Donald Trump's String of Courtroom Losses Continues

Former President Donald Trump's subpoena demanding documents pertaining to the recent NBC documentary about adult film actress Stormy Daniels has been blocked by New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan.

Merchan, who is overseeing the ex-president's hush-money criminal trial, granted a motion to quash the subpoena from NBCUniversal on Friday, arguing that Trump has no right "to rifle through the privileged documents of a news organization."

The Context

Trump is facing 34 felony charges in New York for allegedly falsifying business records and concealing hush-money payments to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, in an attempt during his 2016 presidential campaign to keep her quiet about an alleged affair. Trump president has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denies that an affair took place.

NBC was issued with a subpoena by Trump's legal team shortly before the documentary Stormy aired on the network's streaming service Peacock. The ex-president claimed without evidence that internal documents would show there was "collusion" between NBC and Daniels to ensure that the film would be released close to the beginning of the trial.

A motion to quash the subpoena was filed by NBC on March 20, two days after the documentary was released.

On Thursday, Trump suffered two criminal court losses, with motions to dismiss his federal classified documents case in Florida and his Georgia election subversion case rejected.

What We Know

In a four-page ruling, Merchan wrote on Friday that Trump's claims concerning NBC and Daniels were "purely speculative and unsupported" and called the demands in his subpoena "the very definition of a fishing expedition."

"Even if this Court were to find that Defendant's request was not speculative, or that it seeks general discovery, NBCUniversal's motion nonetheless would be granted because Defendant seeks unfettered access to the notes and materials of a media organization in violation of Civil Rights Law," Merchan wrote.

"This Court has considered Defendant's explanation for seeking this Court's permission to rifle through the privileged documents of a news organization and finds that he has not shouldered the very heavy burden necessary to overcome NY Civil Rights Law," he added.

Views

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche declined Newsweek's request for comment on Merchan's decision on Friday.

Supporters of the former president reacted to the decision on X, formerly Twitter, with outrage and suggestions that Trump would achieve revenge by somehow sending Merchan to jail.

"THIS IS NOT FAIR!" wrote @LegallyLori163. "DEMS CAN BRING EVIDENCE TO THE TABLE, BUT NOT TRUMP?"

"Merchan will be serving in prison in the near future... and he's oblivious to that fact...," @Jeffmaehr wrote.

"Think This judge is going to jail in due course..." wrote @CoreValuesWin.

Others celebrated the decision and thanked Merchan.

"Thank you, Justice Merchan, for NOT allowing . . . the endless delays, fishing expeditions, obstruction and other legal gamesmanship intended to delay, delay, delay," @CourtneyLarsen1 wrote. "Justice delayed is justice denied."

"Merchan sees Trump for what he is," wrote @FedUpGOPer.

What's Next

Trump's New York criminal trial is scheduled to begin on April 15, despite repeated attempts to delay the proceedings. Final trial dates for his three other criminal cases are less clear, while the ex-president is also working on appeals to over $500 million in recent civil judgments.

Meanwhile, Trump is currently campaigning as the presumptive GOP nominee in this year's presidential election. He claims that all of his legal troubles are part of a political "witch hunt" intended to block him from defeating President Joe Biden in November.

Update 04/05/24 4:38 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and background.