'Huge development': Trump to debut new argument to cancel his hush money sentencing

President-elect Donald Trump plans to try to have his New York hush money case canceled, according to a report.

Paula Reid, CNN's chief legal affairs correspondent, told anchor Erin Burnett that Trump's team will try to get his upcoming sentencing canceled — a break from his team's typical strategy of "delay, delay, delay."

"This time they're going to argue to the judge that as president-elect, Trump is entitled to the same protections as a sitting president and should be protected from any state prosecutors," she said. "Any action in a state-level proceeding."

Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan gave himself a Nov. 12 deadline to decide whether to toss the conviction following the Supreme Court's summer ruling on presidential immunity. Should he do that, the sentencing would "go away," said Reid.

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"But the Trump team again, they're not just trying to delay this, they're trying to get this canceled," she emphasized.

A shocked Burnett replied, "A huge development there."

The news comes as special counsel Jack Smith is winding down two federal election subversion cases against Trump, who has threatened Smith with retribution.

Former federal prosecutor Elie Honig told Burnett he could see Trump's latest move "going either way."

"This is another example of a situation we have never encountered in American history," he said.

He said he could see Merchan rejecting Trump's request, but he could also see Merchan coming to the conclusion that the "practicalities" of the case could mean Trump will not serve any time behind bars no matter what he rules.

"He's going to spend the next four years as president, why bother even getting into this mess?" Honig suggested could be going through Merchan's head.

Trump won a second term in office despite four criminal indictments, 34 felony convictions and hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties. He is to be sentenced for falsifying business records related to his hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

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