Donald Trump became the first U.S. President to be convicted as a felon in the White House today when a US court found him guilty in a hush-money case. He was given an 'unconditional discharge' for concealing unaccounted payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. This indicates that the president-elect has been found guilty of his charges but will avoid both jail time and any penalties since he has been elected President of the United States and will be sworn into the highest office in the land on January 20 - a position that brings with it the immunity of being above the law while in and out of office.

And so, even though Donald Trump was likely to be convicted of 34 counts of business record fraud in May 2024, carrying potential prison time, there's little the judge can do about it, ultimately having to exonerate the president-elect. If he hadn't been president, Donald Trump would have had to go to prison for four years. He will return to the White House as president for four more years, instead of that. Donald Trump did not even appear in person at the court session, effectively choosing not to, knowing that he would not be sent to prison.

New York Judge Juan Marchán, who sentenced him, said, "This court has determined that the only lawful sentence that allows the entry of a guilty verdict without encroaching upon the highest office in the land is an unconditional discharge." He said the judge had “never before presented this court with such unique and extraordinary circumstances.” Because the Constitution protects the highest office in the United States, the judge had no choice but to grant the former president an “unconditional discharge.” Any other ruling risked violating the presidential immunity granted to the nation’s highest office.

Even before the sentencing, to avoid the questionable distinction of being the first felon in the White House, Donald Trump made a last-ditch effort to use all his power and resources to get past it.

Some hours before the sentencing, Donald Trump said he believed the entire legal process was "a blow to the New York court system." "It was done to tarnish my reputation so I could lose the election," he said, counting that it had been a "horrible experience" for him.

However, during the trial, Donald Trump had to watch witness after witness testify against him - how he fraudulently concealed illegal payments to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election, which he eventually won.

Donald Trump had tried his best to have the criminal case against him dismissed, but he suffered a significant setback when the US Supreme Court ruled that his sentence could continue.

Today's sentencing comes just ten days before Trump's return to the White House for a second term as US president.