Judge Juan Merchan has threatened to arrest Donald Trump if he does not appear in court for each day of the hush money trial.
The news comes from MSNBC Vice President of Editorial and Booking Jesse Rodriguez, who wrote on X, “Trump has to be in the courtroom every day for the duration of his criminal trial.”
“If you do not show up there will be an arrest,” Judge Merchan said, according to Rodriguez.
Trump’s attorney told the court that Trump “wants to be present at everything” during the trial, although Merchan said that may create “logistical” issues with his Secret Service agents, ABC News reported.
The judge then asked Trump a series of questions pertaining to his understanding that his failure to attend the trial could “merit penalties from the court,” the outlet noted.
Trump answered “Yes” and “I do” to the judge’s questions.
News of the threat of arrest against Trump led to cries of election interference across social media.
“To be clear this is infinitely worse election interference than anything that the MSM accused Russia/Putin of doing in 2016,” Conservative account End Wokeness shared on X.
Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) wrote, “Corrupt Judge Merchan, a Biden donor whose family member has profited off this case & who illegally gagged President Trump just said “If you do not show up, there will be an arrest,” adding, “A 6-8 week show trial… Total election interference.”
Libby Emmons of The Post Millennial similarly shared on social media, “The goal is to keep him from running a campaign. The charges are bogus, the felonies haven’t even been named.”
Judge Merchan previously imposed a gag order on Donald Trump as part of the Stormy Daniels hush money trial.
Trump’s statements during the trial were “threatening, inflammatory, [and] denigrating,” according to the judge.
“Such inflammatory extrajudicial statements undoubtedly risk impeding the orderly administration of this Court,” Merchan added.
