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Donald Trump has been handed a no-penalty sentence following his conviction in the Stormy Daniels hush money case.

The incoming US president has received an unconditional discharge – meaning he will not face jail time, probation or a fine.

Manhattan Judge Juan M Merchan could have jailed him for up to four years.

The sentencing in Manhattan comes just 10 days before the 78-year-old is due to be inaugurated as US president for a second time on 20 January.

Trump appeared at the hearing by video link and addressed the court before he was sentenced, telling the judge the case had been a “very terrible experience” for him.

He claimed it was handled inappropriately and by someone connected with his political opponents – referring to Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg.

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Trump sentenced in Manhattan court

Trump said: “It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election.

“This has been a political witch hunt.

“I am totally innocent. I did nothing wrong.”

Concluding his statement, he said: “I was treated very unfairly and I thank you very much.”

The judge then told the court it was up to him to “decide what is a just conclusion with a verdict of guilty”.

He said: “Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances.

“This has been a truly extraordinary case.”

He added that the “trial was a bit of a paradox” because “once the doors closed it was not unique”.

US President-elect Donald Trump is seen on the screen at Manhattan criminal court in New York, US, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.  JEENAH MOON/Pool via REUTERS
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Pic: Reuters

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass had earlier argued in court that Trump “engaged in a campaign to undermine the rule of law” during the trial.

“He’s been unrelenting in his attacks against this court, prosecutors and their family,” Mr Steinglass said.

“His dangerous rhetoric and unconstitutional conduct has been a direct attack on the rule of law and he has publicly threatened to retaliate against the prosecutors.”

Mr Steinglass said this behaviour was “designed to have a chilling effect and to intimidate”.

It comes after the US Supreme Court rejected a last-ditch attempt by Trump to delay sentencing in the case on Thursday.

Trump’s lawyers argued that evidence used during the trial violated last summer’s Supreme Court ruling giving Trump broad immunity from prosecution over acts he took as president.

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Todd Blanche, attorney for former US President Donald Trump, and US President-elect Donald Trump are seen on the screen at Manhattan criminal court in New York, US, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.  JEENAH MOON/Pool via REUTERS
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Trump appeared via videolink with his attorney Todd Blanche. Pic: Reuters

Trump’s hush money conviction in May 2024 means he will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the US presidency.

He was found guilty in New York of 34 counts of falsifying business records relating to payments made to Ms Daniels, an adult film actor, before he won the 2016 US election.

Prosecutors claimed he had paid her $130,000 (£105,300) in hush money to not reveal details of what Ms Daniels said was a sexual relationship in 2006.

Trump has denied any liaison with Ms Daniels or any wrongdoing.

The trial made headlines around the world but the details of the case or Trump’s conviction didn’t deter American voters from picking him as president for a second time.

FILE - Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (Timothy A. Clary/Pool Photo via AP, File)
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Trump appears in court during his trial. Pic: AP

What is an unconditional discharge?

Under New York state law, an unconditional discharge is a sentence imposed “without imprisonment, fine or probation supervision”.

The sentence is handed down when a judge is “of the opinion that no proper purpose would be served by imposing any condition upon the defendant’s release”, according to the law.

It means Trump’s hush money case has been resolved without any punishment that could interfere with his return to the White House.

Unconditional discharges have been handed down in previous cases where, like Trump, people have been convicted of falsifying business records.

They have also been applied in relation to low-level offences such as speeding, trespassing and marijuana-related convictions.

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Trump links paracetamol use in pregnancy to increased risk in autism – here’s what the evidence says

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Trump links paracetamol use in pregnancy to increased risk in autism - here's what the evidence says

Donald Trump has claimed the use of paracetamol in pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of autism – but what does the evidence say?

Americans consume more than 40% of all the world’s paracetamol, spending in excess of $4bn a year on products containing acetaminophen (as it is known in America – or by its leading brand name, Tylenol).

Autism rates in the US are also on the rise – going up from about one in 150 children in the year 2000, to around one in 30 today.

There have also been a number of well-publicised studies suggesting a correlation between mothers who took paracetamol during pregnancy and the birth of a child with autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD.

So surely something must be going on?

Well, not necessarily.

In studies that have suggested a link, the authors have been unable to show the drug itself led to autism instead of other factors.

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These include: the genetics of the parents (autism’s genetic links are well established); the lifestyle or environment in which the mother lives; or most confounding of all, that the reason the mother was taking paracetamol – a viral infection perhaps – wasn’t a trigger rather than the drug itself.

A study showing a correlation is not the same as finding a cause.

Better understanding of autism has meant the criteria for diagnosing it have expanded over the last two decades to include far more people. Diagnoses may well be rising simply because we’re better at recognising it.

Tylenol is America's leading brand name for paracetamol. Pic: AP
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Tylenol is America’s leading brand name for paracetamol. Pic: AP

What’s more, there are numerous studies showing evidence of no link to paracetamol at all.

Chief among them is a huge study from last year that included 2.5 million children in Sweden.

In Sweden, a mother’s use of paracetamol during pregnancy is added to her medical records.

The researchers found a marginal increase in the risk of autism and paracetamol use by the mother. But crucially, when they included data for siblings born to the same mothers from pregnancies during which she took no paracetamol, the apparent link disappeared.

“Which provides a pretty strong evidence against the notion that paracetamol would cause harm,” said Dr Viktor Ahlqvist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, who led the study.

Paracetamol still recommended in UK

The study showed not only that paracetamol wasn’t linked to autism, but that other studies, with poorer quality data were prone to seeing a pattern that wasn’t there.

This balance of evidence is why health authorities, including here in the UK, are confident in recommending paracetamol for use in pregnancy.

In fact, it’s now recommended as the safest choice, as other painkillers – even ibuprofen – have been shown to cause potential or actual harm to mother or babies.

Talking up a link with the drug could anger people with autism or their parents, say experts. Pic: iStock
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Talking up a link with the drug could anger people with autism or their parents, say experts. Pic: iStock

While most doctors would advise women only to take medicines in pregnancy when necessary, avoiding paracetamol could do more harm than good.

“While you’re pregnant, experiencing uncontrolled fevers or some of the side effects from pain, such as high blood pressure, will be a lot more detrimental to a developing baby and a mother than paracetamol will be,” said Dr Monique Botha, who studies bias in autism research at the University of Durham.

Talking up a link between autism and paracetamol is also likely to anger people with autism or their parents, suspects Dr Botha.

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“Families with autistic children are often struggling with under-resourced care and someone standing up and declaring that they’ve potentially found the cause of autism – when it’s so misguided – isn’t going to change anything for them.”

Researchers worry too, that posing a link between a drug taken during pregnancy and autism adds unnecessary stigma to mothers of autistic children.

“We’ve seen this many, many times, going back to the scary stories of the 1960s, that the blame is usually on the mother and parents where a child has a condition,” said Dr Ahlqvist.

“With this current [US] administration, they’re again pointing the finger at mothers, when we have no substantial evidence to suggest that this is the case.”

So, if paracetamol doesn’t cause autism, what’s causing the Trump administration to talk about it?

With echoes of previous, and all too real, drug scandals like thalidomide, it’s the kind of story to generate controversy by association – however false.

And the Trump White House has form when it comes to finding issues to distract from genuine controversies surrounding the president.

The story also fits a key theme of US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s policy moves – like on childhood vaccines — that stem from his belief that children are being harmed by an overmedicated America.

But the whole point of science is that it doesn’t care what you believe, it’s about what the best quality evidence tells you.

So far, there’s been precious little of that behind the latest changes in US health policy.

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Jimmy Kimmel show to return after being taken off air over Charlie Kirk comments

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Jimmy Kimmel show to return after being taken off air over Charlie Kirk comments

Late night TV show presenter Jimmy Kimmel, who was taken off the air following a row over comments about Charlie Kirk, will return on Tuesday.

Kimmel, who was accused of being “offensive and insensitive” because of what he said on his show last Monday, will go back on air in his regular slot.

Disney said in a statement: “Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.

“It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive.

“We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.”

Jimmy Kimmel had criticised President Donald Trump for his response to the murder of Charlie Kirk. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
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Jimmy Kimmel had criticised President Donald Trump for his response to the murder of Charlie Kirk. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

Earlier today, hundreds of Hollywood stars signed an open letter to defend free speech following Kimmel’s suspension.

Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Anniston, Selena Gomez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep are among those who have penned the appeal.

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More than 430 of the stars, including comedians, directors and writers, urged Americans to “fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights”.

The letter is addressed to the American Civil Liberties Union, and argues the decision was a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation”.

The letter adds: “Regardless of our political affiliation, or whether we engage in politics or not, we all love our country.

Robert De Niro was among those to sign an open letter in protest to Kimmel's ban. (Pic: Reuters/Sarah Meyssonnier)
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Robert De Niro was among those to sign an open letter in protest to Kimmel’s ban. (Pic: Reuters/Sarah Meyssonnier)

“We also share the belief that our voices should never be silenced by those in power – because if it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us.”

The list of signatures also includes Emmy-winner Noah Wyle, Oscar-nominated Florence Pugh, comedian David Cross, Tony-winner Kelli O’Hara and Molly Ringwald. Pedro Pascal, Billy Crystal, Nathan Lane, Kerry Washington and Kevin Bacon have also signed the letter.

The letter concludes: “This is the moment to defend free speech across our nation. We encourage all Americans to join us, along with the ACLU, in the fight to defend and preserve our constitutionally protected rights.”

Kimmel had used his show to accuse President Donald Trump and his allies of capitalising on the conservative influencer’s assassination.

He said: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Speaking about Trump, he added: “This is not how an adult grieves the murder of someone he calls a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”

President Donald Trump had celebrated Kimmel's suspension.(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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President Donald Trump had celebrated Kimmel’s suspension.(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

“Many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk,” he continued.

The Disney-owned ABC pulled the show following criticism from Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

Mr Carr had threatened to “take action” against Disney and ABC.

In an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, he said: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way”.

Mr Carr then praised the move, saying “it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values”.

But the decision sparked a global, furious backlash from the public and high-profile figures around the world.

Among them was former US President Barack Obama, who said on X: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.”

He added: “This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent – and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it.”

The decision came at a time Disney and Nexstar, the network operator, had FCC business ahead of them, with the former seeking regulatory approval for ESPN’s acquisition of the NFL Network and the latter need the Trump administrations approval to complete a $6.2billion purchase of broadcast rival, Tegna.

Trump, who was on a state visit of the UK at the time, said Kimmel had been cut for “bad ratings”.

He had said: “Well, Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings, more than anything else.

“And he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk.”

He added: “Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago.

“So, you know, you could call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.”

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‘I forgive him’: Charlie Kirk’s wife delivers tearful message – and one America needs to hear most

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'I forgive him': Charlie Kirk's wife delivers tearful message - and one America needs to hear most

“I forgive him.” They were three little words, and yet, they were huge.

In a stadium packed to capacity, Erika Kirk’s address to an assassin was delivered in tears and received with silence until the crowd grew into applause.

“The answer to hate is not hate,” she added. It is, perhaps, the message America needs to hear most and the one it has heard least.

As it happened: Trump delivers speech at Charlie Kirk’s memorial

President Donald Trump embraces Erika Kirk. Pic: AP
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President Donald Trump embraces Erika Kirk. Pic: AP

Erika Kirk wipes tears from her eyes during her speech. Pic: AP
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Erika Kirk wipes tears from her eyes during her speech. Pic: AP

The memorial to Charlie Kirk felt like a Republican state funeral in all but name.

This was MAGA in mourning, an occasion that laid bare the influence of Charlie Kirk and his politics.

They had travelled in their tens of thousands to the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

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Charlie Kirk’s supporters pay tribute at memorial

They saluted a conservative icon and the dress code crafted a patriotic spectacle in red, white and blue.

It was an act of remembrance on a stadium scale, huge in size and sentiment. It was also big on politics.

From the president down, the Trump administration’s top tier spoke of politics after 10 September, the day Charlie Kirk was killed.

Attendees listen as President Donald Trump speaks. Pic: AP
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Attendees listen as President Donald Trump speaks. Pic: AP

A woman is overcome with emotion while watching a Charlie Kirk tribute video. Pic: AP
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A woman is overcome with emotion while watching a Charlie Kirk tribute video. Pic: AP

This was a Republican movement in one place, with one microphone, after an assassination that accelerated the tectonic shift in US politics.

A week and a half since the assassination, political reaction has distilled into a war over freedom of speech and that was revisited by the president, even if he reserved most of his speech to pay homage to Charlie Kirk.

The White House decanted a full team from Washington DC to Arizona.

They came for reasons of sympathy and bereavement, of course. It was also an occasion laced with politics.

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‘We speak for Charlie louder than ever’ – Vance

This was Washington’s travelling roadshow swinging by the support that Charlie built.

The same support was critical in helping Donald Trump back into power at the last election, and the challenge confronting the White House is in harnessing that vote in his absence and carrying it forward.

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Musk and Trump greet each other at Kirk memorial

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Politically, it was a full-court press to style the horses amongst the youth vote and Christian nationalists.

Charlie Kirk brought them onside, and Team Trump wants to keep them there.

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