What is the maximum prison sentence for the felonies Trump was convicted of?

1. What Trump was convicted of — the charge and how many counts

A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records tied to payments intended to influence the 2016 election, a verdict reported repeatedly across outlets ^{[1] [3] [4]}. Reporting frames these as state‑level New York charges elevated to felonies because prosecutors tied the falsified records to a broader alleged election‑influence scheme ^{[1] [5]}.

2. What the sentencing actually was — discharge, not prison

Multiple sources state that Judge Juan Merchan sentenced Trump to an unconditional discharge on January 10, 2025, meaning no prison time, fines or probation were imposed in that hearing ^{[6] [2] [3]}. Coverage emphasizes that the discharge preserved the felony convictions while sparing criminal penalties at that moment ^{[2] [3]}.

3. Why coverage emphasizes the conviction and the discharge rather than a statutory maximum

News reporting about the case has focused on the historic nature of the conviction (first former or sitting U.S. president convicted of felony counts), legal fights over presidential immunity, and the post‑verdict procedural maneuvers and appeals — including efforts to move the case to federal court or to overturn the conviction — rather than enumerating a consolidated statutory maximum penalty across all counts ^{[1] [7] [8]}. The Justice Department and appellate filings discussed evidentiary and immunity issues, not a single maximum prison total in the cited pieces ^{[8] [1]}.

4. What the sources say about legal avenues and potential future exposure

Reporting documents active appeals and motions: Trump’s lawyers argued the trial improperly admitted evidence about official acts and sought to overturn the verdict; the federal government filed briefs weighing in on whether the conviction should stand; appeals courts and the Supreme Court’s immunity decision have factored into arguments about jurisdiction and admissibility ^{[1] [7] [8]}. Those procedural fights could affect whether convictions are vacated, transferred, or retried — outcomes that would change sentencing exposure — but the cited sources do not say these appeals would increase an immediate prison sentence beyond the discharge imposed ^{[1] [7] [8]}.

5. Why the question of a “maximum prison sentence” is not directly answered in these sources

None of the provided items list the statutory maximum punishment for falsifying business records in the first degree under New York law or calculate a theoretical maximum if multiple counts were stacked consecutively. Instead, reporting emphasizes counts, conviction, and the actual sentence (discharge) while covering legal strategy and appellate questions ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Therefore, available sources do not mention the specific maximum prison term for the felonies in statutory terms or an aggregate exposure calculation.

6. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas in the coverage

Coverage from varied outlets highlights different emphases: some stories stress the historic significance of a presidential conviction and the jury’s verdict ^{[1] [4]}, others interrogate procedural fairness and immunity arguments raised by Trump’s legal team ^{[1] [7]}, and still others note the practical political effects (fundraising, election outcomes) of the trial and sentencing ^[2]. Readers should note that defense filings characterize the prosecution as politically motivated and constitutionally flawed, while prosecutors and the trial judge maintained the evidence supported the verdict — the articles report these competing frames ^{[1] [3]}.

7. Bottom line for your question

If your core question is “what maximum prison sentence could Trump have faced,” the current set of sources does not provide a statutory maximum or aggregate penalty calculation; they report the conviction on 34 counts and that the judge ultimately imposed an unconditional discharge on January 10, 2025 ^{[1] [2] [3]}. For a definitive statutory maximum you would need sources that cite New York Penal Law provisions and how a court could impose consecutive versus concurrent sentences — those legal specifics are not found in the current reporting (not found in current reporting).