Donald Trump demanded that Stormy Daniels’ hush money case be moved from Manhattan to the more Republican-friendly Staten Island just hours before his landmark indictment.
The former president tore up the judge’s supposed anti-Trump sentiment on Truth Social, saying the new venue would be “very fair and safe” as protesters and the world’s media stormed the Manhattan court where he will turn himself in this afternoon .
He also noted that Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, 34, worked for Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, deepening the alleged bias against him.
Trump, who continues to rise in polls ahead of the formal indictment Tuesday, will be accompanied by his Secret Service aide throughout the arraignment process.
Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post Tuesday morning, demanded that Stormy Daniels’ hush money case be moved from “unfair” Manhattan to the more Republican-friendly neighborhood of Staten Island
Trump called the proceedings a “kangaroo court” in a post shortly before his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday morning
Meanwhile, supporters and opponents alike gathered outside the courthouse on Tuesday to demonstrate.
Tuesday morning’s post continued with the former CEO claiming that the judge in Stormy Daniels’ hush money case is a “Trump hater” with prejudice against him.
The former president arrived at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Monday before being formally taken to court on Tuesday.
After the arraignment, Trump will immediately return to his estate in Mar-a-Lago and make comments from his club in Palm Beach, Florida.
The former president is expected to leave Trump Tower Monday morning to head to the courthouse downtown, flanked by a Secret Service and NYPD motorcade that will lead to rolling road closures.
Trump’s campaign spent its final moments arriving at the courthouse Tuesday morning by sending a fundraising email after raising an astonishing $8 million in the four days since his indictment was announced.
The final push for contributions before Trump was officially indicted was labeled “My last email before my arrest.”
“Our movement has overcome so much,” the email reads. “And I have no doubt that we will triumph again and WIN the White House in 2024.”
There is a button for supporters to donate to the campaign claiming that money given now has a ‘1500% impact’ than submitting it at other times.
Judge Juan Merchan and his daughter, Loren Merchan
Trump complained that the judge in the case – Judge Juan Merchan – is a biased “Trump hater” whose daughter “works for Kamala”
A photo from Loren Merchan’s Facebook shows her enjoying a glass of wine in a short film for Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential run, which she worked on as a digital director
The Truth Social post Tuesday morning laments, “VERY UNFAIR PLACE, WITH SOME AREAS VOTING 1% REPUBLICAN. THIS CASE SHOULD BE MOVED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ISLAND OF STATES – WOULD BE A VERY FAIR AND SAFE LOCATION FOR THE TRIAL.”
“In addition, the highly biased judge and his family are KNOWN TRUMP HATERS,” the ex-president added. “HE WAS AN UNFAIR DISASTER IN A PREVIOUS TRUMP-RELATED CASE, WOULD NOT REVIEW, GAVE HORRIBLE JURY INSTRUCTIONS AND IMPOSSIBLE TO TREAT DURING THE WITCH HUNTING TRIAL. HIS DAUGHTER WORKED FOR ‘KAMALA’ & NOW THE BIDEN-HARRIS CAMPAIGN.’
‘KANGAROO COURT!!!’ he concluded.
Loren, the daughter of Judge Merchan, served as digital director for Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign. She was with the campaign from February 2019 to December of the same year.
Loren Merchan concluded her job with the campaign to fill the same role at Authentic, a digital strategy agency for progressives. She climbed the ladder during five years with the company and is now Partner, President and COO of Authentic Campaigns.
Journalists from all over the world lined up at the courthouse in Manhattan from Monday to Tuesday to secure their seats in court.
Trump posted Tuesday morning, again writing in all caps, that Democrats have “criminalized the justice system” as his defenders repeatedly claim the Manhattan case against him is “politically driven.”
“THIS IS NOT WHAT AMERICA SHOULD BE!” Trump wrote on his social media platform.
Protesters on both sides descended on the criminal court building and were separated by NYPD barricades just after dawn.
Protesters clashed outside the courthouse in New York City on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 when a pro-Trump protester threw himself at an anti-Trump banner and began biting and tearing at it
Trump accused Democrats of criminalizing the US justice system as Republicans and his supporters say the case is an example of liberals using the justice system for political ends
Chaos ensued early on as protesters clashed on opposite sides, with one Trump fan throwing himself at an anti-Trump banner and attempting to tear it up.
“You’re on the wrong side!” shouted the anti-Trump crowd, grabbing for the flag the woman tried to remove in a clumsy tug of war.
More than a week before being charged, Trump told his supporters to “protest, protest, protest,” and a few days later warned of “death and destruction” if charged.
The Manhattan case stems from a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, from Trump’s “fixer” and then-lawyer Michael Cohen.
Trump claims he never had a sexual relationship with Daniels and was unaware that paying Cohen for legal fees was actually hush money to keep the porn star quiet during the 2016 election.
The charges seek to redirect the payment from a possible felony to an indictment for alleged violations of fraud-related campaign finance laws.