The defeat at the Supreme Court was a rare reversal for Trump’s strategy of seeking to delay his criminal cases with multiple appeals – which he used in his federal cases to buy time until he could use his executive authority to thwart them. Of course, for this to work he had to live up to his end of the bargain and win the election.

Donald Trump has thanked the Supreme Court after it refused his request to halt his sentencing hearing in New York. Newsweek sought email comment from Trump's attorney on Friday. Trump has long attacked legal decisions that have not gone his way.

The ruling can be appealed. President-elect Donald Trump says releasing the special counsel report would interfere with his White House transition.