Donald Trump sentenced over hush-money case

US President-elect Donald Trump was formally sentenced today in his porn star hush money case - but the judge declined to impose any punishment.

The outcome cements Trump’s conviction while freeing him to return to the White House without the baggage of a jail sentence or a fine.

Trump’s sentence of an unconditional discharge puts an end to a norm-smashing case that saw the former and future president charged with 34 felonies, put on trial for almost two months, and convicted on every count.

Trump was convicted for falsifying business records relating to a payment made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels, who claims she had sex with the real estate mogul shortly after the birth of his son Barron.

Yet, the case and the sordid details aired in court of a plot to bury affair allegations did not hurt him with voters, who elected him to a second term.

Manhattan Judge Juan M Merchan could have sentenced the 78-year-old Republican to up to four years in prison but chose a sentence that avoided problematic constitutional issues by effectively ending the case. The judge did assure that Trump will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency.

Judge Merchan said that as when facing any other defendant, he must consider any aggravating factors before imposing a sentence, but the legal protection that Trump will have as president “is a factor that overrides all others”.

“Despite the extraordinary breadth of those legal protections, one power they do not provide is that they do not erase a jury verdict,” Judge Merchan said.

Trump, briefly addressing the court as he appeared virtually from his Florida home, said his criminal trial and conviction has “been a very terrible experience” and insisted he committed no