It’s official—Donald Trump’s legal battles are shaping up to be just as theatrical as his political career, and Judge Juan Merchan seems intent on making a name for himself in the final act. On Monday, Merchan denied Trump’s request to delay sentencing in the hush money case, keeping the hearing locked in for Friday, a mere ten days before Trump’s return to the White House. Talk about impeccable timing, right?
Trump’s legal team wasn’t exactly thrilled, filing motions and appeals faster than you can say “politically motivated.” But Merchan, apparently channeling his inner legal hardliner, shut them down. “DENIED,” he said—bold caps, exclamation point practically implied. Of course, the president-elect’s lawyers are turning every legal knob they can find, asking New York’s appeals court to weigh in and possibly delay what they’ve called an “unlawful” sentencing.
Trump’s incoming communications director Steven Cheung went on the offensive, blasting the entire proceeding as a “meritless hoax.” If only someone could write this drama into a Netflix series, it might outdo House of Cards.
I’ll NEVER FORGET when Judge Merchan FORCED President Trump to delete this post and fined him $9,000.
Stormy Daniels and Judge Merchan definitely wish this letter didn’t exist.
Sure would be a shame if everyone shared it… pic.twitter.com/av6eNWIcrk
— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) January 4, 2025
The irony is rich here. Even if sentencing proceeds, Merchan has already signaled that Trump wouldn’t face any real punishment. The likely outcome? An “unconditional discharge,” which basically means, “Thanks for playing, see you at the inauguration.” So, why the circus? Why the relentless push to force this trial to a close now, of all times? Call it what you want, but the optics here aren’t exactly subtle. Trump has called the whole thing a sham—and let’s be honest, it’s hard not to see his point.
Let’s rewind to the charges themselves. The hush money trial hinges on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover payments allegedly made to Stormy Daniels. Remember her? She’s the adult film actress who claims she had an affair with Trump. He, of course, denies the allegations, and the timing of these charges—years after the alleged events—raises more questions than answers. Political motivation, anyone?
Trump’s commentary on the matter has been as fiery as ever. Over the weekend, he took to Truth Social (because, of course, he did) to blast Judge Merchan as a partisan operative. “Fake, made-up charge… corrupt judge… Biden/Harris Injustice Department,” he wrote. Subtle? Not exactly. But love him or hate him, Trump knows how to rally his base, and moments like these fuel his narrative that he’s the victim of a coordinated attack.
Meanwhile, the mainstream media has all but ignored the elephant in the room—why are these charges being pressed at such a politically convenient moment? And why is a judge pushing forward with a sentencing hearing days before Trump’s inauguration only to let him off with no punishment? It doesn’t take a legal scholar to see that this looks less like justice and more like theater.
𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍
Judge Juan Merchan using calculated lawfare in order to have President Trump sworn in as the first President in history as a Felon. pic.twitter.com/71zuDq14b6
— ZZZ (@AskMeLaterOn) January 6, 2025
In the grand scheme, this case is unlikely to derail Trump’s comeback. If anything, it adds another chapter to his storied ability to thrive under fire. But for anyone who values fairness, this whole ordeal feels like a blatant misuse of the justice system to score cheap political points. And that should concern everyone, no matter what side of the aisle you’re on.
