The Daily Fuckup

Donald Trump’s lawyers went back to Judge Juan Merchan on Dec. 3, 2024, with another request to wipe out the New York hush-money verdict. This time they folded Hunter Biden’s pardon into the motion, arguing that the case should be dismissed and that Trump had been treated more harshly than other high-profile defendants.

The filing came after Merchan had already postponed sentencing. It did not change the status of the conviction on its own, and it did not trigger the delay. Trump was convicted in May 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, and the case was already in post-trial limbo when the new motion landed.

The defense’s argument was not built on the pardon alone. It paired the Biden comparison with broader claims about presidential power, the transition between administrations and what Trump’s lawyers said was unfair treatment in the criminal process. In other words, the pardon was one piece of a larger bid to get the verdict tossed or, at minimum, keep the fight alive longer.

Merchan still has to rule on the request. The conviction remains in place for now, sentencing remains off the calendar, and Trump’s legal team is still trying to find a path that would unwind the case after the verdict.