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As Donald Trump prepares to return for a second term in the U.S. presidency, his path back to the Oval Office has been overshadowed by a major legal setback.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday denied President-elect Donald Trump’s emergency appeal to halt his criminal sentencing in New York, allowing the hearing to proceed as scheduled on Friday.
The ruling comes 10 days before Trump’s inauguration. Over the past weeks, he’s been preparing to fulfil crypto-related promises that include easing digital asset regulations and advancing blockchain innovation during his term.
In a 5-4 ruling, the court’s majority—including Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson—held that the burdens imposed by the sentencing were “relatively insubstantial.”
The sentencing follows Trump’s conviction in May 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments during his 2016 campaign.
The hearing will be conducted virtually and result in an “unconditional discharge,” meaning Trump will avoid prison time.
“The alleged evidentiary violations at President-Elect Trump’s state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal,” the court wrote.
The dissenting Justices—Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh—provided no explanation for their opposition.
Prosecutors argued that hush-money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels were intended to suppress damaging allegations in the run-up to the election.
Trump has repeatedly denied the charges, calling the case a politically motivated “witch hunt.”
“This is nothing more than the weaponization of our justice system against a political opponent,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, describing the charges as “fake” and “fabricated.”
The President-elect expressed his gratitude for the Supreme Court’s efforts while attacking the judge as “highly political and corrupt.”
“We’re going to appeal anyway, just psychologically, because frankly, it’s a disgrace,” he said during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Thursday, according to a New York Times report.
Trump’s crypto plans
Trump laid out ambitious plans for the crypto industry as part of his reelection campaign.
His proposals include creating a national Bitcoin reserve, supporting domestic crypto mining and opposing a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency.
Last month, Trump announced Paul Atkins, a former SEC commissioner known for his crypto-friendly stance, as his pick to lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Atkins is set to replace outgoing SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who faced criticism from the crypto industry for his aggressive enforcement actions and will resign upon Trump’s inauguration.
Trump praised Atkins as a “proven leader for common sense regulations” and an advocate for innovation in financial markets.
These efforts have earned Trump widespread support from crypto advocates, who repeatedly accused the previous administration of a “regulation-by-enforcement” approach.