Donald Trump Calls for Disbarment of New York Judge Presiding Over His Hush Money Sentencing

Donald Trump is not happy with the New York judge overseeing his hush money case.

In a weekend tirade, the president-elect targeted Judge Juan Merchan, who recently announced sentencing would begin on January 10th. Trump called Merchan “the most conflicted judge in New York State history,” and further claimed, “I never falsified business records. It is a fake, made-up charge by a corrupt judge who is just doing the work of the Biden/Harris Injustice Department, an attack on their political opponent, ME!”

Trump criticized the case, accusing Merchan of fabricating it and enforcing a “gag order” to prevent the Republican president from speaking out.

“The Fake News knows all about it, but they refuse to talk,” he ranted.

Despite Merchan’s decision to move forward with sentencing, the judge suggested no punishment would be proposed, citing presidential immunity as Trump prepares for inauguration. Still, Trump didn’t hold back, labeling Merchan a “totally out of control, Trump-hating judge” and demanding his disbarment.

The 78-year-old also invoked his legal battles with special counsel Jack Smith, claiming that the dismissal of charges against him proved his innocence. Trump was convicted in May 2024 on 34 counts of falsifying business records, stemming from an alleged scheme to conceal a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the final weeks of his 2016 campaign. The payment was intended to prevent Daniels from publicly revealing claims of an affair with Trump years earlier, a story Trump has consistently denied.