared to compromise with the GOP on a bill that would direct immigration authorities to detain any undocumented person charged with theft.
John Bowden, Eric Garcia, and Andrew Feinberg report from Washington, D.C.
Trump’s obsession with Greenland was inspired by cosmetics billionaire
08:00
Oliver O'Connell
The idea of buying Greenland initially came to Trump from cosmetics billionaire Ronald Lauder, according to the 2022 book The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021 by Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker. Trump and Lauder have known each other since their college days.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Report: Trump to declare national economic emergency to push through tariffs
07:30
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency in order to create the legal grounds for introducing his program of steep tariffs against rival nations, according to CNN.
Even before taking office, the president-elect has threatened tariffs of as much as 10 percent on global imports and 60 percent on Chinese goods, plus a 25 percent import surcharge on Canadian and Mexican products.
Such duties are intended to provide a boost to American manufacturing but experts have warned that, in practice, they could backfire by upending trade flows, raising costs and inviting harmful retaliatory measures.
Joe Sommerlad has the story.
Watch: Trump and Obama share laugh at Jimmy Carter’s funeral
07:00
Oliver O'Connell
Why does Trump want to buy Greenland?
06:30
Oliver O'Connell
President-elect Donald Trump has argued that the U.S. should buy Greenland since his first term in the White House.
The island, with 56,000 inhabitants, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, and both the Danish government and local authorities have repeatedly said that the island is not for sale.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
Trump ally says he wants to buy TikTok — but he needs help...
05:30
Oliver O'Connell
Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary said he wants to buy TikTok but he needs President-elect Donald Trump’s help to pull off the deal.
Rhian Lubin reports.
ICYMI: Former Proud Boys ringleader begs Trump for Jan. 6 pardon
04:30
Oliver O'Connell
The former leader of the Proud Boys has asked President-elect Donald Trump for a pardon.
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio once served as the national chairman of the far-right group, which federal prosecutors said played a “central role” in the breach of the Capitol building four years ago.
More than a year after he was sentenced to 22 years in prison and 36 months behind bars for his role in the Capitol riot, Tarrio has asked to be pardoned by Trump, according to a letter obtained by ABC News.
Will Trump deliver?
Kelly Rissman reports.
Trump spoke with Supreme Court justice just hours before urging court to block hush money sentencing
03:30
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump spoke with Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito hours before the president-elect urged the nation’s high court to block his imminent sentencing date in his hush money trial.
The conservative justice told ABC News he agreed to take a call from the incoming president to recommend a law clerk for a position in his administration.
Alex Woodward reports.
Corporations ditch diversity goals amid anti-woke backlash in new Trump era
02:30
Oliver O'Connell
McDonald’s announced on Monday it’s pulling pack on certain aspects of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work, the latest high-profile corporation to move away from such programs amid changing legal precedent and a cultural backlash against “woke” agendas that’s only set to grow in the coming Trump administration.
Executives wrote in an open letter to employees that it was still committed to inclusion, but that the fast-food giant would retire specific diversity goals for senior leadership and end a program encouraging suppliers to increase minority leadership.
Among other factors, the Golden Arches cited the “shifting legal landscape” after the 2023 Supreme Court ruling striking down the use of race-conscious affirmative action in university admissions.
Other companies have taken a similar course.
Josh Marcus reports.
Trump’s hush money sentencing will go ahead on Friday
02:08
Josh Marcus
The Supreme Court will not stop Donald Trump’s sentencing in his criminal hush money trial, leaving the president-elect without any remaining options to block his imminent return to Manhattan criminal court.
Trump is scheduled to face New York Justice Juan Merchan at 9 a.m. Friday — 10 days before his second inauguration to the presidency. Merchan has signalled he will issue an “unconditional discharge” sentence that will not include jail time or fines.
The president-elect will appear virtually.
On Wednesday, attorneys for the president-elect argued that the Supreme Court should intervene “to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the Presidency and the operations of the federal government.”
Alex Woodward reports.
Kinzinger tells Stephen Colbert he’s willing to go to prison in order to stand up to Trump
01:30
Oliver O'Connell
Former Illinois Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday evening and declared that he would be willing to go to prison on principle if Donald Trump chooses to persecute him once he returns to the White House.
Joe Sommerlad has the story.
Will Trump really pardon nearly 1,600 January 6 rioters?
00:30
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has said pardoning his supporters who took part in the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol four years ago will be one of the top priorities as he starts his new administration.
But how quickly will the pardons begin, and how far will Trump go?
Josh Marcus takes a look.
Trump tells GOP lawmakers plans to make Canada ‘51st state’
Thursday 9 January 2025 23:50
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump and Melania arrived in Washington, D.C. for Jimmy Carter’s funeral — but the president-elect first also met with Republican lawmakers to discuss how to make Canada part of America, according to a report.
Since winning the 2024 election, Trump has repeatedly spoken about expanding the US, including plays at Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal. Wednesday evening proved no different, when Trump reportedly met with Republican members of Congress behind-closed-doors to discuss plans to incorporate Canada into America, the Daily Mail reported.
Kelly Rissman reports.
Could GOP’s Laken Riley bill open the door to Trump’s mass deportations?
Thursday 9 January 2025 23:30
Oliver O'Connell
Immigration attorneys and civil rights groups warn that the first immigration bill of the new Congress is opening the door to Donald Trump’s planned “mass deportation operation” — his pledge to invoke a national emergency, deploy military assets and send state and local law enforcement into immigrant communities across the country within his first days in office.
The Senate voted 84-9 on Thursday to begin debate on the Laken Riley Act, with only nine Democratic senators voting against it and five not voting at all. The House passed the bill by a vote of 264-159 on Tuesday, with 48 Democrats voting for it.
Alex Woodward and Eric Garcia report.
Key vote signals Democrat openness to Republicans’ Laken Riley Act
Thursday 9 January 2025 23:10
Oliver O'Connell
A key immigration enforcement measure could be on track for passage thanks to Democrats crossing party lines to support it.
The failure of the Democratic Party’s leadership and standard-bearers to present a winning message on immigration reform in 2024 is coming back to bite outgoing President Joe Biden.
With days left of his presidency and the fight to define his legacy begun, his allies in Congress are seemingly prepared to compromise with the GOP on a bill that would direct immigration authorities to detain any undocumented person charged with theft.
John Bowden, Eric Garcia, and Andrew Feinberg report from Washington, D.C.
Elon Musk admits DOGE wont find $2 trillion worth of cuts in federal budget
Thursday 9 January 2025 22:50
Oliver O'Connell
Billionaire Elon Musk, who is set to co-lead the new advisory Department of Government Efficiency, has admitted the agency likely won’t make the $2 trillion in federal budget cuts he originally promised.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO revealed his goal of cutting $2 trillion from the $6.8 trillion federal budget was just the “best-case outcome” during a live interview Wednesday with Stagwell CEO Mark Penn.
Katie Hawkinson reports.
Trump says Venezuela freedom fighters must not be harmed as they demonstrate Maduro swearing in
Thursday 9 January 2025 22:39
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump says Venezuela freedom fighters democracy activist Maria Corina Machado and President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez must not be harmed as they demonstrate ahead of the swearing in of President Nicolas Maduro who has claimed the nation’s highest office.
Gonzalez believes he won the election last year.
The US President-elect wrote on Truth Social this afternoon:
Venezuelan democracy activist Maria Corina Machado and President-elect Gonzalez are peacefully expressing the voices and the WILL of the Venezuelan people with hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating against the regime. The great Venezuelan American community in the United States overwhelmingly support a free Venezuela, and strongly supported me. These freedom fighters should not be harmed, and MUST stay SAFE and ALIVE!
Judge throws out Biden’s ‘arbitrary’ protections for LGBT+ students
Thursday 9 January 2025 22:30
Oliver O'Connell
A federal judge has thrown out rule changes designed to protect LGBT+ students from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The rules proposed by President Joe Biden’s administration expanded the scope of Title IX rules that block sex-based discrimination in schools that receive federal funding.
Alex Woodward has the details.
Trump called Ashli Babbitt’s mother and told Jan 6 rioter to ‘keep their chins up’, report says
Thursday 9 January 2025 22:15
Oliver O'Connell
The mother of Ashli Babbit, the Capitol rioter killed during the attack on Congress in 2021 said she received a call from President-elect Donald Trump this week and he had a message for the January 6 defendants.
Per NBC News:
Micki Witthoeft, Ashli Babbit’s mother, said at a nightly vigil outside of the D.C. jail in support of Jan. 6 defendants on Wednesday that Trump had called her when she was in the back of an Uber with two other supporters of Jan. 6 defendants, coming back from laying down flowers in honor of her daughter.
“Tell them I love them, to keep their chins up,” Trump said when asked if he had a message for Jan. 6 defendants, according to Witthoeft.
"I know that he is still thinking about these guys, and I have a feeling it is going to be a happy day for us," when Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20, Witthoeft said.
‘Why don’t we call it Mexican America?’: Mexican president hits back at ‘misinformed’ Trump
Thursday 9 January 2025 22:00
Oliver O'Connell
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum excoriated President-elect Donald Trump Wednesday after he suggested that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America.
“Obviously, the Gulf of Mexico is a name recognized by the United Nations,” Sheinbaum, speaking in Spanish, said during her daily press conference, according to Politico.
She then pointed to a historic map of North America, on which parts of what is now the U.S. the map said, “America Mexicana.”
“Why don’t we call it Mexican America?” she said with a heavy tinge of sarcasm. “It sounds nice, no?”
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Watch: Trudeau says one way Canadians define themselves is ‘we’re not American'
Thursday 9 January 2025 21:55
Oliver O'Connell
Tapper: President-Elect Trump has been talking about making Canada the 51st state.
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 9, 2025
Trudeau: That's not going to happen. Canadians are incredibly proud of being Canadian. One of the ways we define ourselves most easily is, well, we're not American. pic.twitter.com/4PHmxJvjP1
Vance to resign Senate seat at midnight
Thursday 9 January 2025 21:48
Oliver O'Connell
Per NBC News:
Vice President-elect JD Vance will resign his Senate seat at midnight Thursday, clearing the way for his Jan. 20 swearing-in alongside President-elect Donald Trump.
The Ohio Republican notified Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who will choose his successor, of his plans in a Thursday afternoon letter.
“To the people of Ohio, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of representing you in the United States Senate,” Vance, who has served in the chamber for two years, said in a statement shared first with NBC News. “When I was elected to this office, I promised to never forget where I came from, and I’ve made sure to live by that promise every single day.”
Vance added that voters had issued “an undeniable mandate to put America first, both at home and abroad” and pledged to work with Trump to “enact his agenda” over the next four years.
Fox must face Smartmatic $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit, NY appeals court rules
Thursday 9 January 2025 21:42
Reuters
A New York state appeals court on Thursday rejected Fox's bid to dismiss a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit by voting machine company Smartmatic over statements made on air following the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
The decision was issued by a five-judge panel of the Appellate Division in Manhattan.
Trump’s terror chief says UK should take back Isis members in Syria
Thursday 9 January 2025 21:40
Oliver O'Connell
The UK should take back British members of Isis being held in Syrian prison camps, Donald Trump‘s incoming counter-terrorism chief has said, indicating that a failure to do so could damage the special relationship.
Sebastian Gorka said any nation which wishes to be seen as a “serious ally” of the US should commit to the international fight against the extremist group by repatriating citizens currently languishing in the north east of the country.
Millie Cooke and Nina Lloyd report.
Watch: Bragg says his job is to continue to give voice to jury’s verdict in Trump’s hush money case
Thursday 9 January 2025 21:35
Oliver O'Connell
Bragg: We brought a case. A jury of ordinary New Yorkers returned 34 guilty verdicts. Our function right now primarily is to continue to give voice to that verdict.. pic.twitter.com/2WOa88Ikhh
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 9, 2025
Fetterman confirms he will meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago
Thursday 9 January 2025 21:20
Oliver O'Connell
Senator John Fetterman confimed he will meet with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago soon, quipping he wants to be appointed “Pope of Greenland.”
He added: “I am not just the Senator for Democrats in Pennsylvania. I’m the Senator for everyone in Pennsylvania and my state picked Donald Trump as president.”
Watch below:
Our @JoeKhalilTV was able to catch up with @JohnFetterman after @NewsNation confirmed he is going to Mar-a-Lago to meet with President-elect Trump.
— Kellie Meyer (@KellieMeyerNews) January 9, 2025
Fetterman joked he wants to be appointed the “Pope of Greenland”. https://t.co/3XJkg0Hpjv pic.twitter.com/MPSSgwZxId
Was Maria Bartiromo almost a heartbeat from the presidency?
Thursday 9 January 2025 21:20
Oliver O'Connell
The symbiotic relationship between Fox News and President-elect Donald Trump nearly reached new levels during the most recent presidential campaign, according to a new book by Politico political reporter Alex Isenstadt.
While the president-elect has already appointed or nominated at least a dozen Fox News personalities to his upcoming administration, Isenstadt reports in his forthcoming book Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power that Trump seriously considered making one his favorite hosts his running mate.
Justin Barangoa reports.
Exclusive: Pompeo says Trump will finish the Ayatollahs in Iran
Thursday 9 January 2025 21:00
Oliver O'Connell
The “rotten to the core” Khamenei regime is a “paper tiger” whose time is up, Mike Pompeo has told Iranians campaigning for democracy.
Mr Pompeo, a former secretary of state under President-elect Donald Trump, made the comments while addressing a conference held by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Paris just ahead of his former boss being inaugurated as US president on 20 January.
The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports.
All the awkward interactions between presidents at Jimmy Carter’s funeral
Thursday 9 January 2025 20:40
Oliver O'Connell
Instances when all five living presidents come together are rare. But for Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Thursday, they were all there.
President-elect Donald Trump was the first to arrive alongside former and future First Lady Melania Trump. Barack Obama, the Clintons, Bushes and Bidens were also in attendance. Michelle Obama was the only living first lady who was absent, with reports claiming she was in Hawaii.
Outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff were the last to take their seats among a sea of lawmakers and members of previous administrations. Given the funeral’s proximity to the election — and the heated rhetoric over the past few years — some notably awkward moments were spotted by those watching the service.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
15,000 doctors sign letter begging Senate to reject RFK Jr for health secretary
Thursday 9 January 2025 20:20
Oliver O'Connell
More than 15,000 doctors have signed a letter imploring the US Senate to reject Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation for secretary of health and human services.
