I interact with people across the political spectrum, allowing me to hear the opinions of the left and right. There are some seriously butt-hurt people upset about Donald Trump's scheduled sentencing on January 10, 2025. In our system, though Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts on May 30, 2024, he doesn’t become a felon until sentencing. Trump successfully delayed this sentencing until after the presidential election. Judge Juan Merchan set the date, seeing no reason to go past Trump’s inauguration on January 20th, likely meaning Trump wouldn’t be sentenced for another four years after his presidency ended.
“Finding no legal impediment to sentencing and recognizing that Presidential immunity will likely attach once Defendant takes his Oath of Office, it is incumbent upon this Court to set this matter down for the imposition of sentence prior to January 20, 2025,” said Judge Juan Merchan
The penalty Trump faces is one most defendants in felony criminal cases would pray for. Judge Merchan has signaled that Trump is likely to face no jail time or even a fine. Merchan indicated he would sentence Trump to an “unconditional discharge” with no incarceration or a fine. Felons in some states lose their right to vote, but Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has already promised Trump won’t lose that right.
The only damage to Trump will be reputational; he’ll be branded as a convicted felon for the rest of his life unless a future New York governor issues a pardon. No president can pardon him for a state crime. A Federal court could throw out the case on appeal or the Supreme Court. None of those things could happen before Trump takes office on January 20th, the first president in history to take office as a convicted felon.
Over in MAGA-land, people are angry about Trump’s sentencing. They don’t see it as Trump getting off without a scratch. I’ve come to believe it isn’t about what being a felon says about Trump but about themselves having put him back into office and having full knowledge of who and what he was. They are embarrassed about having supported someone found liable for sexual assault and guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying records.
Because Trump’s lawyers (and a federal judge he appointed) ran out the clock on his federal cases, he never went to trial for obstruction of justice, election interference, and illegal possession and concealing of classified documents. Therefore, those crimes didn’t occur. He wasn't responsible because Trump didn’t personally falsify business records (although he ordered it). They must have been someone else’s fingers inserted in E. Jean Carroll’s vagina. Unless Trump is successful in getting yet another delay in sentencing, it will happen on January 10th, and his people are big mad. The only way to reconcile their support with his crimes is to believe they never happened. Here’s a sample of what they say on one of the more moderate sites:
“What was done to Trump IS A CRIME," wrote one Trump supporter.
Wrote another: "My money says Trump shows up in person and no matter what Merchan attempts to do to get his own personal pound of flesh from Trump all he is going to achieve is his own personal defeat as he has a defendant on his hands with an excellent legal defense team, lots and lots of money, and now the power of the Presidency granted him by a majority of the people of the United States."
“In years past this so called judge would have 2 broken legs and a black eye (for starters)," wrote a third Trump supporter. "The case would have been dropped — the good ol days are needed.”
Several of the quotes from this moderate site suggest a willingness to commit violence to protect the reputation of an immoral man with no concern for the law when it comes to himself. It isn’t about any unfair punishment Trump will receive, except his name being slightly more tarnished. He’s getting off scot-free. Trump is already known to be a serial adulterer, fraud, and a liar. What’s one more label to a man who doesn’t have to go to jail and gets to sell Trump bibles, watches, sneakers, and $2 bills to his devoted followers?
People are angry that a felon is entering office because it reflects on them. If you support a man whose brand is immorality and lies, it makes you okay with those things. If supporting Trump means you’re in bed with insurrectionists who tried to overturn the last election. You have to agree to give them pardons, or you are a traitor. You can pretend all you want that you judge people for their character and not their asking color, but you’d have to ignore our immigration policy and Trump’s shithole country dividing line. You might as well invite white supremacists to lunch yourself if you don’t mind Donald Trump doing so,
When convicted felon Trump takes office on January 20, 2025, your job will be to attempt to cancel any media source that repeats the words “convicted felon” until the penalty is so significant they say them no more. You won’t consider changing your stances because you must be right. Donald Trump told you so.
This article originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of William Spivey's work on Medium.