Judge Warned Trump on Threats. Now Judge Is Getting 'Dozens'

Juan Merchan and his family, court have all been on the receiving end, per sources
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 6, 2023 6:25 AM CDT
Judge in Trump Case Hit by 'Dozens' of Threats: Source
Former President Donald Trump appears in court for his arraignment on Tuesday in New York.   (AP Photo/Steven Hirsch via Pool)

During his Tuesday arraignment, former President Trump was warned by acting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan not to bring threats against anyone or say anything that could incite violence regarding the hush money case against him. Later that evening, during his speech at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, Trump ripped into a "Trump-hating judge" and his "Trump-hating wife and family," apparently in reference to Merchan. Now, sources tell NBC News that Merchan and his family, as well as the court he works for, have been hit with "dozens" of threats, and that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his employees continue to receive the same.

Forbes notes the threats against Merchan actually began weeks ago, as the judge previously oversaw a tax fraud case against the Trump Organization. A source tells the outlet that it's not uncommon for judges to be on the receiving end of threats, though Merchan isn't the only one being targeted here: His daughter, Loren, president of the Authentic Campaigns political consultancy that has done work for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, among others, is also on Trump allies' radar. Donald Trump Jr., the former president's eldest son, tweeted a photo of her, along with a Breitbart article about her work, per the Independent.

The elder Trump has slammed Merchan before, per the New York Times. On his Truth Social network last week, the former president wrote that the judge overseeing his case "HATES ME," followed by another post Sunday similarly referencing a "Trump Hating Judge." As recently as Tuesday morning, the day he headed to NYC for his arraignment, Trump continued to rail against Merchan. Trump has similarly gone after Bragg's wife online. A spokesperson for New York's state court system was mum on any specific threats against Merchan, but he did note that the court's judicial monitoring system is "watching and monitoring and adjusting accordingly," per Forbes. Extra security has also reportedly been provided for Merchan and the court, as well as for Bragg and his staff. (More Juan Merchan stories.)

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