The Manhattan judge overseeing the hush money trial has not yet made his decision, but the Trump campaign already believes the possibility of preventing the former president from attending his son’s high-school graduation is political dynamite.
‘F***ing with us on Barron’s graduation has the potential to be the “$18M Mar-a-Lago valuation” faux pas of this trial,’ a Trump insider told DailyMail.com.
Earlier this year another judge in a different trial offered an $18 million valuation of Trump’s Florida club, a number that the former president said was orders of magnitude lower that its true value and which has been used ever since to ridicule the outcome of a civil case.
In the same way, his campaign is now looking to weaponize anything it can from the hush money trial in Manhattan.
Any sign that Trump is being treated unfairly, including the courthouse’s dirty bathrooms, will be turned into talking points or campaign mailers, say people familiar with the thinking.
Barron Trump (left) poses with his father and a fan at Mar-a-Lago recently
The Trump campaign is using the possibility that the former president may not be allowed to attend his son’s high-school graduation in May to raise funds
There is already a team of allies on standby to attack the judge or witnesses, while the defendant himself is held to a gag order.
Barron Trump’s high-school graduation was already being used in fundraising emails within 24 hours of the issue coming up on the first day of Trump’s criminal trial.
As they discussed scheduling in courtroom 1530 of Manhattan criminal court, Trump’s lawyers asked that May 17 be kept free so that Trump can attend the event.
Barron turned 18 last month and is due to graduate from Oxbridge Academy, about eight miles from Mar-a-Lago.
A Trump lawyer also asked that June 3 be a recess day so that he could attend his own son’s graduation.
But Judge Juan Merchan, who has tried to avoid any delays in such a pivotal, important case, said he could not rule yet on either request.
‘It really depends on how we are doing on time and where we are in the trial,’ he said.
‘If everything is going according to schedule without unnecessary delays, then I am sure we will be able to adjourn for one or both of those days, but if we are running behind schedule, we will not be able to.’
The next day, Trump email lists distributed a message with the subject line: ‘Forced to miss my son’s graduation.’
Any sign that Trump is being treated unfairly, including the courthouse’s dirty bathrooms, will be turned into talking points or campaign mailers, say people familiar with the thinking
Judge Juan Merchan said he could not guarantee taking off the day of May 17. ‘It really depends on how we are doing on time and where we are in the trial,’ he said
Trump called it a ‘scam trial’ and railed against the judge as he left court on Monday
It added another grievance to regular reminders that Trump is unable to visit critical swing states while he is stuck in courtroom 1530.
‘The heartless thugs are forcing me to skip my son’s graduation,’ it said. ‘They want to ruin my life.’
A campaign source said: ‘Our team is preparing our allies, with the facts about this case,’ they said. ‘So we have all hands on deck, exposing the truth to the broader public, through every earned media opportunity that we possibly can.’
They added that the former president had to put up with degrading facilities in the ageing courthouse.
‘It’s disgusting. The bathrooms are terrible, the courtroom itself is nasty,’ they said. ‘And it’s just despicable what they’re putting him through.’
Allies said everyone could identify with a high-school graduation.
‘It’s something that I think most Americans find cruel,’ said Alex Bruesewitz, a Trump-allied strategist.
‘Most Americans believe this case, in particular … even many on the left … is the weakest of all cases, and that at this point they’re just bullying Trump.
‘It doesn’t sit well with a lot of people. And now you’re bringing his 18 year old son into it.’
The campaign says the former president has to put up with degrading facilities in the ageing courthouse, including disgusting toilets
Barron turned 18 last month and is due to graduate from Oxbridge Academy (above), about eight miles from Mar-a-Lago
Trump is due to return to court on Thursday morning for day three of his trial
Trump’s son Eric weighed in on X on Monday.
‘Judge Merchan is truly heartless in not letting a father attend his son’s graduation,’ he posted.
And the episode gave Trump a message for the media as he left the courtroom at the end of proceedings.
‘It looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son who’s worked very, very hard,’ said in front of cameras in the 15th floor hallway
‘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, and it looks like the judge isn’t going to allow me to escape this scam.
‘It’s a scam trial.’
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