'Legally shocked': MSNBC analyst stunned by Trump's actions during sentencing hearing
11 January
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump makes remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. January 7, 2025.
Reacting in real-time as Donald Trump's sentencing hearing on 34 felony counts was ongoing, an MSNBC legal analyst admitted she was "legally shocked" at how the president-elect conducted himself.
With Trump appearing in Judge Juan Merchan's courtroom via video feed, the hosts on MSNBC read texts from producers in the courtroom and related that Trump chose to challenge his convictions that now make him a felon when he was already notified he would face no penalties.
According to former prosecutor Kristin Gibbons Feden, she could understand why the convicted Trump would want to push back, but was nonetheless still surprised he did.
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"Actually what stands out to me is, while I am legally shocked, I'm personally not surprised," she admitted. "I'm surprised that Donald Trump exercised his right of allocution. The right of allocution is a right that is promised to every single criminal defendant, right before they are sentenced by a judge to offer some type of self-advocacy, contrition, something to say, 'Hey, I'm remorseful for what I did.'"
"Doesn't sound like that's what happened today," MSNBC host Ana Cabrera interjected.
"Not. At. All," Gibbons Feden replied. "And again, most defendants who have made clear that they intend to appeal any conviction don't really exercise that right of allocution, and here Donald Trump did."
"The reason why I'm legally shocked is because he really didn't need to," she elaborated. "Judge Merchan already stated that he intended to not really give him a sentence, that unconditional discharge, which means you have the conviction, but you have no jail time, you have no parole, you have no probation, you have no fine. You essentially get to walk home, unlike most other criminal defendants."
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