WATCH: Donald Trump Attacks Judge Juan Merchan Moments Before Entering Court for Day 4 of Criminal Hush Money Trial
Another reporter recalled Trump 'falling asleep' on Tuesday before he 'jolted back up.'
April 19 2024, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
Donald Trump attacked Judge Juan Merchan just moments before day four of his criminal hush money trial kicked off in New York this week, RadarOnline.com can report.
Trump once again targeted Judge Merchan on Friday morning during a statement outside the Manhattan courtroom where he is on trial for the alleged falsification of New York business records.
The embattled 45th president raged about the gag order first imposed upon him by Judge Merchan last month. He also fumed that the “gag order must come off” to allow him a “fair” trial.
Trump also claimed that the criminal trial against him was “rigged” and that President Joe Biden and the White House were behind the “rigged trial.”
“As you know, I’ve been saying for a long while this is a rigged trial,” Trump started on Friday morning. “It’s coming from the White House. They have White House DOJ people in the trial in the DA’s office representing the DA, because he’s probably not smart enough to represent himself.”
“This guy got elected using Trump. And you’re not supposed to do that,” he continued regarding Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “All of New York is going down as a very corrupt place to do business. A lot of people are not going to be moving to New York.”
NYT's Maggie Haberman reported Trump closing his eyes for 'extended periods' on Friday.
According to Trump, his criminal trial in Manhattan has also obstructed his plans to campaign in several key states ahead of the November presidential election.
“But this is a rigged case, and this is a case that was put in very strongly because of politics,” he said. “So instead of being in Pennsylvania or Georgia or North Carolina or lots of other places, today I’m sitting in a courthouse all day long.”
Trump then directed his attacks toward Judge Merchan and the gag order issued against him.
“And people know it’s very unfair,” he charged. “The gag order has to come off. People are allowed to speak about me, and I have a gag order just to show you how much more unfair it is.”
Trump can now comment publicly about witnesses and jurors in the trial that led to his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
“And the conflict has to end with the judge,” Trump charged further on Friday morning. “The judge has a conflict the worst I’ve ever seen, and it has to end with the judge.”
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“The gag order has to come off. I should be allowed to speak every time I come out to speak to you. I want to be open because we did absolutely nothing wrong.”
“I’m only telling the truth. They’re not telling the truth,” Trump concluded before entering the courtroom. “The judge has to take off this gag. It’s very, very unfair that my constitutional rights have been taken away.”
Trump is still barred from speaking about prosecutors and court officials until his sentencing on July 11.
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As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Judge Merchan issued the gag order against Trump last month shortly after the first day of the ex-president’s criminal hush money trial was scheduled for April 15.
But contrary to Trump’s repeated claims, Judge Merchan did not bar the former president from speaking about the trial nor Judge Merchan himself.
Several outlets have also since debunked Trump’s claims that the hush money case against him was orchestrated by President Biden’s White House. The case was brought against Trump by Manhattan DA Bragg and not the Department of Justice.
Trump’s current criminal trial is expected to last upwards of six weeks. 12 jurors and one alternate juror have so far been seated for the criminal case.
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