President-elect Trump on Tuesday denounced Judge Juan Melchán's decision to allow a jury verdict in the hush-money case, despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that largely spared the former president from criminal prosecution.
President Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the judge's decision “completely disrespected the United States Supreme Court and its historic decision on immunity,” calling the case “unlawful” regardless of the president's immunity decision. He added that there is.
The Supreme Court's July ruling held that the president has absolute immunity for acts that fall within the core responsibilities of his office and constructive immunity for all other official duties.
“Evidence relating to preserved claims relates entirely to informal acts and is therefore not entitled to immunity protection. And with respect to claims that were not preserved, this court, considering the merits, “We find that the alternative claims are also rejected because they relate entirely to unofficial acts,” Marchand wrote in the judgment.
The justices have not yet ruled on Trump's attempt to throw out the lawsuit entirely now that he is president-elect.
President Trump slammed the decision on social media, calling it a “totally illegal and insane order” and calling Marchand incompetent and biased.
President Trump said, “Mr. Murchan, a radical partisan, knowingly wrote an opinion that was illegal and contrary to the Constitution. If allowed to stand, it would spell the end of the presidency as we know it.'' he claimed.
The New York hush money case is the first in which a former U.S. president has been criminally prosecuted, and the only one to go to trial.
Other lawsuits against President Trump have declined since his election day victory.
Special Counsel Jack Smith has dismissed all charges against Mr. Trump in the federal election destruction and classified documents case, but the president-elect's Georgia state charges have been lifted as an appeals court considers a pretrial defense challenge. The criminal case was suspended indefinitely. Trump's lawyers are also seeking an end to the case.
