Convicted felon and former President Donald Trump spent less than 30 minutes answering routine questions in his virtual pre-sentencing interview. The 45th president’s court-mandated session was described as “less than a half-hour of routine and uneventful questions and answers,” according to The Associated Press, citing an anonymous source.
The results of this interview will contribute to a report prepared by a New York City probation officer, which will inform Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan’s sentencing decision on July 11. Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records. The sentencing date falls just four days before the three-day Republican National Convention is set to begin, where Trump remains the presumptive Republican nominee.
Trump has proclaimed his innocence and vowed to appeal the conviction. The forthcoming report may provide a comprehensive overview of Trump’s conviction, as well as details about his social, family, and employment background, education, and economic status. This report will remain confidential unless the judge authorizes its release.
Despite the unusual circumstances of Trump’s pre-sentencing interview, conducted via Zoom with his attorney Todd Blanche present, New York City Mayor Eric Adams told The Daily Beast that Trump was granted this unusual luxury. Former New York City Department of Corrections and Probation Commissioner Martin Horn called the format “highly unusual.”
In an interview with The Beast, Horn described pre-sentencing meetings like Trump’s as typically in-person sessions, giving the probation officer autonomy to ask probing questions about a convict’s life.
Adding to the complexity of his case is the ongoing tension between Trump and Judge Merchan, who could decide whether Trump goes to prison or is spared. Trump has publicly criticized Merchan, at one point calling him the “devil.”
“There’s never been a more conflicted judge,” Trump said of Merchan, expressing frustration over the “thousands of dollars” in fines for violating a gag order 10 times. He claimed the gag order was assigned by someone “who couldn’t put two sentences together.”
“He looks so nice and soft,” Trump said of Merchan. “He looks like an angel, but he’s actually a devil.” As Trump navigates his legal challenges, the scrutiny surrounding his pre-sentencing interview highlights the exceptional nature of his treatment and the broader implications for his political future.