Former President Donald Trump has criticized a New York judge for preventing him from attending Supreme Court arguments on presidential immunity on Thursday, calling the case a “sham” and “totally unconstitutional.” Trump, who is facing criminal charges in the state, had requested to be present at the Supreme Court when it hears arguments on his immunity out of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into 2020 election interference. However, Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over Trump’s trial in Manhattan, rejected that request.
“Because he thinks he is above the Supreme Court, he is prohibiting me from going to the presidential immunity hearing where some of the great legal scholars will be arguing the case — the most important case in many years on the Supreme Court,” Trump told Fox News Digital.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule in June on whether Trump is immune from prosecution by Smith. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, which include falsifying business records and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Trump also criticized the judge for not allowing him to skip court on May 17 to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation.
“The other thing is, the judge is prohibiting me from going to my son’s graduation from high school — my son Barron, who has worked very hard and he’s a great student,” Trump said. “He can’t have his father at his graduation because of a vicious judge that’s totally conflicted.”
Merchan has not yet formally granted or denied Trump’s request to skip court for his son’s graduation. He has said he will make his decision based on how the trial is going.
Trump’s criminal trial has been put on hold pending the Supreme Court’s decision on his immunity. Meanwhile, Smith has also charged Trump with conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and alleged interference in the 2020 election result. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges in that case as well.
