President-elect Trump on Tuesday lashed out at Judge Juan Merchan for upholding the guilty verdict in his hush-money case in Manhattan.
Trump, who was convicted by a jury of 34 felonies, called Merchan’s ruling “illegal, psychotic” and said the lawyer defied the Supreme Court, which granted him significant presidential immunity.
“The deeply conflicted, corrupt, biased and incompetent Acting Judge Juan Merchan has completely disrespected the Supreme Court of the United States,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “This illegal case is nothing but a fake hoax.”
“If the presidency is allowed to continue as we know it, that would be the end,” Trump added, saying presidents don’t have to worry about being indicted after leaving office.
Trump also blasted Merchan for imposing a partial gag order on him. He said the edict is intended to protect the judge himself and his family.
Merchan ruled Monday that Trump’s conviction should stand despite the Supreme Court’s landmark decision that presidents enjoy immunity for official acts performed while 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 presenting any evidence of Trump’s behavior in the White House.
Trump was convicted of paying $130,000 in hush money to prevent porn star Stormy Daniels from publicly disclosing their sexual encounter in the days before the 2016 presidential election.
Merchan is expected to decide soon whether to move forward with convicting Trump. He could sentence Trump to no prison time or delay sentencing until after Trump leaves office, most likely in 2029.
Trump plans to appeal Merchan’s ruling to the Supreme Court if necessary, hoping to have the conviction thrown out altogether.
