- Judge Juan Merchan and his family have been the target of threats amid Trump's arraignment
- Trump's allies have also mocked the judge's daughter Loren Merchan
- The former president claims that Merchan "hates" him
According to two people familiar with the case, the presiding judge and his family have received unfounded threats in the 24 hours following former President Donald Trump's arraignment.
One officer stated that Judge Juan Merchan and his chambers have recently been the target of "dozens" of threats but did not specify when they occurred.
Trump Judge, Family Receive Threats
A second source said threats continue against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and other office leaders. Phone calls, emails, and letters have communicated these equally unfounded threats.
The NYPD detail assigned to the District Attorney's office provides heightened protection for all relevant employees. As a precaution, court officials are increasing security for the judge and the whole court, as per NBC News.
Trump and his associates have publicly vilified Merchan, his family, and his adult daughter, prompting the heightened security measures.
Before his court appearance on Tuesday, Trump slammed Juan Merchan on his Truth Social account as a "highly partisan judge" and said that the judge and his family are "Trump haters." In the post, Trump stated, "HIS DAUGHTER WORKED FOR 'KAMALA' & NOW THE BIDEN-HARRIS CAMPAIGN."
The adult sons of the former president, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump, also shared links to articles from conservative media sources concentrating on hiring Merchan's daughter.
Per Forbes, Trump has asserted that Merchan "hates" him, citing Merchan's management of the tax fraud case against the Trump Organization and its former CFO Allen Weisselberg as evidence.
Trump, Allies Slam Judge Juan Merchan
The former president and his allies, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Donald Trump Jr., have also targeted the judge's daughter her ties to Democrats as president and partner of the political consulting firm Authentic Campaigns. Loren Merchan's clients include the campaigns of President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The New York State Court spokesperson, Lucian Chalfen, declined to comment on specific threats but stated that the court's judicial protection team is "watching and monitoring and reacting accordingly."
Merchan reprimanded Trump for his incendiary rhetoric in the weeks preceding his indictment during his arraignment on Tuesday. According to multiple reports, Merchan urged Trump to "refrain" from "comments that have the potential to incite violence, create civil unrest, or jeopardize the state or well-being of any individuals."
Merchan did not rule out the possibility of a future gag order prohibiting Trump from commenting on the issue if required. Trump entered a not-guilty plea to 34 felony charges of falsifying company documents.
Prosecutors allege he coordinated a vast hush-money plan to prevent damaging headlines about him in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. He faces a maximum term of 136 years in jail, four years for each offense, if convicted at trial (anticipated to occur in the first part of next year).
But, according to analysts, it is highly improbable that he will get a prison sentence. Merchan, a former assistant district attorney in Manhattan, supervised tax fraud proceedings against the Trump Organization and its former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg.
After accepting a plea agreement in the case, Weisselberg was sentenced to five months in jail. The Trump Organization was convicted by a jury and sentenced by Merchan to pay $1.6 million, the maximum punishment for its offenses.
Trump reminded his followers that Merchan is "a Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife and family, whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris." According to NY Post, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused Trump, 76, of possibly dangerously inciting his supporters during the Mar-a-Lago event held after his arrest.
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