Trump team blasts New York judge after sentencing date set in hush money case

President-elect Donald Trump's team on Friday slammed New York Justice Juan Merchan for rejecting a bid to toss Trump's hush money case, stating that the Constitution "demands that it be immediately dismissed."

Merchan earlier Friday set Trump's sentencing date as Jan. 10, ten days before he takes office as president, but hinted he was unlikely to impose any jail time. Trump was convicted last year on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a 2016 payment his then-attorney, Michael Cohen.

Trump's legal team has tried to get the case dismissed after he won reelection, and other pending cases against the president-elect have already been dropped. 

Trump's communications director Steven Cheung said Merchan's order was a "direct violation of the Supreme Court’s [presidential] Immunity decision" and claimed the former president should not be sentenced.

“Today’s order by the deeply conflicted, Acting Justice Merchan in the Manhattan [District Attorney] Witch Hunt is a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence," Cheung said in a statement. "This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed.

"President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts," he continued. "There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead."

The president-elect has maintained that he is innocent of wrongdoing.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.