Former President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday, escalating his criticism of the jurist after he ruled that Trump’s “hush money” case will proceed to trial on April 15. Trump accused Merchan and the prosecutor in the case, District Attorney Alvin Bragg, of being biased Democrats and called for Merchan to recuse himself and for the trial to be moved to Staten Island, the only New York City borough that Trump won in the 2020 election.
Trump alleged that Merchan’s impartiality is compromised because his daughter worked for a progressive political consulting firm that counts President Joe Biden as a client. Trump referred to Merchan as a “true and certified Trump Hater” suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and insisted that the trial should not begin in the middle of his campaign and should be relocated to Staten Island. He also accused Bragg of being influenced by a former prosecutor, Matthew Colangelo, to bring charges against him.
Bragg inherited the investigation into Trump’s finances when he took office in 2022, but the case hit a snag as Bragg questioned its strength, leading to the resignations of top prosecutors, including Mark Pomerantz. Pomerantz has publicly disagreed with Bragg over when to bring charges against Trump. Trump criticized Bragg for moving forward with the case and suggested that it amounts to election interference, reprising his controversial “STOP THE STEAL” rallying cry from the aftermath of the 2020 election.
Facebook previously removed posts containing “stop the steal” due to concerns that the baseless claim Trump won the election could incite violence from his supporters, particularly in the lead-up to Biden’s inauguration. Trump has a history of attacking judges, prosecutors, and court staff involved in his legal cases. He has faced a gag order in his civil fraud trial, prohibiting him from making disparaging public statements about court staff. Trump has singled out Merchan for criticism in the past, particularly over his handling of tax fraud cases against the Trump Organization.
Trump has vowed to appeal Merchan’s decision to allow the charges against him to proceed to trial. The case against Trump involves allegations of falsifying business records to cover up payments made to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who claimed she had an affair with Trump. Trump faces 34 felony counts in this case, which is the first of four criminal indictments he is facing to go to trial. The outcome of this trial will be closely watched as it could have significant implications for Trump’s legal challenges and political future.
