Trump lashes out at daughter of hush money trial judge

The daughter of the Manhattan trial judge overseeing former President Trump’s hush money case was caught in the crossfire of Trump’s rage Wednesday.

In a rant about a gag order Judge Juan Merchan recently imposed against Trump, the former president railed against Merchan’s daughter, Loren, who is a Democratic political consultant.

Loren Merchan served as an executive at the progressive political consulting firm Authentic Campaigns, which has worked on campaigns for prominent Democrats, including Vice President Harris, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and President Biden, Trump’s 2024 rival. 

An account appearing to belong to the judge’s daughter on X, formerly Twitter, at one point used a photo illustration of an imprisoned Trump as its profile picture, according to The Associated Press. The profile, which was previously linked to by her consulting firm, has since been made private and the profile picture has been changed.

“So, let me get this straight,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday. “The Judge’s daughter is allowed to post pictures of her ‘dream’ of putting me in jail, the Manhattan D.A. is able to say whatever lies about me he wants, the Judge can violate our Laws and Constitution at every turn, but I am not allowed to talk about the attacks against me, and the Lunatics trying to destroy my life, and prevent me from winning the 2024 Presidential Election, which I am dominating?

“Maybe the Judge is such a hater because his daughter makes money by working to ‘Get Trump,’ and when he rules against me over and over again, he is making her company, and her, richer and richer. How can this be allowed?”

On Tuesday, Merchan barred Trump from publicly commenting about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff or their family members “if those statements are made with the intent to materially interfere with” the case. 

Trump is not precluded from attacking Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) — or their families. 

However, Merchan did write that Trump’s attacks on his daughter informed his decision to gag the former president. The judge initially chose just to admonish Trump, but he said his order reflected the “nature and impact” of statements made against him, his “family member” and two prosecutors.

Trump’s lawyers previously demanded Merchan resign from the case in part due to his daughter’s profession, but after consulting the state’s judicial ethics advisory committee, he declined to do so.

Merchan’s gag order is the third Trump has faced in recent months, following orders limiting his speech issued in his New York civil fraud case and his Washington federal criminal case linked to efforts to subvert the 2020 election results.

Trump faces 34 counts in New York alleging he illegally falsified business records when reimbursing his ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, for making a payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to conceal an affair ahead of the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty.

Merchan has set a trial date of April 15 in the case.