Former US President Donald Trump has had his sentencing in a hush money case delayed until at least September after a Supreme Court ruling granting criminal immunity to presidents for their official acts. Trump’s legal team requested the delay to build a case for overturning his 34 felony convictions related to falsifying documents to cover up hush money payments. Prosecutors agreed to the delay despite arguing against the merit of Trump’s claims. The sentencing is now set for September 18, close to the November elections.
The Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity has implications beyond Trump’s case, potentially affecting three other criminal trials he faces. The ruling could impact cases related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and allegations of hiding classified documents. The delay in Trump’s sentencing could affect his support among voters, with analysts noting that a severe sentence could turn off some potential Trump voters.
The decision to postpone the sentencing comes after President Joe Biden’s lackluster performance in the first presidential debate against Trump, leading to concerns over Biden’s age and prompting calls from some Democrats for him to end his re-election bid. Despite this, no prominent elected Democrat is currently seen as a better candidate to face Trump. Biden is set to meet with Democratic governors and give his first post-debate interview to ABC News, with no intention of dropping out of the race.
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