Trump Is Already Losing in Court—and the Judge Isn’t Playing
The jurors haven’t even been selected yet. The trial really hasn’t even started. But as Donald Trump’s first day in criminal court wrapped up on Monday, the former president already seemed to be losing.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan displayed little patience for, as he insisted on calling him, “Mr. Trump.” That the judge is already over the former president’s antics is abundantly clear. And as Trump’s lawyers repeatedly tried to push the bounds of the trial’s restrictions, it became increasingly evident that the judge isn’t going to extend the former president the latitude he seeks—and is accustomed to expecting—for a trial that could extend past two months.
No, Trump can’t skip court to attend his historic showdown at the Supreme Court next week.
Yes, if he plays hooky, he’ll spend the next few weeks in a New York City jail and be tried in absentia.
No, his lawyers can’t have an extra day to file paperwork that they should have filed two months ago.
And will he be able to attend his little Barron Trump’s high school graduation next month? Maybe, but don’t count on it.
It didn’t help that Trump’s lead defense lawyer, Todd Blanche, tried to squeeze out a day for his client to miss court next week, letting it slip that Trump—who oscillated between stone-faced scowls and dozing off in court on Monday—really, truly didn't seem to want to be present.
“We aren’t even even supposed to be here,” Blanche said in the last few minutes of the day, only to have the judge in front of him snap to attention.
Merchan shot back: Because he'd rather be campaigning?
What he meant, Blanche clarified, was that the GOP presidential candidate is opposed to having this historic trial in the middle of an election year. But Merchan was having none of it. He warned the Trump team that he’d already chucked aside those complaints—and that they shouldn’t be brought up again.
What was supposed to be the start of a contentious and drawn-out jury selection Monday was instead dominated by prosecutors and defense lawyers duking it out over unresolved legal issues in the trial of the century.
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It explains why Merchan was so quick to dismiss Trump’s request to skip out next Thursday to attend his fateful day at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., where justices will decide whether a former president can claim total immunity on all kinds of criminal charges stemming from his activities while at the White House.
Having your day at the Supreme Court “is a big deal,” Merchan said. But facing trial in New York County is “also a big deal.”
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