As President Donald Trump faces a historic trial in Manhattan, the prospect of missing significant family milestones, particularly his son Barron’s high school graduation next month, has surfaced. Trump is entangled in a legally dubious and highly politicized “hush-money” trial, a first for any U.S. president, with jury selection that began on Monday. This trial will likely conflict with Barron Trump’s graduation from Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach on May 17.
Outside the courtroom on Monday, Trump expressed his frustration. “As you know, my son is graduating from high school, and it looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son, who has worked very, very hard,” he said.
“He’s a great student and he’s very proud of the fact he did so well and was looking forward for years to having his graduation with his mother and father there,” he added.
Trump: "It looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son, who has worked very very hard." pic.twitter.com/jtSd5rXqNk
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) April 15, 2024
President Trump slammed the political motives of the entire process: “You go right outside and people are being mugged and killed all day long and the judge is sitting here all day with about 10 or 12 prosecutors over nothing, over what people say shouldn’t be a trial.”
He continued, “We’re not going to be given a fair trial. He’s a very conflicted judge. He won’t allow me to leave here for half a day go to D.C. and go before the U.S. Supreme Court because he thinks he’s superior, I guess, to the Supreme Court. We’ve got a real problem with this judge and a real problem with a lot of things having to do with this trial.”
“That I can’t go to my son’s graduation, that I can’t go to the U.S. Supreme Court, that I’m not in Georgia or Florida or North Carolina campaigning like I should be, it’s perfect for the radical-left Democrats. That’s exactly what they want. This is about election interference, that’s all its about,” the 45th president continued.
Telling Trump he can’t attend Barron’s graduation goes beyond mere jackassery.
This is deliberately cruel.
Is the MSM really so lacking in self-respect that there’s no willingness to report on this? https://t.co/qq4Rj5hkVy
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) April 16, 2024
Trump’s legal team requested Judge Juan Merchan to consider not holding the trial on May 17 so that Trump can attend the graduation in Florida. However, the judge remained non-committal, focusing on the trial’s schedule. “It really depends on if we are on time and where we are in the trial,” said Merchan.
Merchan also refused to grant President Trump leave to attend oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in the prosecution by Joe Biden’s Special Counsel Jack Smith.
“Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal, and I can certainly appreciate why your client would want to be there, but a trial in New York Supreme Court is also a big deal. I will see him here next week,” the judge told Trump’s lawyers.
The trial centers on accusations of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Trump has maintained his innocence and criticized the proceedings as a political attack to disrupt his 2024 presidential campaign.
One of Trump’s civil attorneys, Alina Habba, supported his sentiments, emphasizing the trial’s impact on Trump’s personal life. “It’s election interference,” she told Sean Hannity on Fox News.
“This is political. You’re not even allowing a father — never mind a former president — but a father attend his son’s graduation? It’s just a sad state of affairs for the American people. I can assure you of that,” Habba added.
