Donald Trump raged against the judge presiding over his hush money trial in New York and one of the prosecutors moments after he stepped out of the courtroom on the final day of witness testimony.
In an 11-minute screed near the men’s bathrooms on the 15th floor of the criminal court building in downtown Manhattan, the former president said the Colombia-born judge “hates” him, adding: “Take a look at where he comes from.”
“Just take a look. Take a look at him. Take a look at where he comes from,” Mr Trump said on Tuesday. “He can’t stand Donald Trump. He’s doing everything in his power.”
New York Justice Juan Merchan is from Colombia and was raised in the borough of Queens, where Mr Trump also grew up.
His remarks appeared to echo Mr Trump’s other dog whistle attacks aimed at the judiciary; in 2016, Mr Trump said US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel couldn’t be impartial in US-Mexico border wall litigation because he’s Mexican.
Mr Trump – while flipping through printed-out columns from right-wing commentators – also ranted about inflation and repeated an antisemitic statement that Jewish Democratic voters “should have their head examined.”
He also appeared to baselessly suggest that President Joe Biden sent Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo to prosecute him in this case to stop him from winning the 2024 presidential election.
Mr Colangelo, a former Justice Department official with a history investigating the former president and business, was tapped to join the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in 2022.
“Our country’s going to hell under Biden. But look at the person – why don’t you look at the person that argued their case, almost the entire case? Look at the person. Where did he come from? Unbelievable. He came from Biden,” Mr Trump said on Tuesday.
Later, he claimed that the man who “did all the talking” only “came in for one reason.”
“He came from Washington DC, the White House and the DOJ,” Mr Trump said. “And he argued the case. That means it’s Biden. That means it’s election interference by Sleepy Joe, our dumb-as-a-rock president who’s destroying our country.”
His remarks aimed at Mr Colangelo appear to violate the conditions of a gag order that blocks Mr Trump from speaking out against attorneys involved in the case, along with jurors, witnesses, court staff and their families.
He has already violated the gag order at least 10 times, drawing $10,000 in fines and a warning that he could be jailed for further violations. A parade of Trump loyalists have joined him in court in recent days and have admitted that they are there to say what Mr Trump cannot – though the gag order also blocks Mr Trump from directing others to make statements on his behalf.
Mr Trump’s latest statements follow a final day of witness testimony in the historic trial, where the former president faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a scheme to prevent voters from hearing Stormy Daniels’ story about having sex with Mr Trump in 2006.
He has pleaded not guilty and denied ever having sex with the adult film star.
Despite repeatedly suggesting that he would testify, Mr Trump ultimately did not.
After testimony from 22 witnesses over the last five weeks, jurors will hear closing arguments from both parties on May 28.
A verdict could be reached as early as 29 May.
