Trump to be sentenced just 4 days before GOP convention

Former President Trump, after being found guilty by a New York jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records, will be sentenced just four days before the 2024 Republican National Convention this summer.

Judge Juan Merchan said Trump’s sentencing hearing will be July 11, just before the Republican National Committee’s convention is slated to start on July 15 in Milwaukee.

Trump is expected to be named as the official 2024 GOP nominee for president at the convention.

Trump was found guilty of all 34 charges of falsifying business records in the Manhattan hush money case Thursday afternoon, becoming the first former president to ever be convicted of a felony.

Trump has repeatedly railed against the case, calling the trial “disgraceful” shortly after the jury’s verdict was read. He has also blasted the case for keeping him off the campaign trail in an election year, reiterating his claims that it was politically motivated.

“This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people, and they know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here,” Trump said outside the courtroom shortly after the verdict was read.

The charges stemmed from a reimbursement made to Trump’s ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, for a payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about an alleged affair with the former president. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges last year and has denied the affair.

It’s not clear how the verdict may impact Trump in the election.

He’s been ahead of President Biden in national and swing-state polls, and he’s been at work on a messaging strategy during the trial to try to make sure a guilty verdict would not hurt him politically.