Donald Trump is drawing criticism over his Monday probation interview, with some arguing that he's getting "special" treatment for the presentencing procedure.
Accompanied by his attorney Todd Blanche, Trump will sit for a virtual interview from his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida with a New York City probation officer as part of the sentencing process related to his criminal conviction last month. On May 30, a Manhattan jury found the former president guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the hush money case, which involved a payment to an adult film actress just before the 2016 election.
Legal experts have said that while it's unusual for these proceedings to be held by video conference, it may be a better option for the courthouse, which would be swarmed by members of the media and require additional security measures. But some observers took issue with Trump being allowed to appear virtually, complaining it was proof that the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee was getting "special treatment" after being convicted.
"There's been no explanation whatsoever for why this convicted felon gets to do what would normally be mandatory in-person meetings over Zoom, but we can already see the value in this special treatment for Trump, as it's *essential* that he hide any illicit drug use from voters," author Seth Abramson said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
"There is no excuse for Trump not being in NYC," he continued. "He has a home there. He has a private jet. He's supposedly a billionaire. His private attorney will fly with him anywhere in the world. Yet if this were you or me we would *have* to go to NYC, whereas *he* is asked to do *nothing*."
Other users took issue with the virtual interview, tweeting comments like "Can't wait to see how they spin this as not being special treatment" and "He's definitely getting special treatment."
Wrote one user: "Unfortunately, he still gets special treatment. There was no drug test and a Zoom meeting with his lawyer to hold his fragile hand. The American justice system is looking increasingly weak."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's lawyers via email for comment.
Former federal prosecutor and elected state attorney Michael McAuliffe told Newsweek that presentencing interviews are usually done in person with defense counsel present. He said these meetings allow defendants to establish a good rapport with the probation officer, who will then write a report to the judge before the latter decides on the sentence.
But McAuliffe said in Trump's case the former president "simply may not care about the impression he makes with the officer or the court." He added that Trump's presidential candidacy also "creates different time demands."
He also said that most convicted felons are typically required to submit a drug test, but since Trump's conviction isn't related to controlled substances, "the test might well be waived by the court for now."
Martin Horn, former commissioner of New York City's departments of correction and probation, told NBC News that a virtual interview could "be better for the probation officer" because an in-person meeting with Trump could "be very disruptive to the probation office and unfair to other defendants who might not want to be identified."
After the probation officer obtains information on Trump's social, financial, criminal and mental health history, the officer will write a report to Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the trial and is scheduled to sentence Trump on July 11. That's just four days before the start of the Republican National Convention, where Trump is expected to be nominated.
Falsifying business records is a felony punishable by up to four years in prison per count. So Trump's conviction on 34 counts could hypothetically carry a maximum sentence of 136 years.
About the writer
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. ... Read more
