Make America Great Again (MAGA) figures have hit out at Donald Trump potentially missing his son Barron's graduation because of a clash with the former president's hush-money trial.
Trump allies have reacted with anger following a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Inner City Press, saying that the judge in the case, Juan Merchan, is yet to decide whether Trump can miss the hush money trial on May 17 so the former president can attend his son's ceremony. Merchan is yet to make the ruling because of potential timing issues.
The trial, which began on Monday, will determine whether Trump falsified business records over payments to former adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep an alleged affair secret before the 2016 election, as alleged in a criminal indictment.
Prosecutors led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg allege the payments were part of a scheme to stop potentially damaging stories about the Republican from becoming public. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for the 2024 election, has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all 34 charges against him in the case.
Newsweek contacted a representative for Trump by email to comment on this story.
Barron Trump, 18, the only child from Melania Trump's marriage to the ex-president, is due to graduate from Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach, Florida on May 17.
Merchan said whether Trump can attend it or not depends on whether the trial runs on schedule, Inner City Press said. Jury selection in the trial is expected to last up to two weeks.
While a decision has not yet been made, writing on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he had been "prohibited from attending" the graduation.
After the first day of the trial, he also told press Barron had "worked very very hard" and was "a great student."
He called the trial "a scam" and "a political witch hunt."
In response to the news, writing on X, Kari Lake, a former U.S. news anchor who was the Republican candidate for the Arizona governor race in 2022, said she was "heartbroken" for Trump and his son. She added that he was being "robbed" from experiencing the graduation and that Merchan was "heartless & cruel."
I am heartbroken for President Trump & Barron.
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) April 15, 2024
All the hard work our kids put into graduating, & President Trump is being robbed of getting to experience his son’s High School graduation ceremony.
This corrupt judge is heartless & cruel.
We The People will send a message in… pic.twitter.com/jdAjrVKqkE
Meanwhile, a MAGA account called Paul Villarreal wrote: "Barron Trump seems like a wonderful, intelligent young man."
"The thought of President Trump being denied the right to watch his son graduate is heartbreaking," he added.
Barron Trump seems like a wonderful, intelligent young man.
— Paul Villarreal (AKA Vince Manfeld) (@AureliusStoic1) April 16, 2024
The thought of President Trump being denied the right to watch his son graduate is heartbreaking.
. pic.twitter.com/d9e6FHo4tf
Comedian Terrence K. Williams said Merchan was "the devil."
Trump's lawyer Alina Habba told Fox News it was "a sad state of affairs for the American people."
Habba: You’re not even allowing a father attend his son's graduation? And let’s not forget Passover. Ok? Observing Jews have a right to go and— and— and pray to who they want pic.twitter.com/sUsXRCb0Xs
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 16, 2024
On day one of the trial, Trump appeared to fall asleep and jury selection continued.
Jury proceedings for Trump's hush-money trial will resume at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. The trial is expected to last between six and eight weeks.
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Kate Plummer is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. politics and national affairs, and ... Read more
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