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'Trump is a felon with a capital F — period': Ex-prosecutor shows no mercy after hearing

Former Manhattan prosecutor Jeremy Saland reacted with mirth right after Donald Trump's felony sentencing hearing concluded on Friday morning during an appearance on MSNBC.

Sitting down with hosts Ana Cabrera and José Díaz-Balart, the legal analyst helped break down the proceedings as they were reported from Judge Juan Merchan's courtroom but was quick to offer up his own verdict as the sentencing hearing came to a close.

With host Cabrera noting the hearing concluded after approximately 30 minutes, Saland commented, "Yeah, not shocking. This doesn't need to be a whole played out in front of the TV cameras, Judge Merchan is doing his job."

ALSO READ: Trump intel advisor Devin Nunes still dismisses Russian election meddling as a 'hoax'

"I mean, this is almost like the ghost of [special counsel] Jack Smith not yet biting Donald Trump on the be-hind," he joked which made fellow panelist and lawyer Kristin Gibbons Feden burst out laughing.

"And you know what?" he continued. "At the end of the day, incarceration or not, you are a felon. No matter what he says, no matter how many times he jumps up and down, he has a right to appeal. And ultimately that will be decided. But Donald Trump is a felon with a capital 'F' –– period, and no punishment."

Watch below or at the link here.

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Listen: Trump uses sentencing hearing to air grievances about being indicted

Donald Trump repeated a litany of grievances about his criminal prosecution – which resulted in his conviction by a jury – during his sentencing hearing.

The president-elect was found guilty in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, but New York justice Juan Merchan granted him unconditional discharge to avoid a prison term since he won re-election, and Trump whined about the case in a six-minute monologue during the virtual hearing.

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'Legally shocked': MSNBC analyst stunned by Trump's actions during sentencing hearing

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.

ALSO READ: Revealed: The secret Republican plot to disenfranchise millions of voters

"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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One thing at Trump sentence hearing has 'never happened in American history': legal expert

CNN's Elie Honig was astonished by the image of Donald Trump in his virtual appearance in court for a sentencing hearing on his felony convictions.

New York justice Juan Merchan granted an unconditional discharge of Trump's felony convictions on 34 counts of falsifying business records due to his impending inauguration to a second term as president, and Honig reacted to the president-elect officially becoming a convicted felon after losing a U.S. Supreme Court bid to halt the sentencing.

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Ex-Palm Beach prosecutor serves notice to 'felon' Trump that he won't be allowed to vote

Appearing on MSNBC just as Donald Trump's felony sentencing hearing was beginning, former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg told the hosts of "Morning Joe" that, as a convicted felon, he will be barred from voting.

Speaking with the hosts, Aronberg claimed that the best Trump can expect if he wants to vote again one day is for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to intercede in some manner.

ALSO READ: Trump intel advisor Devin Nunes still dismisses Russian election meddling as a 'hoax'

Speaking with host Jonathan Lemire, he explained, "Trump cares about his place in history. He will become the first-ever president who is a convicted felon. He cares about that and that is why he is going to appeal the underlying conviction all the way to the Supreme Court. "

"To get to your point that there is no ramification for it, well, in Palm Beach County, he will not be able to vote as a convicted felon," he added. "Governor DeSantis will make a special case out of him to make sure he gets his voting rights back but once the sentence is imposed, the question is, 'Can he vote?'"

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'Can't overstate the significance': Legal expert flags 'big deal' about Trump sentencing

Civil rights attorney Charles Coleman Jr. and others on MSNBC noted during Donald Trump's sentencing in New York on Friday that the incoming president will be the first in history to enter office as a convicted felon.

What he called a "big deal," however, is that Trump will score no punishment for his 34 felony counts.

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'Enough capitulation': Ex-Republican appalled to see Democrats 'bordering on servility'

Former Republican Mona Charen is finding herself feeling appalled by the current state of the Democratic Party, which is making noises about "working with" President-elect Donald Trump even as he muses about potentially starting a war with Denmark.

In her latest column at The Bulwark, Charen begins by declaring Democrats have already done "enough capitulation" and have behaved with an "acquiescence bordering on servility."

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'Essence of fascism': Soap star unloads on 'orange idiot' Trump after evacuating home

A soap opera actor unloaded on Donald Trump during an interview with CNN after evacuating his California home as wildfires approached.

Eric Braeden, the 83-year-old "Young and the Restless" star, appeared on the network after posting dramatic video on his Instagram account showing him flee his home as the flames advanced on his property, and he told host Laura Coates the fires were the most terrifying he had experienced in over 40 years in the area.

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Watch: MSNBC's Michael Steele blows up on Joe Scarborough over being civil with Trump

In a rare combative moment on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Michael Steele battled with co-host Joe Scarborough over the effectiveness of being "civil" with Donald Trump with the two talking over each other as the rest of the panel held their tongues.

With the conversation turning to Trump's interactions with former President Barack Obama at Thursday's Jimmy Carter funeral service, Scarborough maintained that it is important to keep the lines of communication open with the president-elect –– likely in reference to his own controversial meeting, along with wife and co-host Mika Brzezinski, with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

That set off a dispute with Steele, the co-host on MSNBC's "The Weekend" where Scarborough kept talking over his guest who wasn't having it.

ALSO READ: Trump intel advisor Devin Nunes still dismisses Russian election meddling as a 'hoax'

"Joe, you had your moment, let me just finish my point," Steele admonished Scarborough. "I get that, but I'm telling you something you seem to forget –– so, let me make my point, you may not like it but I'm going to make it and the reality of it is, I take your civility argument, you like to say 78 million people voted for Donald Trump, well 82 million people voted for Joe Biden and he didn't get that civility that you're talking about from Donald Trump in those four years."

"So now the expectation is, because he has won again and he's got 78 million people, we all have to be civil to Donald Trump, well okay, I'm prepared to be civil ––." he added only to have Scarborough to interrupt him with, "Nobody said that."

"You did!" the former RNC head shot back.

Scarborough then continued to talk over Steele, claiming, "I didn't say everybody has to stay civil."

"But the reality is, no, you are using the term civil, I'm using your term, you put civility on the table," Steele parried as Scarborough once again talked over him.

"But, Joe, I'm just saying –– fine, I'm not talking about that," Steele explained. "My main point is, everybody is looking at this from a one-way perspective; how we need to approach Donald Trump, how is he approaching us? The man wants to lock up citizens, the man wants to turn the government against them, how are we supposed to respond to that? Are we supposed to be civil?"

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'Oh come on!' CNN Republican faces groans from panelists after latest suggestion

A Republican strategist drew groans from fellow CNN panelists with his praise for U.S. Supreme Court justice Amy Coney Barrett.

The Donald Trump appointee cast the deciding vote in the president-elect's eleventh-hour effort to block his sentencing Friday in the New York hush money case, but the trial judge has already indicated he would not impose any jail time for his 34 felony convictions for falsifying business records.

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Legal expert warns of 'fireworks' between Trump and Judge Merchan at sentencing hearing

With Donald Trump expected to face off with New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan Friday morning where he will be sentenced for his part in a hush-money scheme, MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin raised the very real possibility a verbal clash may be in the offing.

Appearing on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Rubin noted that the president-elect will not be in the Manhattan courtroom where he will be sentenced for his felony convictions but will be appearing remotely, which could create problems for Judge Merchan.

As she noted, that could allow Trump to violate the judge's gag order when given the opportunity to speak for the record.

ALSO READ: Trump intel advisor Devin Nunes still dismisses Russian election meddling as a 'hoax'

Speaking with co-host Willie Geist, Rubin explained, "The former president and future president will have an opportunity to speak himself, Willie, and here's where things get really interesting, because Trump won't be in the courtroom."

"Therefore, if he starts to say things that aren't, for example, permitted by the very narrow gag order that is still in place in this case, Merchan can't take action, for example, to remove him from the courtroom, or to have that kind of confrontation with him in person," she elaborated. "What will the solution be if Trump continues to pontificate or refuses to sit down and sort of have his time? If he continues to talk and talk and talk, it'll be really interesting to see the fireworks that might occur between him and Judge Merchan."

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‘Staggering quantity of wrongness’: CNN fact checker blasts Trump's bizarre fire claims

Donald Trump’s claim that he is being left with “NO MONEY IN FEMA” as President Joe Biden prepares to leave office – and other assertions related to the devastating wildfires in California – were subjected to a thorough fact check by CNN’s Daniel Dale.

FEMA continues to dispel the myth that they don't have any funds to aid Americans in disasters despite Trump repeatedly peddling the inaccurate statement. This particular myth began after hurricanes hit Florida and the east coast this past fall, Dale noted Thursday night.

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‘MAGA friendly’ Fetterman blasted for accepting Trump Mar-a-Lago invite

U.S. Senator John Fetterman is facing criticism after accepting an invitation from Donald Trump to meet at the President-elect’s Mar-a-Lago resort and residence. Just hours after the Democratic freshman senator from Pennsylvania confirmed his decision, his top communications aide reportedly resigned.

Senator Fetterman increasingly appears to be taking controversial positions that are at odds with many elected and rank-and-file Democrats, such as suggesting Trump's call for the U.S. to take over Greenland is a “responsible conversation.”

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