Former President Donald Trump has lashed out at Judge Juan Merchan, the presiding judge in his upcoming hush money trial, demanding that he "recuse himself" from the case and accusing him of being a "certified Trump Hater" who suffers from "Trump Derangement Syndrome." Trump's outburst comes after Judge Merchan set the trial date for April 15, rejecting the ex-president's request for a 90-day delay.
In a series of posts on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump ranted about Judge Merchan, stating, "A very distinguished looking man ... nevertheless a true and certified Trump Hater who suffers from a very serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. In other words, he hates me!"
The embattled former president also attacked Judge Merchan's daughter, claiming that she is "a senior executive at a Super Liberal Democrat firm that works for Adam 'Shifty' Schiff, the Democrat National Committee, (Dem)Senate Majority PAC, and even Crooked Joe Biden."
Trump further accused Judge Merchan of treating his former CFO, Allen Weisselberg, "viciously" in an unrelated trial, alleging that the judge told Weisselberg to either cooperate or face 15 years in jail. Weisselberg pleaded guilty to tax charges and served four months in Rikers Island prison.
"He is devastated and scared!" Trump said of Weisselberg. "These COUNTRY DESTROYING SCOUNDRELS & THUGS HAVE NO CASE AGAINST ME. WITCH HUNT!"
In a separate post, Trump claimed that District Attorney Alvin Bragg has "no case" against him and accused him of coordinating with the Biden administration to orchestrate the charges. He implied that the judges assigned to his various pending trials were not "random choices" and called for Judge Merchan to "recuse himself."
"HE CANNOT GIVE ME A FAIR TRIAL. Likewise, for the sake of fairness, this 'Political Opponent' trial should take place in Staten Island, with a new and unbiased judge," Trump said. "The trial should not be allowed to start in the middle of my campaign for President."
Trump was indicted in April 2023 by a grand jury for allegedly falsifying business documents in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced 34 felony charges against the ex-president, and Trump was arraigned on the charges on April 4, 2023.
The former president has repeatedly claimed that his legal woes are politically motivated and designed to interfere with his 2024 presidential campaign. "They could have filed more than three years ago - THEY WAITED!" he noted. "THIS IS ANOTHER WITCH HUNT FOR PURPOSES OF ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!"
After Monday's hearing, where Judge Merchan set the April 15 trial date, Trump complained, "This is a case that could have been brought three and a half years ago. And now they're fighting over days because they want to try and do it during the election. This is election interference. That's all it is. Election interference and it's a disgrace."
As the hush money trial approaches, Trump's legal team has been engaged in a contentious battle with the Manhattan District Attorney's office over the timing and location of the trial. The former president's demand for Judge Merchan's recusal and his accusations of bias and political motivation are likely to further escalate tensions in what is already a highly polarizing and closely watched case.
