Trump Targets Judge's Daughter on Social Media, Calls for Recusal in Criminal Trial

On a recent Wednesday, former President Donald Trump directed another round of criticism towards the daughter of the judge presiding over his upcoming criminal hush money trial, despite being subject to a gag order imposed by the judge the day before. Trump used his platform on Truth Social to lash out at New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, calling him a "hater" and demanding his recusal from the case. Trump alleged that the judge's daughter's involvement in progressive politics and her association with a Democratic political consulting firm made it impossible for him to receive a fair trial. The former president specifically mentioned her role as a president at Authentic Campaigns, a firm known for its work with Democratic clients, including President Joe Biden and other liberal groups and politicians.

Attack on Judge's Daughter

Accusing the judge's daughter of working to undermine him for financial gain, Trump claimed that her actions were contributing to her company's enrichment. Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, declined to comment on the posts in light of the gag order, which restricts Trump from making certain statements about the case or related individuals.

Extended Attacks

Trump's social media posts marked the continuation of his ongoing attacks against Judge Merchan, which intensified after the judge set a trial date for the hush money case. In this case, Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Allegations of Social Media Activity

Trump's latest accusations went so far as to claim that the judge's daughter had recently posted a picture of him behind bars on a social media platform. The account in question, tied to Authentic as a potential association with the judge's daughter, had featured a profile picture of Trump superimposed behind metal bars, which had since been changed to a childhood photo of Vice President Kamala Harris. However, the ownership of the account has not been definitively confirmed. The posts on this account are currently protected and can only be viewed by approved followers.

Violation of Gag Order

In defiance of the gag order, Trump continued to assert that the account belonged to the judge's daughter and criticized the gag order as an infringement of his rights. He expressed frustration at not being able to counter the attacks against him, particularly in the context of the upcoming presidential election.

Scope of Gag Order

Despite the gag order, Trump is still permitted to criticize the prosecutor in his case and can speak about Judge Merchan himself. However, he is prohibited from making public statements about likely witnesses, jurors, lawyers involved in the case, court staff, employees in the D.A.'s office, and their family members if the statements are intended to interfere with the legal proceedings. The judge expressed concern about the impact of Trump's prior statements against various figures involved in the case, describing them as threatening and inflammatory, and potentially disruptive to the orderly administration of the court.