On Friday, U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein denied Donald Trump’s latest legal effort to overturn his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Trump’s legal team had argued that the case should be moved to federal jurisdiction and subsequently dismissed, citing the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity for "official acts."

Judge Hellerstein rejected these arguments, stating they were "neither new nor legally sufficient." The judge explicitly noted that discussions regarding hush money payments intended to conceal personal relationships do not qualify as official presidential duties. This ruling keeps the conviction within the state court system, where it originated.

While both outlets agree on the core outcome—the denial of the request—they differ slightly in their characterization of the legal maneuver. Axios frames the event as a direct attempt to "erase" the conviction based on the immunity ruling, whereas The Independent focuses on the procedural attempt to shift the case into federal jurisdiction. Both sources concur that the judge found the defense's arguments lacking in legal merit.