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Trump's Sentence In Hush Money Case: Unconditional Discharge; Four Raging Wildfires Engulf Much Of Las Angeles Area; California Wildfires Burn More Than 36,000 Acres. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired January 10, 2025 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:00]

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DANA BASH, CNN HOST, INSIDE POLITICS: Today on Inside Politics, an unparalleled moment in American history. 10 days before putting his hand on the Bible at the U.S. Capitol and taking the oath of office for the most powerful position in the world. Donald J. Trump was sentenced in his 34-count criminal conviction. We have all the details from inside the Manhattan courtroom today.

Plus, another deadly inferno is erupting in ravage Los Angeles County. CNN is live on the scene with a new update on firefighters attempts to contain the flames as intense winds continue to complicate their efforts.

And charred remains of people's lives. Entire communities across the populous county are really, really in trouble, and not only that, they're unrecognizable in many cases. I'm going to talk to a woman who is returning to what's left of her beloved neighborhood today.

I'm Dana Bash. Let's go behind the headlines at Inside Politics.

You're looking at images from inside a New York City courtroom this morning where president-elect Donald J. Trump appeared virtually to be sentenced in his criminal hush money case. In a dramatic statement, the judge made clear that Donald Trump would be sentenced without any jail time or any other penalty for that matter.

And that's because of one reason, and only one reason. His status as soon to be 47th president of the United States. Trump spoke on his own behalf, showing no contrition, bragging about his election win and slamming the justice system.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Donald Trump (R), Former U.S. President and Current Presidential-Elect (voiceover): It's been a political witch hunt. It was done to damage my reputation, so that I'd lose the election and obviously that didn't work. And the people of our country got to see this firsthand because they watched the case in your courtroom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: CNN's Kara Scannell was inside that courtroom, and she joins us now. Kara, what was that like?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As you know, Dana, really an extraordinary moment, Donald Trump had been at every single day of the criminal trial. But today, the day of his sentencing, which he sought so hard to try to stop, he appeared on a video screen. It was set up in the courtroom, and when Trump delivered those statements to the judge, Judge Juan Merchan, who is sitting on the bench had turned, was facing the monitor, watching Trump as he sat beside his attorney Todd Blanche, and delivered those statements.

And then the judge delivered his sentence. He also continued to look at that monitor as he spoke to the president-elect, and explained to him that he could have sentenced him from as much as one in a third to four years in prison on each count, but he emphasized, as you noted, that Trump is now reelected to the office of the presidency. And that weight those legal obligations and benefits that he received heading into that office, is what guided his sentence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE JUAN MERCHAN, ACTING JUSTICE, NEW YORK SUPREME COURT (voiceover): It is the legal protections afforded to the office as the president of the United States that are extraordinary, not the occupant of the office. Ordinary citizens do not receive those legal protections. It is the office of the president that bestows those far- reaching protections to the office holder. And it was a citizenry of this nation that recently decided that you should once again, we see the benefits of those protections.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCANNELL: Now there was Judge Juan Merchan speaking there. You know, this is the first time that the public has heard the judge speak. Trump has been critical of the judge, calling him bias for months, both at the beginning of this trial and ever since the jury's verdict. The judge there explaining, you know, his believe that this sentence, even if it's an unconditional discharge, does reinforce that very jury verdict.

And the public now can hear the judge. Can hear his manner, his tone. That is exactly what he brought throughout the trial, that even in the face of Trump insulting him and the rule of law, the judge has maintained that steady, even presence from the bench as his parting words to Trump, as he was wrapping up the sentencing, was he said, God speed to Trump as he entered the White House for his second term. Dana?

[12:05:00]

BASH: Thank you so much. I mean, I cannot even imagine what it was like to be in there. Thank you for giving us so much of the color and more importantly, the information. Kara, appreciate it.

I want to bring in some excellent reporters and legal experts here, CNN's chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid, former federal prosecutor and CNN legal analyst Elie Honig, former federal prosecutor Shan Wu, and CNN's very own Jeff Zeleny.

Paula, I want to start with you with -- now that we have the details with the big picture here, because we sat at this table for months and months and months talking about not just this case, but the other cases that Donald Trump was being investigated on, was being prosecuted for federal New York as he was running for president in the Republican primary, then of course, in the general election.

And here we are just a little more than a week before he is going to take the oath of office again. And we learned the answer to a question that we've been asking, which is, what kind of impact is it going to be? And the answer is, not only no politically, but legally. The answer is virtually nothing, aside from today, which is not nothing, but there's no -- there's no penalty.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: You face a more significant punishment for speeding in Manhattan than what Trump got today. He faced four criminal cases, some real serious legal jeopardy, particularly in the federal cases. But as of now, this is the only consequence and it's de minimis. It's really -- it's nothing.

And his defense team deserves a lot of credit for guiding him through these cases and helping him to delay, but you know, who also deserves a lot of credit, the courts and some prosecutors. I mean, we look today. We were one justice away from this sentencing not even happening today.

Four justices agree that this sentencing should be delayed, which really surprised a lot of legal experts thought it was way too soon for the Supreme Court to get involved. Of course, a Trump appointed judge down in Florida, she tossed out the classified documents case that's on appeal, but that really shocked most legal experts.

The Supreme Court waited seven months to weigh in on immunity, made it impossible for Jack Smith to bring the January 6 case, and also gave him some immunity. And then down in Georgia the final case, the lead prosecutor had a romantic relationship with the person she appointed to oversee the case. So yes, the Trump defense team has done an extraordinary job by their client here, but he also got a lot of breaks from questionable decisions within the judiciary and prosecutorial offices.

BASH: OK. Let's -- thank you for putting that sort of in the broader context. I do want to drill down on what we heard this morning, because just listening to it. We first got the quotes from the judge and then we actually got the audio. And listening to it, it was really dramatic, listening to Judge Merchan who, of course, Donald Trump has spent the better part of -- maybe even more than a year, really trashing as somebody who is biased and so forth.

The judge clearly wanted to, as Kara suggested, maintain an even keel. The kind of comment though that he made was very clear and deliberate, kind of what you said, which is, this is not so much the fact that he is getting no penalty. So much about what he is convicted of doing. It's about what he is about to become. Let's watch him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE MERCHAN (voiceover): The considerable, indeed extraordinary legal protections afforded by the office of the chief executive is a factor that overrides all others. To be clear, the protections afforded the office of the president are not a mitigating factor. They do not reduce the seriousness, seriousness of the crime or justify its commission in any way. The protections are, however, a legal mandate, which pursuant to the rule of law this court must respect and follow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: So, Elie, to sum it up, the -- what the judge is saying is that U.S. citizens don't get special treatment, but the office of the presidency does.

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Yeah. The judge went out of his way to make a point. In that clip we just heard him throughout today of saying, the reason I'm sentencing you to nothing is not because you did nothing wrong. The reason I'm sentencing you to nothing is because you have been reelected president. And out of respect, not even for you president-elect Donald J. Trump, but the office of the presidency. That's why I'm doing this and that's what compels us.

And I'm glad you raised the point earlier, Dana, about the tone of the sentencing. People got to hear it, obviously, Shan and I have both been to many of them, but sentencing is a really solemn occasion in a case like this, even where you know there's not going to be prison time more so where somebody is going to have their liberty taken away.

[12:10:00]

And I think it was a good lesson in the way our courtrooms and our processes should work. Everyone, I think, gets credit. I think the D.A. made a brief, but compelling and concise presentation, Trump did his sort of usual song and dance, but in a subdued tone, right? I mean, Dana, you've heard him in different tones before, I'm sure, but he was subdued today.

And I think the judge did a good job of saying, here's what brings us all here today, and here's why I'm making this decision. But ultimately, was Donald Trump unfairly singled out, or is he being held to account like anyone else? We'll let that one play out on appeal.

BASH: Shan?

SHAN WU, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think decorum was certainly the winner today. I think Merchan has done a great job in the trial up until the conviction. Then I think he kind of got derailed. He over thought the case. In my opinion, he should have just sentenced the man and then let the appeals process take care of it.

Today, he actually, I kind of, all due respect to him, I'm disagree with a lot of what he said. I mean, he had many options. He could have imposed the sentence and then suspended it. He could have done a lot of things other than the unconditional discharge but give him credit. He did seem to find a way through the minefield where, if he had not said, no jail time. Real question, if that Supreme Court vote would have been just a tad different and stopped the entire thing. So, you give him credit for actually in Bill Barr's words, landing the plane at this point.

BASH: And the fact of the matter is, even though there's no penalty, he still is going to take the oath of office for the first time in U.S. history as a convicted felon.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Which is what is so extraordinary about this entire episode, really, if this case had not come forward, there are serious questions if Donald Trump would have won the Republican presidential nomination. So, in many respects this entire episode, thinking back to when he first left Trump Tower. I think it was like in March or so of 2023. And he could just see once this case sort of came the party, and his supporters rallied around him.

So now we are full circle. Yes, he will be sworn in in 10 days as a convicted felon. But the bigger picture is the people had a chance, the voters had a chance to weigh in on this, and they don't care about this particular case. So, I think that it will be a piece of history, but today, I don't think will be thought about for a long time.

I mean, look, he's already moving forward. His administration is taking shape. So yes, we are talking, and rightly so about the historic nature of this, but it's largely over and behind it. But I was struck by his tone this morning.

To your point, Elie, it was entirely different than when he was in the courtroom. He also made the decision to not go to the courtroom, as he didn't do during the campaign, which became a campaign stop for him. He quite literally used this on his way to the White House. So that's what's also so extraordinary. So, it wasn't all bad for Donald Trump on this, but he is a convicted felon in history. We'll note that.

BASH: And you mentioned the Supreme Court. I just want to circle back to that, Paula, because this is really important not to get lost that the sentencing went forward this morning because the Supreme Court last night said, five to four that it could.

REID: Yes.

BASH: Let's just look at how the justices ruled. Voted -- voting to halt the sentencing. Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh to proceed the Chief Justice Roberts, Coney Barrett, Kagan, Sotomayor, and Jackson. So, one of Donald Trump's appointees, Coney Barrett, said no, it should proceed along, of course, with the chief justice.

REID: So going forward, as we contemplate appeals, what they're focused on is the Supreme Court's recent immunity decision, where they said presidents cannot be charged for official acts. We also can't use official acts as evidence, and that's what the Trump team is focused on here. They argue that some of the evidence that came in during this trial, which was before this decision, constitute official acts, so conversations he had with Hope Hicks, other aspects. And they argue that, based on that, this entire case should be tossed.

And last night's decision, it was considered a long shot that he would prevail there. He got four justices. He only needs one more justice to agree with him on the interpretation of their immunity case to have this entire conviction overturned. And that, to me, seems like likely, if not highly probable.

BASH: We're out of time, but I'm just -- I don't want to also lose sight of the fact that the president-elect put a phone call in to judge -- excuse me, Justice Alito. Alito says, we didn't talk about the case, but -- in the line of these are not normal things, I mean --

HONIG: What he should have done is click, just hang up that phone right away. It's completely inappropriate to take the call. It's completely inappropriate to take the call days before you make a decision like this.

BASH: Yeah. All right, everybody. Thank you so much. Don't go anywhere. Up next, we're going to go back out to Los Angeles and the apocalyptic scenes, entire neighborhoods wiped off the map and more than 150,000 people under evacuation orders. We're going to have the latest from our reporters on the ground there on the California wildfires. And some Magic Wall to help everybody understand really what the scope of this devastation is.

[12:15:00]

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GARY HALL JR. HOME DESTROYED IN L.A. FIRES: I thought I had more time. I saw the fire charging down the hill and I knew that I had to get out of there. I opened up the back of my SUV, I loaded a painting, one other object.

[12:20:00]

By the time I was going back in from that run, hot embers were raining down from the sky. And I knew at that point that I just didn't have much time. I could see the embers hitting the roofs of the houses around me and made that decision, it's time to go.

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BASH: That was Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr., detailing one of countless, countless harrowing evacuation stories. At this hour, five wildfires are still raging across Los Angeles County, burning through nearly 36,000 acres. That's larger than the entire city of Miami. But the nightmare is very far from over as the most destructive Palisades fire is just 8 percent contained.

Here's what Mayor Karen Bass said moments ago.

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MAYOR KAREN BASS (D) LOS ANGELES: I want the residents of Los Angeles region to have faith in what we are doing 24 hours a day. I can say, on behalf of our first responders, from the fire department, the police department, we are doing everything we can to bring the situation under control and success has been reported.

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BASH: I want to get straight to CNN's Stephanie Elam, who is in Altadena, California, one of the many neighborhoods that has been absolutely decimated by one of the five fires that's out there. Stephanie, how is it looking now?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. It looks worse by daylight, Dana, when you see it. I'm looking here at this area where you have almost this entire block taken out, but then you've got one house that made it. So that's a positive, and it's also just disturbing.

I can see this big tree has fire that burned through it. It seems like it might make it. It's burned up through the branches. But then look at this house, this house next to it, just completely gutted. Everything burned out. The car in the backyard just charred. The glass, molten milk melted kind of into the sides of that vehicle that was there.

And when you look at this devastation all around, there's other signs of things that we haven't really seen, because you remember, it was extremely windy. We had those hurricane force gusts that were coming through here, also with the Palisades fire out by the coastline.

Look at this tree, taken down by these winds. And we talked to one of the men that works in this building next door, and he said that he was here. The tree was up Tuesday, and now it's down. This kind of devastation is what you're seeing throughout here.

We now know that the latest update that this fire has burned through some 14,000 acres, that there may be four to 5000 structures that have been destroyed, but they expect that number to go up as well. And same thing for the Palisades fire.

So, all in all, the same, more than 10,000 structures lost, and a lot of those structures are home. So, you think about these people. Where do they go? A lot of these people -- this was their nest egg. This is what they were counting on to retire. And you have entire blocks like this. Here, also at the Palisades fire, I was earlier, just completely gone. It looks like as if you were going to film a scene in a movie of what decimation looks like.

But it's actually true. It's actually happening to these people. It is astonishing, and I can tell you, along with the air quality here, almost everybody in L.A. County is impacted by these fires because of school being out, because they don't want to send people in. Almost everybody knows somebody who has lost a house or has been evacuated. When you think about the fact that there's hundreds of thousand, 200,000 people who could be impacted by this, either by a warning, and then others who actually did have to evacuate, this is something that I don't think L.A. County has seen outside of, you know, an earthquake. And it's been a long time since we've had a big earthquake here in Los Angeles. So, this is for a lot of people, the most devastating natural disaster that they can remember.

BASH: Yeah. And of course, earthquakes are something that people in California think about and prepare for. That happens and it's over, except for a few aftershocks. These are fires that have been going on for days now. And it really is. You said it perfectly. It is like a movie set, and they're trying to show what it's like, almost at the end of civilization. It's just horrible. Thank you so much to you and to your amazing crew, Stephanie.

And I want to come back here into the studio, because CNN's Tom Foreman is at the Magic Wall. You see him there. And Tom, this is so important because I have a pretty good understanding of the geography of Los Angeles, but it's hard to -- it's easy to get lost when you hear about the passive Pasadena fire or the different names of fires, without truly understanding how vast it is, and how much of what we're talking about are close to or even inside some very familiar places to people who know about Los Angeles or even Hollywood.

[12:25:00]

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. If you're a tourist, Dana, and you go out to Hollywood. This is where you're going to mainly be done, sort of like Beverly Hills, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Capitol Records, Universal Studios, a lot of that is all kind of down in here, little bit, sort of north and west of Los Angeles or the proper city of Los Angeles, but this is a sprawling town.

And if you are from Los Angeles, you know all these places that are affected, because while the movie and TV industry is down here, the people who make it run live in these places. Palisades out here, this right along the Pacific Coast Highway that takes you past Santa Monica all the way up into Malibu. You've seen these scenes a million times.

If you live there, this is where you take your friends on the weekends to go hiking up in the hills and see unbelievable views the Pacific, very much a community, very much part of the bigger community. Same thing over here with Pasadena. We were talking a little bit ago -- Stephanie was in Altadena. Altadena is the northern part here of Pasadena.

So, I'm telling you. This is a big sprawling city, but everybody in this city knows these areas that are being affected and many of them are in those areas. And if you look at the size of the fires right now, Palisades fire, look at this, 20,438 acres burned, Eaton fire 13,000. Those are the two big ones.

You look at these containment numbers. You'll see these all the time. You say, well, this is smaller fires. These are much more contained. Containment means, if you were trying to draw a line around the fire to hold all of it, how much of that line have you drawn?

3 percent, that's all they have contained there. 8 percent that's all they have contained there. That's why they keep saying these fires represent a constant and growing threat, because 8 percent, 3 percent, they fought hard to get that and it's not much.

BASH: It certainly is not much. That was so helpful. Thank you for showing us that. Now I just want to ask you about the aerial images that we've probably all seen online of neighborhoods before and after the fires tore through.

FOREMAN: Yeah. If you look -- if we go to Palisades, which what we've talked about so much. Look at this. This is Palisades before anything happened. Big neighborhood, like I said. These are where people live, just normal folks having normal communities. Think about size here, baseball complex over here, not a baseball diamond, that's a diamond, that's a diamond complex.

You get a sense of how -- this is the same neighborhood afterward. And there are some structures standing here and there, but by and large, everything here is gone. And when I've been around fires like this. You watch it just eat through a neighborhood very quickly.

And if you want to know a sense of the bigger sense of how much has been burned out there. We talk about acres all the time, which not being an agricultural country so much anymore. For most people, at least they don't really understand acres. 36,000, it's almost 37,000 acres now. Well, that's 55 plus square mile. That's two and a half size of the time the island of Manhattan. And one way to think about it is that an acre is about 75 percent of football field. So, about 27,000 football fields.

BASH: 27,000 football fields, that does bring it home. Tom, thank you so much for that. Really appreciate it. And coming up, Donald Trump is reacting to his felony sentencing as he rages at Democrats over what we were just talking about, devastating wildfires. We'll be right back.

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