Former President Trump strongly criticized Judge Juan Merchan after he upheld 34 felony convictions against Trump, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.
In April, Trump was convicted on all 34 counts stemming from allegations that he arranged “hush money” payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford, through his former attorney Michael Cohen. The payments were allegedly part of a scheme to prevent the story of their alleged affair from being published in the National Enquirer. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accused Trump of fraud, claiming the payments were falsely recorded as “legal fees.”
Last month, Judge Merchan indefinitely postponed Trump’s November 26 sentencing in the case. Meanwhile, Trump’s legal team filed motions to dismiss the charges.
On Monday, Judge Merchan rejected Trump’s attempt to overturn the felony convictions based on the Supreme Court’s ruling that U.S. presidents have immunity from prosecution for official acts. The judge has yet to rule on Trump’s broader request to dismiss the case entirely.
Trump blasted Merchan for issuing what he called a “psychotic order” and for disregarding the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity.
“BREAKING: In a completely illegal, psychotic order, the deeply conflicted, corrupt, biased, and incompetent Acting Justice Juan Merchan has completely disrespected the United States Supreme Court, and its Historic Decision on Immunity. But even without Immunity, this illegitimate case is nothing but a Rigged Hoax. Merchan, who is a radical partisan, wrote an opinion that is knowingly unlawful, goes against our Constitution, and, if allowed to stand, would be the end of the Presidency as we know it. Merchan has so little respect for the Constitution that he is keeping in place an illegal gag order on me, your President and President-Elect, just so I cannot expose his and his family’s disqualifying and illegal conflicts….” Trump said on Truth Social on Tuesday morning.
“….I am the only Political Opponent in American History not allowed to defend myself – A despicable First Amendment Violation! Merchan took the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt, that, according to all Legal Scholars, including Jonathan Turley, Elie Honig, Andy McCarthy, Alan Dershowitz, Gregg Jarrett, David Rivkin, Elizabeth Price Foley, Katie and Andy Cherkasky, Paul Ingrassia, and many others, is a nonexistent case, barred by the Statute of Limitations, and should have never been brought and, through his fraud and misconduct, gave it a semblance of “life.” While Deranged Jack Smith was sent packing back to The Hague after losing all of his politically manufactured cases against me, Merchan, who is far worse and even more corrupt than Smith in his fight for my hopeless political opponents, just cannot let go of this charade. Is it because of his conflicts and relations that he keeps breaking the Law? This has to stop! It is time to end the Lawfare once and for all, so we can come together as one Nation and, Make America Great Again,” Trump said in a follow up post.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to remove the gag order placed on Trump in his New York City “hush money” case.
This marks the second time the Supreme Court has refused to intervene and lift the gag order.
