In addition to denouncing the trial that began Monday in New York with jury selection as a 'scam,' Donald Trump said that Judge Juan Merchán's proceedings will prevent the former president from attending his son's high school graduation.
"As you know, my son is graduating from high school and it looks like the judge won't let me go to my son's graduation," Trump told members of the pool gathered for the trial. "I was looking forward to that graduation, with his mother and father there, and it looks like the judge won't let me off the hook for this scam."
Trump is the first former U.S. president to face a criminal trial in U.S. history. What some are labeling as 'the trial of the century' began with jury selection but ended without jurors being chosen at the Courthouse in Manhattan.
New York state law mandates that Trump must attend the entire trial in person, and some media outlets estimate that the process will take at least six weeks.
Judge Merchán declined Trump's request to miss a day to attend his son Barron Trump's graduation. Merchán responded, 'It really depends on whether we are on schedule and the stage of the trial.
Trump is accused of making hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress in a financial scheme involving the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper.
In addition, the former president stated that due to his obligation to remain in New York for the duration of the criminal trial, he would be unable to travel to Washington, DC, to attend a Supreme Court hearing. During this session, the justices will decide whether Trump will enjoy presidential immunity for the criminal charges he faces. These charges allege that he conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to incumbent President Joe Biden.
"These are very complex things, and (Merchán's ) not going to allow me to leave here for half a day to go to DC and go before the United States Supreme Court, because he thinks he's superior to the Supreme Court," Trump said.
The trial began with jury selection, with nearly 100 people gathering at the courthouse. However, more than half were immediately dismissed upon recognizing that they could not be impartial. Jury selection will resume on Tuesday (April 16) and continue until 12 jurors and six alternates are selected.
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