Donald Trump’s sentencing made for a jarring juxtaposition.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass reviewed what he called the “overwhelming evidence” behind Trump’s criminal conviction and detailed how the president-elect had shown “disdain for our institutions and the rule of law” before, during and after the trial.
He said Trump had “caused enduring damage to public perception for the criminal justice system” and put court officers in danger.
And for that, Steinglass concluded, he should receive no formal punishment.
In their response Trump and his lawyer were predictable. Both questioned the motivations and timing behind the president-elect’s prosecution, calling it election interference.
Both pointed to Trump’s victory in November as vindication. And Trump again asserted his innocence, saying he had been treated “very, very unfairly”.
When it came time for Justice Juan Merchan to hand down his sentence, he – perhaps unexpectedly – did not condemn the president-elect’s behaviour. Instead, he dwelled on how the protections and immunities Trump has been afforded came from the office of presidency and not from Trump as a private citizen or a criminal defendant.
But the protections are there. And it means that Trump, convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, was sent on his way Friday morning with a simple “godspeed” from the judge, rather than any jail time or fine.