Donald Trump’s ‘hush money’ sentencing likely to be delayed

Stefania Palma is reporting from Washington while Lauren Fedor is bringing us the latest news from New York.

Go to the section for leaving comments

Access the US Election Countdown newsletter without any cost.

The important tales about finances and politics in the competition for the presidency

The court date for Donald Trump's sentencing in the Manhattan "hush money" case will likely be postponed due to prosecutors agreeing to a short delay after a US Supreme Court decision stating that presidents have significant protection for their official actions.

The district attorney's office in Manhattan, under the leadership of Alvin Bragg, sent a letter to Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday. In the letter, they stated that they do not object to Trump's request for a delay in the case. This is because Trump is trying to nullify the verdict, even though the office believes his arguments are not valid.

If the judge agrees, the postponement would give Trump, the likely Republican candidate for President, another break from legal issues that could benefit him in the political arena with only four months left until the November election.

Trump was scheduled to receive his punishment on July 11th for committing 34 counts of manipulating business records. This was said to be part of a scheme prior to the 2016 election to pay off a porn star in order to keep quiet about their affair. This case was the first of four criminal charges Trump faced in court and also marked the first time a former US president had been found guilty of a crime.

The lawyers representing Trump have requested the New York court to overturn the decision because of the recent ruling by the Supreme Court. They argue that prosecutors should not have been able to use evidence such as his social media posts or public statements made while he was president in the trial.

Trump's team did not quickly reply to a request for a response. The ex-president previously tried to transfer the hush money case from state to federal court but a judge ruled that he had not proven that the conduct in question was related to the president's official duties.

The recent ruling by the Supreme Court stated that former presidents can still be held accountable for their actions during their time in office. However, this decision has effectively delayed any potential trials for the three remaining criminal cases against Trump until after the upcoming election.

Additional charges against Trump for allegedly trying to alter the outcome of the 2020 election and mishandling sensitive information have been held up by legal disputes between him and American prosecutors, causing significant delays in the legal process.

Many people now view Trump as the leading candidate for the upcoming November election, especially with growing worries about Joe Biden's age and ability to serve as president after a poor showing in a recent debate.

There haven't been many surveys done after the debate, but Trump is currently leading nationally by 1.4 points, according to the FiveThirtyEight average. He is also ahead in a number of swing states. On Monday, the Biden campaign shared a memo revealing that Trump is leading by two points in crucial battleground states that will likely determine the election results.