Now that President-elect Donald Trump has been sentenced in his New York criminal trial, what ramifications does being a convicted felon do to him as he enters the role of president of the United States in five days?
Due to the uniqueness of the circumstances, New York Judge Juan Merchan imposed Trump with unconditional discharge, meaning the incoming Republican president will have no punishments to serve. In court last Friday, Merchan emphasized that just because Trump is entering the office of president doesn’t mean his conviction loses its validity.
“Despite the extraordinary breadth of those (presidential) protections, one power they do not provide is the power to erase a jury verdict,” Merchan said, per CNN. “Donald Trump, the ordinary citizen, Donald Trump, the criminal defendant, would not be entitled to such considerable protections.”
The criminal case that found Trump guilty of all 34 counts pertaining to legal expenses made in 2016 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep her from sharing a sexual encounter she claimed to have had with Trump back in 2006, took place in a New York state court. That means the only person who could grant Trump a pardon is the New York governor. A president can only pardon an individual charged with federal crimes.
Last month, when asked whether she had considered pardoning Trump for his crimes, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said the pardoning process includes the convicted felon feeling “remorse” for what they did, according to The Associated Press.
“No one will be treated any better, or any worse, by me when I make those life altering decisions as we’re looking at petitions that are coming in throughout the year. So, no one gets extra favors, no one gets treated worse,” she said.
The only time Trump went on official court record during the entirety of the criminal case was during his sentencing to reiterate his innocence and that the case was politically motivated.
“With all that’s happening in our country today, with a city that’s burning to the ground — one of our largest, most important cities burning to the ground — with wars that are uncontrollably going on, with all of the problems of inflation and attacks on countries, and all of the horrible things that are going on, I got indicted over calling a legal expense a legal expense,” he said during his sentencing Friday, per ABC News.
How will Trump’s felony sentence affect his citizenship?
With a future pardon unlikely, Trump will likely face legal hurdles with his new criminal record.
Can he possess a firearm?
Under federal law, felons in possession of any firearm are considered a crime. In 2023, when Trump was faced with his criminal indictment in New York, his concealed carry license was suspended, and two of his guns were handed over to the New York Police Department, CNN previously reported.
Is he still allowed to vote?
Trump is registered to vote in Florida and will be able to vote in future state and federal elections. According to Florida law, only felons convicted of sexual or murder offenses are barred from voting unless they are granted the right by a clemency board.
Any other person with a felony conviction who wishes to vote in the state can do so as long as they have served their sentence. In Trump’s case, Merchan’s unconditional discharge assigned zero terms to his sentencing. Florida doesn’t allow citizens who were convicted in a separate state to vote unless the laws in that state allow voting rights for felons, which New York — where Trump was convicted — allows once the felon is no longer incarcerated.
Can he leave the U.S.?
Since Trump will not face incarceration or probation, he will have no legal problem with the U.S. using his diplomatic passport as president to travel internationally. However, certain countries, including Israel, Canada and the United Kingdom, have the right to provoke visitation rights to their countries for people convicted of a felony.
How will his business be affected?
Most states prohibit granting felons liquor or gaming licenses, both of which Trump has ventured into. However, “Trump’s company has said his properties are all owned through corporate entities, and that he is not officer or director of any entity that holds any liquor licenses,” per The Associated Press.
Can he run for public office again?
There is no federal law that prevents a felon from running for presidential office, granting Trump’s unprecedented circumstances as the incoming U.S. president no issue. If he were to run for state office following his next four years in the White House, laws vary based on the state, but some require a pardon to do so.