From a day of remembrance for President Carter to President-elect Trump being sentenced in court,

we turn now to the analysis of Brooks and Capehart.

That's New York Times columnist David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart, Associate Editor for the Washington Post.

It's good to see you both on this Friday.

So President-elect Donald Trump received the first ever criminal sentence for a former or incoming

American president, a so-called unconditional discharge in his criminal hush money case.

David, we are living in this era where the word unprecedented has been worn down to a cliche.

Still, what should we make of the fact that Donald Trump will be the first president to take

office with a criminal conviction?

Well, you know, I thought it was the right solution.

Trump wanted the whole thing, wiped out the court, and trial wiped out some of his opponents,

wanted him to go to jail.

But, you know, in our country, respect the will of the voters.

The presidency, under the Constitution, at least, is interpreted by the

Supreme Court, has protections. We do not want to live in a society where presidents face possible

prosecution for the things they do while in office, or even in the periphery of their office.

And so I thought, convicting him, making him a felon, I think he can't own a gun. There are a few restrictions there.

But not sending him to jail, that struck me as a balance between the needs of the legal system and the needs of our democracy.

Donald Trump is vowing to appeal this conviction. We'll see what comes of that. But after, you know, being convicted of 34 felonies,

there are people who look at this case and they say that, you know, Donald Trump walks away with a punishment that is less than what one would receive for a speeding ticket.

Look.

This case, this hush money case, was the case that everybody said was the crappy case of the four.

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