Conservatives have escalated their disapproval of Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the hush money case involving former President Donald Trump, labeling his actions as “sleazy” prior to the trial that commenced on Monday. Critics have condemned Merchan for allegedly hindering Orthodox Jews from serving on the New York jury by scheduling court proceedings on Fridays, a day when Jewish individuals observe the Shabbat, a period of rest that prohibits work, driving, or cooking, as reported by Newsweek.
Nevertheless, it has been pointed out by others that Shabbat extends from Friday evening until Saturday evening. This timeframe allows for observant Jews to potentially participate in jury duty during daylight hours, especially considering that in New York, the sun sets around 7:30 p.m. As the trial progresses through the summer, the sunset will occur even later, coinciding with the end of daily court sessions.
Fox News anchor Mark Levin was one of the individuals who accused Merchan of aiming to exclude Orthodox Jews from the jury in the falsifying business records trial. Levin highlighted that Trump has substantial support from Orthodox Jews. A survey conducted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) shortly before the 2020 election revealed that 74 percent of Orthodox Jews favored Trump over Joe Biden.
Leftwing anti-Trump Democrat judge in phony case against Trump starting tomorrow has purposely scheduled trial days to include Fridays to prevent more conservative pro-Trump Orthodox Jews from serving on the jury,” Levin posted on the X platform. “This is yet another sleazy move by this judge.”
Dan Schneider, vice president of the Free Speech Alliance group at the Media Research Center, echoed a comparable statement on the platform.
“Orthodox Jews to be excluded from [Manhattan District Attorney Alvin] Bragg’s jury pool. The NYC demographic group most strongly supportive of Trump is the orthodox Jewish community,” Schneider posted.
“So, no surprise that the very biased judge in Bragg’s case scheduled the trial to include Fridays instead of Wednesdays. Very unusual, but understandable since this switch will necessarily exclude all orthodox Jews from the jury pool. Democrat operatives are very clever.”
On Truth Social, Trump alleged that the trial in New York on a Sunday night was an act of “election interference” designed to impede his 2024 election prospects by tying him up in court and away from the campaign trail.
“Just four years ago I was a very popular and successful President of the United States, getting more votes than any sitting President in history,” he wrote. “Tomorrow morning I’ll be in Criminal Court, before a totally conflicted Judge, a Corrupt Prosecutor, a Legal System in CHAOS, a State being overrun by violent crime and corruption, and Crooked Joe Biden’s henchmen ‘Rigging the System’ against his Political Opponent, ME!”
“I will be fighting for myself but, much more importantly, I will be fighting for our Country,” he wrote. “Election Interference like this has never happened in the USA before and, hopefully, will never happen again. We are now a Nation in serious Decline, a Failing Nation, but we will soon be a Great Nation Again. November 5th will be the most important day in the History of the United States.”
He concluded with slightly more enthusiasm, going back to all caps to write, “MAGA2024! SEE YOU TOMORROW.”
