Trump trashes Judge Merchan for upholding guilty verdict in Manhattan hush money case

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Dec 17, 2024

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NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump lashed out Tuesday at Justice Juan Merchan for upholding the guilty verdict in his Manhattan hush money case.

Trump, who was convicted by a jury of 34 felony counts, called Merchan’s ruling “illegal, psychotic” and said the jurist defied the Supreme Court, which granted him significant presidential immunity.

“The deeply conflicted, corrupt, biased, and incompetent Acting Justice Juan Merchan has completely disrespected the United States Supreme Court,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “This illegitimate case is nothing but a rigged hoax.”

“If allowed to stand, would be the end of the presidency as we know it,” added Trump, who says presidents should not be worried about being charged after they leave office.

Trump also blasted Merchan for imposing a partial gag order on him, saying the edict is designed to protect the judge himself and his family.

Merchan Monday ruled that Trump’s conviction should stand despite the Supreme Court’s landmark decision that presidents enjoy immunity for official acts carried out in office.

The judge, who oversaw the hush money trial last spring, decided in a 41-page ruling that Trump’s conviction was not tainted by Manhattan prosecutors introducing some evidence from Trump’s conduct in the White House.

Trump was convicted of paying $130,000 in hush money to keep porn star Stormy Daniels from publicly disclosing their sexual encounter in the days before the 2016 presidential election.

Merchan is expected to rule soon about whether he will move ahead with sentencing Trump. He may sentence Trump to no prison time or could delay sentencing until after Trump leaves office, most likely in 2029.

Trump plans to appeal Merchan’s ruling to the Supreme Court if necessary in hopes of getting the conviction tossed out altogether.