Republicans blast ‘joke’ sentencing of Trump 10 days before swearing in
Republicans slammed the sentencing of President-elect Trump on Friday, calling it a “disgrace.”
Trump was sentenced Friday morning in New York City to unconditional discharge. He was convicted last year of falsifying business records after a years-long investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
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Despite Trump’s attempts to delay the sentencing, it went forward just 10 days before his inauguration.
The incoming president attended the proceeding virtually. “After careful analysis, this court determined only lawful sentence that permits entry of judgment of conviction is an unconditional discharge,” Judge Juan Merchan said. “At this time, I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts.”
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“What a joke and a disgrace,” wrote Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., on X.
Unconditional discharge, as Merchan sentenced Trump to, does not impose a punishment on the convicted individual. It does maintain that the conviction stands. However, it means that any relevant penalties won’t be imposed.
While Trump won’t face these penalties due to the sentence, he could still run into obstacles due to his felon status as long as the conviction is upheld.
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“This witch hunt and ruling was an insult to the American people,” Blackburn added.
Rep. Rudy Yakym, R-Ind., sounded off on the sentencing as well, writing, “Today’s sentencing is an unfortunate reminder that Democrats will stop at nothing, including weaponizing the justice system to try and destroy President Trump. Rest assured, their efforts have and will continue to fail. America’s comeback begins in 10 days.”
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“Today’s sentencing of President Trump confirms what the American people have known all along: these trials have been pure political persecution. The American people overwhelmingly rejected the weaponized judiciary and politicized lawfare. This ends January 20th,” said Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., on X.
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Top Trump ally Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., responded to the news, saying, “Finally, this baseless NYC liberal activist charade is over. It’s worth a reminder: President Trump doesn’t have to do this job—he’s doing it to save America. We’re looking forward. 10 days.”
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., slammed the conviction and sentence as “a pathetic waste of taxpayer resources that should be used on the real crimes harming New Yorkers.”
Details emerge about wildfire victims, including amputee and his son who couldn’t flee flames
The wildfires raging through Los Angeles County Friday have killed at least 10 as details are emerging about the victims, including one reported to have been found clutching a garden hose in his hand while trying to defend his family home of more than 50 years.
Victor Shaw, 66, was identified by KTLA as one of the fatalities from the devastating Eaton Fire centered around the city of Pasadena. His sister Shari told the station that Victor said he wanted to stay behind Tuesday night to try to fight the flames, but a family friend said his body was discovered the next day on the side of a road with a hose.
“They just told me that he was lying on the ground and that he looked serene, as if he was at peace,” Shari Shaw told KTLA.
The five wildfires active in Los Angeles County on Friday – the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Kenneth Fire, Hurst Fire and Lidia Fire, have so far burned more than 30,000 combined acres, according to Cal Fire.
LIVE UPDATES: LOS ANGELES COUNTY WILDFIRES LEAVE TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION
The agency says the largest – the Palisades Fire – has scorched nearly 20,000 acres and is only 6% contained. Across the county, more than 10,000 homes and businesses have been burned.
The Los Angeles Police Department arrested a man on Thursday who was allegedly “attempting to light a fire,” as wildfires continued to ravage the area.
The government has not yet released figures on the cost of the damage.
Right now, it’s impossible to quantify the extent of the destruction other than “total devastation and loss,” Barbara Bruderlin, head of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, told The Associated Press.
“There are areas where everything is gone, there isn’t even a stick of wood left, it’s just dirt,” Bruderlin said.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office said Thursday night that it has “received notification of 10 fire-related deaths.” At least five have been reported from the Eaton Fire and two from the Palisades Fire.
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Two of the dead in Altadena were Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old amputee, and his son, Justin, who had cerebral palsy. They were waiting for an ambulance to come and did not make it to safety when the flames roared through, Mitchell’s daughter, Hajime White, told The Washington Post.
Rodney Nickerson, an 83-year-old grandfather, was also found dead in Altadena, according to CBS News.
“We found his bones, his whole body was intact,” his daughter Kimiko said to the station, which reported that Nickerson was discovered in his bed among the rubble and ash.
Another victim was identified by the New York Times as Erliene Kelley, a retired pharmacy technician who reportedly lived near Shaw and Nickerson.
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“She was an angel,” neighbor Terry Pyburn told the newspaper. “That’s the perfect neighbor. When you see her, you have a smile.”
DeSantis crushes reporter, rushes to Trump’s defense after question on Newsom criticism
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called out a reporter on Thursday for the lack of blame being placed on California leaders for the devastating wildfires, pointing out that it’s in stark contrast to how Republican leaders are often treated in the wake of disasters.
DeSantis, and all other Republican governors, had just wrapped up a dinner with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday evening when the heated exchange with a reporter took place.
The reporter appeared to be asking another governor if it was appropriate for Trump to criticize Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom as deadly wildfires rage throughout the state.
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The question prompted DeSantis to step forward and ask, “Is it appropriate for people in your industry to try to create division and to try to create narratives any time these things happen?”
“Now, you’re not as interested in doing that because Newsom is a D. If Newsom was a Republican, you guys would go try … you would have him nailed to the wall for what they’re doing over there,” he continued.
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The Florida governor, who has managed multiple disasters during his tenure, said he has often been criticized for things that were out of his control and has been blamed for incidents before the facts came out, referencing the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse.
“I think your track record of politicizing these things is very, very bad,” DeSantis said.
He said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass would be treated much differently for her trip to Ghana while fires were high risk if she were a Republican.
“You should have been there preparing and doing that, and yet I don’t see a lot of heat being directed [toward her],” DeSantis said. “I’d like to see some balance on how this is done. You can criticize the president-elect, but you also have to hold these other people accountable, and I have not seen that.”
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Bass returned to Los Angeles on Wednesday, and didn’t have much to say to the residents of her city outside of news conferences. While waiting to deplane, she gave the cold shoulder to Sky News reporter David Blevins, who was asking her if she had anything to say about the devastating fires.
“No apology to them? Do you think you should have been visiting Ghana while this was unfolding back home?” Blevins asked as Bass continued to look at the ground.
“Madam mayor, let me ask you just again, have you anything to say to the citizens today as you return?” he said.
As multiple wildfires rage on in Los Angeles County, California residents have been criticizing both Newsom and Bass for past decisions related to fire-prevention efforts, including Bass’ decision to cut the LAFD budget by $17 million.
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The wildfires have claimed at least 10 lives since they broke out on Tuesday, scorching more than 35,800 acres total and destroying thousands of homes and businesses.
Firefighters were still struggling to contain the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire – the two largest of the group – as they sit at 6% contained and 0% contained, respectively, on Thursday evening, according to data by CAL FIRE.
Biden blasted for ‘absolutely disgusting’ joke during briefing on deadly wildfires
President Biden made what many considered a “disgusting” joke during his remarks on the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires Thursday.
Biden convened senior administrative officials to address the federal response to the Pacific Palisades wildfires that have continued to rage throughout the county, forcing the displacement of thousands of California citizens and destroying thousands of homes and buildings.
After briefing the public on the federal government’s plan to help local officials during the disaster, Biden gave the floor to Vice President Kamala Harris, who hails from California, and made a quick joke.
“Madam Vice President, I know you’re directly affected. So you fire away, no pun intended,” Biden said.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES DEVASTATE LOS ANGELES COUNTY, KILLING 5 AND THREATENING THOUSANDS OF HOMES
X users were quickly shocked by the comment and began blasting the president.
“WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS DUDE,” Redstate writer Bonchie exclaimed.
“Is the empathy in the room with you now?” Townhall.com video editor Kevin McMahon wrote.
Townhall.com columnist Derek Hunter wrote, “Most of the time, @JoeBiden is just a mean, vindictive person (has been his whole career), but in this case I think this can be blamed on his senility.”
The Spectator contributing editor Stephen Miller remarked, “Even Kamala at this point is like ‘You serious dude?’”
“Completely tone deaf,” Libs of TikTok wrote.
“What a jerk,” Conservative commentator Steve Guest said.
Conservative writer Ben Kew remarked, “Probably not the time to be making puns.”
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During the briefing, Biden announced that the federal government will cover 100% of the costs of disaster response over the next 180 days.
“That’s going to pay for things like debris and hazard material removal, temporary shelters, first responders’ salaries, and all of the safety measures to protect life and property,” he said. “I want to underscore, I told the governor and local officials: spare no expense. And we’re doing literally everything we can at the federal level.”
Biden had already faced backlash one day earlier during a meeting with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and firefighter officials.
After signing a disaster declaration and reiterating his support for the state, Biden took the time to announce the birth of his first great-grandson.
“The good news is I’m a great-grandfather as of today,” Biden said.
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Biden was also criticized for a joke in a similar situation in 2023 after addressing the devastating wildfires that took the lives over 100 people in Maui.
Prior to a speech he made on site, Biden met and shook hands with a group of officials, stopping in front of a search and rescue dog. While petting the dog, he joked about the boots the canine was wearing.
“You guys catch the boots out here?” Biden appeared to ask the press watching him. He smiled and said, “That’s some hot ground, man.”
Dems share new video montage showing they didn’t learn anything after Trump’s win
Senate Democrats released a video on Thursday to message their priorities ahead of President-elect Donald Trump taking office, however the video was met with criticism for being out of touch and “cringe.”
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. shared the video on his X account and captioned with, “Senate Democrats are here to fight for you.”
In the video, Senate Democrats spoke directly to the camera, promising to work with “anyone” that would make life better but would oppose President-elect Donald Trump and Republicans if they “do things to hurt you.”
Several Democratic senators, who are from close states or are up for re-election, were noticeably absent from the video. Sens. John Fetterman, Pa., Jeanne Shaheen, N.H., Maggie Hassan, N.H., Ruben Gallego, Ariz., Mark Kelly, Ariz., Jon Ossoff, Ga., Gary Peters, Mich., Chris Murphy, Conn., did not appear in the video.
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Conservatives and others on social media mocked the video for being out of touch, with one user saying Democrats are still wondering how they lost the last election and that this video would help them win over voters.
A reporter for the British news outlet, The Guardian, appeared to reluctantly dub the video “kind of cringe.”
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“They fight for you with the Power of Cringe,” college professor and conservative commentator David P. Deavel quipped. He added as an aside, “Senator Booker himself looks like a slightly ornery 7th grader who has been told not to mess up the class video.”
“Please go away. you’re the worst,” Babylon Bee managing editor Joel Berry wrote. In a separate post, he added, “Lolol look at these lizard-faced geriatric stock traders.”
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote, “So much deference to voters.”
“NOW they’re going to fight for workers & their families!?!” Comedian Jimmy Dore asked. “So you’re all done crushing railroad union strikes & flooding the country with millions of desperate people to suppress wages? And all it took was Americans to elect Trump & a Republican congress? Who Knew?!?”
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Although the video had some support, with one progressive suggesting the Democratic senators make more like it.
“Give the digital comms staffer who came up with this idea a raise!!! This is brilliant! More of this, please!!” NextGen America press secretary Joana Esquivel cheered. “More of this, please!!”
ABC News starts 2025 with embarrassing headlines involving top stars
ABC News is kicking off 2025 with a series of embarrassing headlines involving some of its biggest stars.
“World News Tonight” anchor David Muir was scorched by critics in a viral moment during Wednesday’s broadcast as he was reporting from Pacific Palisades in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that have ravished Southern California.
Muir, wearing a yellow flame-resistant jacket with ABC News’ logo in front, attempted to show viewers the rubble from burnt buildings behind him. But caught more attention was what was behind his own back.
As he turned away from the camera, clothespins could be seen tightening Muir’s jacket near his lower back, providing him a slimmer appearance for viewers.
ABC NEWS’ MUIR MOCKED FOR MAKING HIS FIREFIGHTER COAT MORE FORM-FITTING FOR WILDFIRE REPORT
Jack Osbourne, TV personality and son of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, spotted the makeshift fashion accessory and called out the “World News” anchor on X.
“Nice Jacket Bro. Glad you look nice and svelte with those clothes line pegs, while our city burns to the ground,” Osbourne reacted.
Other critics blasted Muir as “pathetic” and “narcissistic” as he faced accusations of prioritizing his appearance while reporting on the widespread devastation in Los Angeles.
Muir wasn’t the only ABC star depicted in an unflattering light. “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin was at the center of social media chatter after it was reported that her husband was facing medical fraud accusations in a sweeping federal lawsuit filed last month.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Emmanuel “Manny” Hostin and his practice, Hostin Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, were named among more than 180 defendants in a major RICO case filed in New York on Dec. 17.
According to The Daily Mail, Hostin and the other defendants were allegedly receiving “kickbacks” for performing surgeries and fraudulently billing the insurance company that provides for Uber, Lyft and other taxi companies. The lawsuit alleges Hostin was given an “investment” interest in the Empire State Ambulatory Surgery Center while receiving a “steady stream” of patient referrals in return.
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Two of Hostin’s patients cited in the lawsuit were allegedly treated in January 2023 following involvement in “low-impact” collisions that were said to have only caused minimal damage, “no more than soft-tissue injuries,” but both received arthroscopic surgery.
Hostin’s attorney told The Daily Mail his client denies all the allegations and called the filing a “blanket, scattershot, meritless lawsuit by a near-bankrupt insurance carrier.”
In the wake of her husband’s legal troubles, comments made by Sunny Hostin herself have resurfaced.
Hostin spoke about her husband’s work on “The View” as recently as last month while discussing the health insurance industry in the aftermath of the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“Doctors suffer because of big corporations as well, doctors that want to do good like my husband,” Hostin told her colleagues. “[He] operates on someone even though they don’t have insurance and then has to sue health insurance companies to get paid for the work that he’s been trained his whole life to do.”
Additionally, comments Hostin made in March 2023 about the severity of insurance fraud went viral as she discussed potential charges against former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, who had been serving a prison sentence for tax fraud.
“Prosecutors are like ‘Oh really? Well how about we add some additional fraud charges onto you?’ And they’re talking about threatening him with insurance fraud, which I would say you could get 20 years in prison. So that’s a death sentence for him,” Hostin said at the time.
While some headlines have created fodder for critics, others signal drama inside the Disney-owned network. ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl was reportedly “gunning” for his colleague George Stephanopoulos’ spot as host of the Sunday morning news show “This Week” following the network’s $15 million settlement with President-elect Donald Trump.
Page Six reported this week that Karl, who is a rotating host of “This Week” with Stephanopoulos and Martha Raddatz despite Stephanopoulos’ name being in the title, “wants the show, and he sees [ABC’s Trump settlement] as an opportunity,” according to sources.
A spokesperson for ABC News denied Karl’s reported ambitions, telling Page Six “It’s not true. They have a friendly and mutually respectful relationship.”
The settlement, which was made late last month, stemmed from comments Stephanopoulos made during an interview last March with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., when he claimed ten separate times Trump was found “liable for rape,” when the jury in the E. Jean Carroll civil case actually determined him to be liable for “sexual abuse,” which has a distinct definition under New York law.
Initially, Stephanopoulos was defiant in the face of Trump’s lawsuit, telling CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert that he wouldn’t be “cowed out of doing my job because of a threat.”
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“Trump sued me because I used the word ‘rape,’ even though a judge said that’s in fact what did happen. We filed a motion to dismiss,” Stephanopoulos told Colbert.
A judge ultimately tossed ABC News’ motion to dismiss Trump’s lawsuit and settled with the president-elect in December before entering a costly trial. The decision to settle was reportedly made by Disney’s top chief Bob Iger.
In addition to paying Trump’s legal fees, Stephanopoulos and ABC News also had to issue statements of “regret” as an editor’s note at the bottom of an article on ABC News’ website. The note reads, “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
Liberal critics from rival networks, including CNN, NBC and MSNBC accused ABC News of “bending the knee” to Trump and setting a bad precedent.
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The drama that has unfolded at ABC News in recent weeks comes on the heels of intense scrutiny over the network’s election coverage, which was overseen by Disney co-chairman Dana Walden, a close friend of Vice President Kamala Harris (An ABC spokesperson previously stated Walden does not weigh in on editorial decisions.).
ABC News faced fierce backlash over its handling of the Trump-Harris presidential debate after Muir and his co-moderator Linsey Davis repeatedly fact-checked Trump while allowing Harris to go unchallenged.
Diabetes, heart disease cases skyrocket — and scientists pinpoint one key reason
Millions of new cases of diabetes and heart disease every year are caused by sugary drinks, according to newly published research.
Tufts University in Boston led the study, which found that about 2.2 million new diagnoses of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease were attributed to sugar-sweetened sodas and juices each year, according to a press release.
The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine this week.
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The highest rates were found in Colombia, where 48% of new diabetes cases were linked to sugary drinks, and in Mexico, where nearly a third of cases were attributed to them.
Meanwhile, in Latin America, more than 24% of new diabetes cases were linked to sugary beverages, and 21% in sub-Saharan Africa, the study found.
In South Africa, 27.6% of new diabetes cases and 14.6% of cardiovascular disease cases were attributed to sugary drinks.
Sugary drinks are rapidly digested, causing a spike in blood sugar levels with little nutritional value.
Sugary drinks cause blood sugar to spike because they are “rapidly digested,” the research team said.
When consumed on a long-term basis, these types of beverages, in addition to increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, can also lead to weight gain and insulin resistance, the researchers added.
Professor Dariush Mozaffarian, the study’s senior author, said in a university press release, “Sugar-sweetened beverages are heavily marketed and sold in low- and middle-income nations.”
He added, “Not only are these communities consuming harmful products, but they are also often less well-equipped to deal with the long-term health consequences.”
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Certain groups are more likely to experience negative health effects from sugary drinks, including men and younger adults, the researchers noted, as news agency SWNS also noted.
New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, who was not involved in the research, said the findings were to be expected, as diets rich in added sugars are more likely to increase the risk of chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes.
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are a major cause of added sugar in the diet and easy to overconsume, as they provide little fullness,” she told Fox News Digital.
“The high calorie content and lack of satisfaction due to little protein, fat or fiber in these drinks can lead to excess calorie consumption, which can lead to weight gain — especially gains in visceral fat (belly fat), which has been found to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes,” she went on.
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are easy to overconsume, as they provide little fullness.”
Palinski-Wade pointed out that there were some limitations to the new research.
“This was an observational study, not a causation study, and shows only an association between diets containing sugar-sweetened beverages and diabetes,” she noted.
“It does not prove that those drinks alone trigger an onset of type 2 diabetes.”
What needs to change?
To remedy the issue, the study authors called for a “multi-pronged approach,” including public health campaigns, regulations on advertising and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, the release stated.
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“We need urgent, evidence-based interventions to curb consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages globally, before even more lives are shortened by their effects on diabetes and heart disease,” first author Laura Lara-Castor, now at the University of Washington, said in the release.
Mexico implemented a sugary drinks tax in 2014, which has shown to be effective in reducing consumption, the researchers stated.
“Much more needs to be done, especially in countries in Latin America and Africa, where consumption is high and the health consequences severe,” wrote Mozaffarian.
“As a species, we need to address sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.”
Many different factors are involved in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, Palinski-Wade noted.
“As a species, we need to address sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.”
“However, reducing your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages can go a long way toward improving overall blood sugar regulation and future health.”
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The new research was supported by the Gates Foundation, the American Heart Association and Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for further comment.