Saturday, August 29, 2026 - President Donald Trump has suffered another legal setback after U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected his latest attempt to move his New York hush-money case to federal court and have his conviction overturned.
The judge ruled that Trump’s arguments were “neither new nor legally sufficient,” marking another defeat in his effort to use presidential immunity to challenge the case. Trump was convicted in 2024 on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records connected to a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels.
Hellerstein also rejected the central argument that evidence involving the payment and its cover-up should be protected by presidential immunity.
The judge found that the conduct was personal rather than an official presidential act, even though some of the evidence related to Trump’s time in office. Trump’s legal team has strongly condemned the ruling and says it will appeal, keeping the case alive as the president continues his broader legal fight.
The ruling leaves Trump facing a conviction that remains on his record despite an unconditional discharge that spared him prison time or a financial penalty. His lawyers can continue pursuing appeals, but Friday’s decision closes another route they hoped could lead to the conviction being dismissed.
With the legal battle far from over, the case remains a major test of how presidential immunity applies when alleged conduct involves personal affairs rather than official duties.
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