Trump Slams Judge For Not Letting Him Attend Supreme Court Argument
Former President Donald Trump slammed the judge presiding over his criminal hush money case in Manhattan on Monday. According to Trump, Judge Juan Merchan’s decision to not attend his presidential immunity arguments before the Supreme Court next week is another proof that he is partial.
“In Additional to being prohibited from attending my son Barron’s High School Graduation, I have just learned that the highly biased Judge in the Soros ‘appointed’ D.A. Alvin Bragg’s Witch Hunt Case, will not allow me to attend the historic PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY argument in front of The United States,” the GOP presumptive nominee wrote.
This shows great disdain and disrespect for our Nation’s Highest Court, especially for a topic so important as Presidential Immunity, without which our Country would never be the same!” he added.
Merchan also said that Trump cannot skip trial proceedings on May 17 to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation on May 17, a fact Trump revealed to reporters after his court appearance in his hush money trial, in which he faces 34 counts of falsifying business records. The presidential immunity argument he was denied of attending is connected to his 2020 election interference case brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said that he has “a problem” with the judge as well as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case against him.
JUST IN — Trump addresses the media after Judge Merchan informs him that he will not be able to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation, or his case before the Supreme Court on presidential immunity. pic.twitter.com/XGEiFYLGyP
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 15, 2024
Day one of the hush money trial was focused on juror selection, with almost 100 prospective jurors vetted and over half of them excused for lacking impartiality. Merchan had introduced the case to all 96 of the prospective jurors and asked if any of them felt that they could not be a fair juror given what they know about the case.
Over 50 raised their hands and were excused. A few more were excused for other reasons before the rest underwent a questioning phase. During that session, a woman, who answered yes to a question about having “any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about former President Donald Trump or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror, was excused.
A man who felt that “nobody is above the law, whether it be a former president or a sitting president or a janitor” was kept on the team.
Only 32 prospective jurors are left now, with 20 more to be excused to leave just the right amount of jurors for the 12-seat bench.
The jury selection could last days or weeks in a trial that is expected to hold till May.