By Melissa Goldin—
The Associated Press
Former President Donald Trump said Monday on his social network Truth Social that he is “prohibited from attending” his son Barron's high school graduation on May 17 because he must be in court that day. Upon leaving the court, after the first day of trial for irregular payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels in the 2016 campaign, the Republican said about New York judge Juan M. Merchan: “It seems that the judge will not let me go to my son's graduation
The statement is false.
Merchan said Monday that he was not prepared to rule on a request by Trump's lawyers that the court be adjourned on May 17 so Trump could attend the ceremony. He said
his decision will depend on how the trial plays out.
Trump expressed his displeasure shortly after leaving the courthouse on Monday: “I can't go to my son's graduation” and a series of other events, including a U.S. Supreme Court hearing and campaign stops, he said.
The virtual Republican candidate then expanded his criticism of the judge on his Truth Social platform, where he wrote that “he probably will not be allowed to attend.”
Social media users quickly spread Trump's claims.
“Leftist New York City judge won't let President Trump attend Barron's high school graduation,” reads an Tuesday. “This is going to turn out badly for them. “The American people are tired of this Marxist tyranny.”
A Facebook video with approximately 25,000 views reads similarly: “I never thought I would disrespect a judge, but screw Judge Juan M. Merchán. This man is the devil! He said Trump will not be allowed to go to his son's graduation.”
Some posts even went so far as to claim that Trump would be arrested if he still attends graduation.
However, as we already explained,
Merchan has not yet commented on the matter.
Trump's lawyers requested Monday that the trial not be held on May 17 so that the former president could be at Barron's ceremony. And a lawyer for Trump also requested that the trial not be held on June 3 so that he could attend his own son's graduation.
Merchan said
he was not prepared to issue a decision on either request
, but noted that if the trial proceeds as planned, he is willing to postpone it for one or both days. “It really depends on how the times go and where we are in the trial,” he said.
The judge will require Trump to appear in court in New York next Thursday, while the Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether, as a former president, he is immune from prosecution in another of his four criminal cases. Trump is not required to be at the Supreme Court for arguments.
Merchan read Trump his so-called “Parker warnings” on Monday, informing him that his right to be present at the trial could be revoked if he misbehaved and that he could be sent to prison for inappropriate behavior. Trump assured that he understood that an arrest warrant would be issued if he deliberately did not appear at trial, according to a court transcript. This is the standard criminal procedure law in New York.
Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of a plan to bury damaging stories that he feared could damage his 2016 campaign, particularly because Trump's reputation was suffering at the time from comments he had made about the women.
Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of a plan to bury damaging stories that he feared could damage his 2016 campaign, particularly at a time when his reputation was being tarnished by lewd comments about women.
The former president returned to court Tuesday for the second day of the trial.
Trump faces charges in three other criminal cases, including two related to the 2020 election. On Feb. 16, he was ordered to pay $335 million in fines in a civil case over a scheme to deceive banks, insurers and others by inflating his wealth. in financial statements, a decision he is appealing.