Trump attacks on hush money judge’s daughter based on fake account: Court

Former President Trump — in lashing out against the daughter of hush money trial Judge Juan Merchan — pointed to a social media account that is no longer connected to Loren Merchan, according to a court spokesperson.

In a statement first reported Wednesday, a spokesperson for the New York state Office of Court Administration (OCA) said the account in question was no longer associated with Loren Merchan, after she deleted the account approximately one year ago.

“The X, formerly Twitter, account being attributed to Judge Merchan’s daughter no longer belongs to her since she deleted it approximately a year ago,” OCA spokesperson Al Baker said Thursday in a statement provided to The Hill.

“It is not linked to her email address, nor has she posted under that screenname since she deleted the account,” Baker continued. “Rather, it represents the reconstitution, last April, and manipulation of an account she long ago abandoned.”

The statement follows Trump’s attack on social media on Loren Merchan, who is a Democratic political consultant. The former president pointed to a photo illustration of an imprisoned Trump behind bars, which The Associated Press initially reported appeared to be the profile photo of Loren Merchan’s account.

“So, let me get this straight,” Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. “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?”

Trump’s online remarks came less than 24 hours after Judge Merchan barred the former president from making public comments about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff or their family members “if those statements are made with the intent to materially interfere with” the case. The gag order does not preclude Trump from attacking Judge Merchan, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) or either of their families. 

Judge Merchan, however, 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 the gag order reflected the “nature and impact” of statements made against him, his “family member” and two prosecutors.

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 porn 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.