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juan Merchan hon

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belated neglected hush money case NY

merri ok

see execute traitor tyrant

see rule of law concept ~ fascism

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The real villain': How the Supreme Court is quietly working to keep Trump out of jail

an 9 24

trump immunity

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an 8 24

Mike Nellis, a veteran Democratic operative and former senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, on Wednesday shared that he was subpoenaed by House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) — which Nellis says is another one of the GOP leader's "a baseless right-wing conspiracy" theories.

"BREAKING: We have just received a subpoena from Jim Jordan and the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee," Nellis wrote via X. "This is yet another abuse of power, aimed at promoting a baseless right-wing conspiracy theory that links our company, Authentic, to Donald Trump’s fraud trial. We are thoroughly reviewing the subpoena with our legal team and will provide updates as soon as we have more information."

He continued, "Let us be clear: these allegations against our company are completely false and purely politically motivated. This is a blatant attempt to intimidate us and divert attention from Donald Trump’s conviction. We refuse to be bullied, and we will not allow House Republicans or MAGA extremists to spread lies about our work. We remain steadfast in our mission and are deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our friends and family during this time."

READ MORE:**'False' and 'irresponsible': DOJ smacks down Jim Jordan’s 'conspiracy' in sharp letter**

Jordan's subpoena is connected to his belief that New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan — who presided over Donald Trump's hush money case — faced a conflict of interest due to his daughter's past work with Nellis' firm, Authentic Campaigns Inc.

The Associated Press reported earlier this month, that Loren Merchan "met Harris occasionally in 2019 but never 'developed an individual relationship' with her," according to Nellis.

The news outlet noted that Authentic Campaigns Inc. has not worked for Harris’ campaign during the 2024 election cycle.

MSNBC's Katie Phang replied to Nellis' post, writing: "Jim Jordan IGNORED a Congressional subpoena issued by the January 6th House Select Committee. But Jordan insists that others comply when it’s nothing but a baseless harassment campaign? In Jim Jordan’s world, it’s 'Rules for thee, but not for me.'"

READ MORE:[Merchan’s daughter got 'credible' death threats 'requiring intervention' after Trump attacks

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sorta // same day

an 8 24

MAGA attorney Stefanie Lambert has been representing former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne in a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems. But on Tuesday, August 13, according to CNN, Federal Judge Moxila Upadhyaya removed Lambert from the case — citing her "truly egregious misconduct."

Lambert and Byrne are among the far-right MAGA Republicans who falsely accused Dominion Voting Systems of helping now-President Joe Biden steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump — a claim that has been repeatedly debunked.

Dominion also filed defamation lawsuits against Fox News, Newsmax TV, One America News (OAN), MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and attorney Sidney Powell. Fox agreed to pay Dominion $787.5 million when a settlement was reached in April 2023.

READ MORE: Analysis grapples with GOP fallout if Trump 'loses badly

Upadhyaya was downright scathing in his criticism of Lambert in his August 13 decision, saying that she "flagrantly and repeatedly disregarded court orders" by publicly disclosing "thousands, if not millions" of internal documents from Dominion.

The judge wrote, "Lambert's actions were intentional and clearly meant to inflict the harm that has resulted…. This Court cannot allow such intentional, dangerous, and relentless misconduct to continue…. Byrne and Lambert's acts have not only fueled theories of widescale election fraud and crime … they have resulted in real harm and threats to Dominion employees."

CNN's Marshall Cohen describes Lambert and Byrne as "part of a coterie of Trump supporters who tried to overturn the 2020 results and are still peddling debunked claims that Dominion software manipulated the outcome."

"Separate from the Dominion litigation," Cohen notes, "Lambert is facing criminal charges in Michigan over her alleged role in a conspiracy to seize voting machines in 2020 in hopes of proving her voter fraud theories. She pleaded not guilty…. The decision to disqualify Lambert from the Dominion case comes months after she leaked internal Dominion e-mails to a right-wing Michigan sheriff who has used his office to investigate baseless theories about the 2020 election."

READ MORE:'Falling on deaf ears': Damning supercut shows Trump at odds with allies on how to beat Harris

Cohen adds, "The sheriff, Dar Leaf, subsequently posted many of the documents online — doxing Dominion staffers by publicly disclosing their names, email addresses, and cell phone numbers.

READ MORE:'Nervous Senate Republican' tries boosting reelection campaign with over $1M of his own money

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an 8 24

New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan served up a scathing rebuke to Donald Trump and his attorneys as he denied their third motion seeking his recusal, leaving the calendar unchanged and moving toward his September 18 sentencing of the criminally-convicted ex-president on 34 felony fraud charges related to his efforts to cover up hush-money payments to protect his 2016 presidential campaign.

“Stated plainly,” Judge Merchan concluded, “Defendant’s arguments are nothing more than a repetition of stale and unsubstantiated claims.” He added, “this Court now reiterates for the third time, that which should already be clear – innuendo and mischaracterizations do not a conflict create. Recusal is therefore not necessary, much less required.”

“Defendant has provided nothing new for this Court to consider,” Merchan added. “Counsel has merely repeated arguments that have already been denied by this and higher courts,” while calling their motion “rife with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims.”

ABC News described Judge Merchan as “exasperated.”

READ MORE: Florida in Play for Harris? Election Could Hinge on ‘Inactive’ Sunshine State Dem Voters

Trump’s attorneys have claimed that because Judge Merchan’s daughter works as a political consultant for Democrats he has a conflict of interest. As Merchan wrote in his ruling, in May of 2023, after he brought the issue to their attention, the Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics ruled family members’ work does not present a conflict and allowed him to continue. A higher court also ruled there was no conflict of interest.

Judge Merchan rebuked Trump’s attorneys for filing the third motion to recuse, “48 days after the deadline set by this Court for the filing of post-verdict motions,” and without seeing permission to file the motion or requesting an extension on the deadline.

Merchan, stating Trump’s attorneys’ arguments were “not entirely clear,” shut down their claim the gag order placed on Trump is “unjust and unconstitutional.”

READ MORE: Arizona Latest Battleground State to Be in Play as Abortion Access Gets Put on the Ballot

“This argument does not merit extensive discussion since it does not credibly purport to support the motion for recusal,” Judge Merchan wrote. “Rather, it would appear to be nothing more than an attempt to air grievances against this Court’s rulings.”

He also swatted away their claim that because Vice President Kamala Harris has now become the “Presumptive nominee of the Democratic party,” they should be granted their motion.

Merchan appeared to chastise Trump’s attorneys, suggesting they could be crossing a line by filing this third motion: “counsel has been warned repeatedly that such advocacy must not come at the expense of professional responsibility in one’s role as an officer of the court.”

NBC News legal analyst Catherine Christian on MSNBC Wednesday suggested the repeated attempts could lead to Trump’s attorneys being sanctioned for filing “frivolous” motions. She opined she does not believe Judge Merchan will sentence Trump to prison.

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Newsmax's Eric Bolling says Judge Juan Merchan “should be tried for treason”

05/30/24

  1. ### Newsmax guest calls for Alejandro Mayorkas to be publicly hanged

05/30/24

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wapo

Democracy Dies in Darkness

How Trump’s allies amplify his Truth Social messages to the wider world

By Sarah Ellison and

Clara Ence Morse

May 8, 2024

On the second day of his civil fraud trial in New York last fall, Donald Trump posted a photo of a young woman, Allison Greenfield, standing next to Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). Trump claimed falsely that she was “Schumer’s girlfriend” and was “running this case against me.”

Donald Trump's Truth Social profile picture

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

Schumer’s girlfriend, Alison R. Greenfield, is running this case against me. How disgraceful! This case should be dismissed immediately!! https://www.instagram.com/greenfield4civilcourt/A photo of Allison Greenfield standing next to New York senator Charles E. Schumer displayed as a silhouette.The Washington Post is not displaying this image.

October 3, 2023 at 6:56 p.m.

Trump’s post about Greenfield, the principal law clerk for New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, received only around 1,400 shares, modest activity for a former president whose Twitter account once had nearly 90 million followers.

Engoron, who oversaw the trial, ordered Trump to take down the post, which he did the same day. But the message was already out. The next day, insults directed at Greenfield flooded right-wing podcasts and social media.

X/Twitter

alt text

Laura Loomer

LauraLoomer

President Trump posted this on Truth Social. Judge Arthur Engoron’s Principal Law Clerk Allison Greenfield appears to be a Democrat political operative who is collaborating with @SenSchumer who has openly proclaimed his desire to “get Trump” and see him jailed. WITCH HUNT

October 3, 2023 at 3:13 p.m.

TimCast podcast

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October 4, 2023

“These people have an agenda. They have had a bias, obvious bias against Donald Trump from day one.”

— Tim Pool

The Michael Knowles Show podcast

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October 4, 2023

“Trump took a swipe at one of the judge's staff members and pointed out that she's a huge lib, Alison Greenfield. She's a big lib. She's a big Democrat.”

— Michael Knowles

Over the next two months, dozens of articles focused on Greenfield’s role. Conservative media personalities such as Laura Loomer and the cable TV news channel Newsmax kept the spotlight on the clerk by frequently repeating Trump’s complaints.

Breitbart

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November 3, 2023

A Breitbart headline reading: Conniption in Court: Gasps as Breitbart Exposé on Trump New York Judge’s Clerk Takes Center Stage

NewsMax

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November 3, 2023

A NewsMax headline reading: Judge Blasts Trump Lawyers for Attacking Staff

NewsMax

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November 3, 2023

New York Post

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November 15, 2023

A New York Post headline reading: Trump seeks mistrial in 'tainted' $250M civil fraud case — citing judge's 'overwhelming' bias

The Epoch Times

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December 7, 2023

A The Epoch Times headline reading: NY Judge Argues Against Trump Suit, Says Relationships Between Judge and Staff 'Sacrosanct'

With the attention from Trump’s backers came threats and abuse — a torrent that compelled Greenfield to tighten security at home and avoid public transportation.

When transcribed, the harassing voice-mail messages left for Greenfield covered more than 275 single-spaced pages.

Those concerned about the impact of Trump’s incendiary and often inaccurate messages have long sought ways to limit his reach. Cable news networks stopped airing his speeches live. Social media companies adopted new rules to slow the spread of false information. The targets of his bogus election conspiracy theories sued him and his proxies.

Perhaps the most significant move to limit Trump’s audience came after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol: bans on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, blocking him from some of the most influential social media platforms of the era.

And yet, three years later, a Washington Post analysis shows how those efforts have failed.

Now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Trump is as potent a political force as ever, with an army of amplifiers ensuring that his messages — true or untrue — reach a broad swath of the American public. He is set to face President Biden in November, with Trump running roughly even in national polls.

When Trump was initially suspended from the major social media platforms, he issued a statement: “We will not be SILENCED!”

He then created his own social media platform, Truth Social, where he would never be banned and which would allow him to profit financially from his own messages.

Former president Donald Trump is reflected in a mirror as he speaks to supporters in Laconia, N.H., on the day before the New Hampshire Republican primary. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Truth Social was estimated to have 5.4 million website visits in the United States in March, with another 800,000 on its app. By comparison, X, which was formerly known as Twitter, claimed more than 200 times that, with over 1 billion visits. Facebook is estimated to have had 3 billion visits in the same period, according to audience tracking firm Similarweb. Even though Trump has now been reinstated on the larger platforms, he has stuck with Truth Social, a platform that gives him greater freedom but a far more limited reach.

Yet despite its relatively small user base, Truth Social is influential because it sustains the networks of MAGA influencers, culture warriors and election deniers who power the right-wing media and guide the rhetoric and policies of many Republican elected officials. It directly connects Trump to influencers with enormous networks and audiences outside the platform, The Post’s analysis found.

Press Enter to skip to end of carousel

How Trump has become angrier and more isolated on Truth Social

Here on his company’s social network Trump is offering followers an intimate view of what his second term could look like: isolated, vitriolic and vengeful.

End of carousel]

The Post analyzed 14,101 of Trump’s posts from the day he announced his presidential campaign on Nov. 15, 2022, through March 15, 2024, including 7,716 original text posts as well as reposts and image-only posts. He posted to Truth Social, where he now has 6.96 million followers, an average of 29 times a day over that period.

Those messages were in turn shared by followers with wildly popular Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, podcasts and cable news shows, some of which reach tens of millions of people. The Post’s analysis focused on nearly 200 right-wing political influencers who have active accounts on Truth Social and other social media sites.

“The people around Trump know better than anybody how to spread a message,” Stephen K. Bannon, a former Trump senior adviser and influential podcaster, said in an interview. They also benefit personally from their role.

Supporters of former president Donald Trump try to get his photo as he walks out to announce his bid for president at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Nov. 15, 2022. (Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post)

By “recirculating golden nuggets from Trump, influencers provide the bonding of this media ecosystem,” said Yochai Benkler, a Harvard Law School professor who has long studied propaganda. “The more outrageous and trolling of the libs it is,” added Benkler, “the more attractive it is for those who want to make money and get credibility inside the political community for being a true believer.”

Trump recently praised Truth Social for its effectiveness. “When I put out a statement or message, it is SPREAD all over the place, fast and furious. EVERYBODY SEEMS TO GET WHATEVER I HAVE TO SAY, AND QUICKLY,” he wrote on the platform in early April.

Shannon Devine, spokesperson for Truth Social, said in a statement that “since users can express themselves on Truth Social without censorship and without their message being filtered through biased media outlets, it’s unsurprising that Donald Trump would use the platform or that people would spread his statements elsewhere.” The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump’s biggest amplifiers include well-known political figures and media organizations, as well as those who have built their brands almost entirely based on their habitual echo of the former president’s words, The Post’s analysis found.

Influencers such as conservative radio and TV host Mark Levin, former Trump adviser and media commentator Sebastian Gorka, former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, and online personalities such as Philip Buchanan, who posts using the handle Catturd, regularly share Trump’s Truth Social posts within the platform and amplify his messages to their massive followings off it. Levin, Gorka, Flynn and Catturd each boast over a million followers on X, and Levin and Gorka host popular podcasts. Levin, Flynn and Buchanan did not respond to requests for comment. Gorka responded by saying, “You are scum and a hack. Go to Hell.”

Sebastian Gorka greets supporters on the first day of CPAC on March 2, 2023, in Fort Washington, Md. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Former Trump national security adviser and retired three-star Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn greets visitors during the ReAwaken America Tour on Oct. 21, 2022, in Manheim, Pa. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Trump uses Truth Social to promote his campaign and personal brand, attack political rivals and solicit donations. He also makes false claims of election fraud, spreads far-right conspiracy theories and hurls vitriol at the judges, witnesses and prosecutors involved in his court cases. Posts that make claims of election interference, discuss his court cases or include aggressively insulting language, tend to get the most attention. Five of Trump’s 10 most reposted messages involve election denial.

Early in his campaign, almost all of Trump’s election-denial posts focused on the 2020 presidential race. But after his first indictment in April 2023, Trump began alleging that prosecutors, by charging him, were interfering in the 2024 election. Around the time of his June indictment for mishandling classified documents, his posts on alleged 2024 election interference began to outnumber claims of 2020 election fraud, a trend that continued throughout the year, the Post analysis found.

On Aug. 14, when Trump was indicted in Georgia, he posted three messages equating the indictment with election interference. “THOSE WHO RIGGED & STOLE THE ELECTION WERE THE ONES DOING THE TAMPERING, & THEY ARE THE SLIME THAT SHOULD BE PROSECUTED,” he wrote in his typical all-caps style.

His language was repeated dozens of times in the two following days on right-wing media, podcasts and television. Internet personality Catturd posted a screenshot of Trump’s post to Twitter an hour later, where it garnered 150,000 views. That afternoon, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Tex.) wrote on Facebook and Truth Social that the justice system was rigged against Trump, ending the post with an allegation of “election interference!”

The phenomenon is a “steroidal version of political messaging,” according to Chris Stirewalt, politics editor at NewsNation and a former political editor at Fox News. “Trump says or does something egregious and the people who are currying favor with him say, ‘Well, let’s workshop this,’ and they share his message on their own account, but add their own twist.”

One of the reasons Trump has not regularly posted on X is that he wants to create and keep financial value for his Truth Social site, which he carefully tracks, according to people close to him who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

He has relentlessly tried to promote it, telling his advisers that he wants to break news on the platform to bring in more users. That focus paid off with an early, heady valuation of the company that peaked at more than $10 billion in late March, though shares in parent company Trump Media and Technology Group have fallen sharply since then.

Supporters use their phones during a rally in Erie, Pa., on July 29. (Dustin Franz for The Washington Post)

Trump has posted on X only once since leaving the Oval Office — his mug shot last year from an Atlanta jail, where he was booked on charges of trying to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.

But “even though Trump had been kicked off Twitter, people like me can get out Trump’s message on Twitter,” said Mike Davis, a former Senate aide who helped guide the confirmation of Supreme Court justices Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

Davis, who founded the Article III Project, a judicial advocacy organization, is a frequent podcast guest on shows hosted by influencers such as Charlie Kirk, Benny Johnson, Jack Posobiec and Bannon. He estimates that he’s done over 3,000 media appearances, “and that’s in addition to constant social media and writing opinion pieces defending Trump.”

Davis said that being kicked off social media is galvanizing for conservatives, and he would know. He has been suspended from Twitter five times. But each time, “it was the best thing ever, because then I would go on Fox News and talk about how I was being censored and that would build a bigger audience.”

An ideal testing ground

The day before the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, Bannon hosted a “force amplifier” event for influencers to discuss the most effective ways to support Trump’s causes.

Truth Social is an ideal testing ground, Bannon said, because it provides a way to test a message among a relatively small group that can then pass along the most effective lines to a wider audience.

“This entire industry is predicated upon the Trumps of the world creating compelling content daily,” said Bannon. “From YouTube to Facebook to Twitter to Instagram, the whole thing. People are making businesses and careers out of his content.”

A radio show is live-streamed as supporters of Donald Trump gather to watch election results following the presidential primaries on March 12 in Smyrna, Ga. (Megan Varner/For The Washington Post )

On July 27, new charges against Trump in the mishandling classified documents case were filed by special counsel Jack Smith. The following day, Trump wrote three posts on Truth Social referencing the “weaponization” of the Department of Justice or FBI, including one post that garnered over 8,400 reposts and 29,000 likes. The language quickly found its way off Truth Social.

“People are not stupid,” Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said that night on Sean Hannity’s show, which typically reaches 2.3 million people. “As a whole, they are starting to understand that the weaponization of the justice system is full throttle right now.”

“This morning, I joined Fox and Friends to discuss the illegal weaponization of the DOJ against Joe Biden’s top political opponent,” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) posted on her Facebook page, which has 360,000 followers, that afternoon.

Newsmax posted a video to its YouTube channel, which has 2.2 million subscribers, promoting an interview with former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, who said the Biden administration had “weaponized the justice system in a shameful and disgraceful way.” (A Newsmax spokesperson said the network covers both sides of Trump’s trials. Guilfoyle said that the “censorship of President Trump is un-American, a total assault on the First Amendment.”)

Despite his frequent public complaints about how Fox treats him, Trump is also still amplified by its major prime time shows. The night he posted about the Georgia indictments, guests on the popular Hannity, “Jesse Watters Primetime” and “Fox News @ Night” shows, cited the indictments as evidence of election interference.

“For mainstream outlets, it’s the laziest kind of rage revenue because TV producers and web editors go out to find the posts that online rage merchants have already made,” said Stirewalt, who is also a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. “And then you can bring it back to your more mainstream audience and say: ‘Aren’t you enraged by how enraged they are?’”

From anonymity to influencer

Some of the former president’s biggest boosters have built their identities almost entirely online, with no credentials beyond their instinct for amplifying his words.

Philip Buchanan, a 59-year-old living in the panhandle of Florida, is the person behind the social media personality Catturd. Buchanan began tweeting in 2018 as a so-called “Reply Guy,” someone with a small social media following who communicates primarily in the comments section of prominent users. Today, his X account boasts 2.4 million followers, including former Fox host Tucker Carlson, billionaire X owner Elon Musk, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Trump.

Buchanan, who is behind the social media personality Catturd, has 2.4 million followers of his X account. (Screenshot from social media)

Buchanan’s interactions with Trump highlight how each benefit from the other. Through much of 2020, the Catturd account had featured pandemic-era jabs at Democrats, often with a scatological twist. But after the election, Buchanan — like Trump — became fixated on false claims of a rigged vote. Trump retweeted him three times that November.

More recently, Buchanan posted a screenshot of an April 6 Trump post on Truth Social attacking New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who is presiding over Trump’s hush money case. “Trump just violated the gag order and dares the corrupt activist hack judge to put him in jail,” Buchanan wrote on X. He followed up with a flame emoji to express his appreciation for Trump’s stance.

Buchanan, whose identity was revealed by Rolling Stone and confirmed by The Post, has credited his social media fame with changing his financial life. In January, he told Carlson, the former Fox News personality who now hosts a show on X, that he bought a new truck, started a podcast and now sells a line of Catturd-branded merchandise.

A clerk under threat

The public scrutiny of Allison Greenfield began with a Wisconsin man named Brock Fredin, who unearthed the photo of the law clerk with Schumer. Fredin posted the photo on X, using the handle @JudicialProtest, and added a caption asking why she was “palling around with Charles E. Schumer?”

Fredin did not respond to a request for comment.

Days later, Trump took a screenshot of Fredin’s post, added a link to Greenfield’s Instagram account, and pushed the message out to his followers. His campaign sent out an email blast targeting Greenfield minutes later.

Although Trump did not directly threaten Greenfield, he clearly voiced his disapproval to his many followers. Right-wing influencers publicized Greenfield’s cellphone and social media accounts, and she scrambled to hide her personal information and that of her family. Court security directed her to stop taking the subway and instead travel by car.

Judge Arthur Engoron, right, sits on the bench with principal law clerk Allison Greenfield, center, during former president Donald Trump's civil business fraud trial in New York on Nov. 2. (John Taggart for The Washington Post)

Laura Loomer speaks during protests against the indictment of former president Donald Trump outside the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami on June 13. (Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post)

Greenfield, who is now running to be a Manhattan civil court judge, declined to comment for this piece. But her experience was described in court papers and by Jerry Skurnik, a consultant for her campaign.

Trump’s post resulted in roughly 20-30 calls per day to Greenfield’s personal cellphone and approximately 30-50 messages per day across social media, Linkedln and two personal email addresses, according to court papers. The threats, many of which were sexist and antisemitic in nature, included several death threats.

Loomer was among those who focused attention on Greenfield, sharing Trump’s Truth Social message about the clerk to her nearly 1 million followers on X and proclaiming the case against the former president a “WITCH HUNT.” When reached for comment, Loomer said that “it is important for me and the MAGA base to be Donald Trump’s bullhorn,” a role that she said has only become more crucial since he has been subjected to multiple gag orders.

Once an appellate judge temporarily paused the gag order on Nov. 16, Trump lashed out again at Greenfield and Engoron on Truth Social. “His Ridiculous and Unconstitutional Gag Order, not allowing me to defend myself against him and his politically biased and out of control, Trump Hating Clerk, who is sinking him and his Court to new levels of LOW, is a disgrace,” Trump wrote.

Trump continues to attack several of the judges overseeing his cases, and recently flouted a gag order in his hush money case in New York by lashing out against two potential trial witnesses and the jury.

Trump said he would be “honored” to go to jail for violating the gag order. Instead, in late April, Merchan fined Trump $9,000.

The same day, Trump posted on Truth Social that the judge was “Rigged, Crooked, and above all, and without question, CONFLICTED.”

Loomer shared Trump’s post on X, and Catturd reshared the message to his followers, adding three fire emojis.

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mma

trump legal cases' judges, prosecutors have been attacked by right-wing media and threatened by the public

WRITTEN BY JACK WINSTANLEY & GIDEON TAAFFE

PUBLISHED 05/30/24

In addition to death threats, swatting attempts, and envelopes full of white powder, many of the judges and prosecutors involved in former President Donald Trump's various legal battles have also faced abuse from right-wing media figures. These public servants have been demonized as politically motivated, corrupt, and unethical, and in several cases right-wing media have attacked judges' families as well.

Judge Tanya Chutkan}:

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mma 4 23

Right-wing media figures and outlets posted photos of the daughter of the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s arraignment today in lower Manhattan and accused her of having ties to Democratic politicians. Some commentators responded by saying that posting a judge’s family member was intended as intimidation, an argument that prosecutors took up as well. Prior to his surrender, Trump also posted information about the judge and his family on his Truth Social platform.

Judge Juan Merchan is handling Trump’s criminal case, the first ever for a former or sitting president. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts stemming from payments made to his then-fixer Michael Cohen to allegedly cover up an affair he’d had with porn actor Stormy Daniels.

Throughout the day on Tuesday, right-wing figures and outlets accused Merchan of being a secret partisan operative for the Democratic Party. Conspiracy theory site The Gateway Pundit and far-right blog Breitbart, which credited The Gateway Pundit with breaking the story, alleged that Merchan’s daughter previously worked for Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 campaign and implied that this further proved that he was politically biased against Trump. Conservative tabloid The Daily Mail also wrote a lengthy piece, headlined “REVEALED: The progressive daughter of judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money case in Manhattan who worked for Kamala Harris and Joe Biden - and is swirling speculation of bias against the ex-president.” All three outlets including photos of the judge’s daughter.

Needless to say, dubious reporting about Merchan’s family has no bearing on his ability to impartially preside over Trump’s case — but that didn’t stop right-wing actors from pushing the smear online.

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