Donald Trump's niece said her uncle suffered a string of losses during his first day in court for his long-awaited hush-money trial.
Mary Trump, a frequent critic of the former president, has once again taken aim at her estranged uncle as his criminal trial involving cover-up payments made prior to the 2016 election gets underway in New York. Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in trying to cover up hush-money payments to adult-film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. It is Donald Trump's first criminal trial, and the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president. Donald Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has denied the affairs and has called the case a "witch hunt."
In her latest Substack post, Mary Trump laid bare 10 "pretty spectacular developments," including juror selection issues, stock market woes and her uncle allegedly falling asleep in the courtroom. Beginning with Judge Juan Merchan refusing to recuse himself from the trial per the former president's request, Mary Trump wrote, "As this legal drama is just getting started, one thing is clear: Judge Merchan (unlike Donald's personal pocket judge in Florida, Aileen Cannon) has already shown us he's committed to the rule of law."
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The author goes on to discuss Trump Media & Technology Group, which trades under the symbol "DJT" on Wall Street. The company's stock tumbled by more than 18 percent as the trial got underway.
Mary Trump also drew attention to the widely reported allegation that Donald Trump fell asleep during the proceedings. "Napping during a criminal trial certainly undermines Donald's narrative that President Biden is 'sleepy,'" she wrote. "It's hard to maintain an image of energy and vitality when you pass out during your own trial."
"Maybe he should give up rage posting at 2AM," she continued, referring to Donald Trump's frequent Truth Social posts. Later this month, Merchan is set to hear arguments regarding whether the former president violated a gag order relating to the case.
Mary Trump mused on the gag order imposed by Merchan, which bars her uncle from discussing witnesses, court personnel and other persons involved in the case. "Prosecutors hit the ground running by requesting that Judge Merchan impose penalties and a monetary fine for every Truth Social post they allege breached Donald's gag order," she wrote. "They asked the court to send Donald to jail the next time he's in violation."
Mary Trump, the daughter of the late Fred Trump Jr., also discussed the fact that though 96 potential jurors were considered for the trial, not one was selected. Numerous prospective jurors were excused after saying they could not fulfil the requirement to remain impartial. The trial requires 12 jurors and six alternates to proceed.
Mary Trump said the former president's behavior in the courtroom could work against him once jurors were selected. Discussing Donald Trump's behavior during previous courtroom appearances, Mary Trump wrote: "Knowing Donald, his characteristic bluster, sense of grievance, and lack of impulse control will be on full display during the trial. Whether he's making faces or making audible comments when he shouldn't be speaking at all, his lack of respect and anger could have a tremendous influence on the jury."
She also drew attention to Merchan's ruling that the Access Hollywood tape, which was released prior to the 2016 election and included a record of Donald Trump making disparaging comments about women, could not be played in court.
Mary Trump ended her Substack post on Donald Trump's presidential campaign, saying his approval ratings were declining. Other polls have suggested that the former president is ahead of his opponent, with less than seven months to go until the November election.
"Donald is finally confronting his criminal charges. Remember, this case is about so much more than 'hush money,'" she wrote. "This is a case of election interference in which Donald attempted to keep vital information from voters that could have impacted their decisions in the voting booth."
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Aliss Higham is a Newsweek reporter based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her focus is reporting on issues across the U.S., including ... Read more
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