The lawfare against Donald Trump continues, but a major decision in one of the four cases against is now on hold until after the 2024 election.
Judge Juan Merchan announced on Friday that he is postponing sentencing in Trump’s New York business records trial to November 26 in an effort, he said, to not “distract” from the election. It was previously scheduled to take place on September 18.
On Friday’s show, Megyn was joined by entrepreneur Naval Ravikant to discuss why Merchan’s decision is not as noble as he is making it out to be and the dangers of political lawfare.
Merchan’s Move
In late May, a New York City jury found Trump guilty of 34 criminal charges related to falsifying business records in a ‘scheme’ to influence the 2016 presidential election. The charges stemmed from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into the matter.
The criminal conviction could carry jail time for Trump, and Merchan was – at least on paper – set to decide the GOP hopeful’s fate in just 10 days time. Instead, he issued a four-page letter on Friday claiming he was rescheduling for the sake of public trust.
The letter read, in part:
“The public’s confidence in the integrity of our judicial system demands a sentencing hearing that is entirely focused on the verdict of the jury and the weighing of aggravating and mitigating factors free from distraction or distortion…
Unfortunately, we are now at a place in time that is fraught with complexities rendering the requirements of a sentencing hearing, should one be necessary, difficult to execute. Thus, in accordance with certain of the grounds submitted by Defendant and the reasons for adjournment provided by the People coupled with the unique time frame this matter currently finds itself in, the decision on the… motion and the imposition of sentence will be adjourned to avoid any appearance – however unwarranted – that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching Presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate.”
Merchan also seemed to acknowledge sentencing may not ultimately be needed at all. “Sentencing on this matter, if necessary, is adjourned to November 26, 2024, at 10am,” he wrote.
In response to Merchan’s decision, Trump told Fox News Digital that it is further confirmation he “did nothing wrong” and the case should not have been brought. “I greatly respect the words ‘if necessary’ being used in this decision because there should be no ‘if necessary,’” he added. “The case should be dead.”
What’s Really Going On
While the case was largely seen as an overreach by Bragg and a conflict of interest for Merchan given his personal donations and daughter’s involvement in Democratic politics, it was further undermined by the Supreme Court’s ruling surrounding presidential immunity. Trump attorney Todd Blanche has said the NY verdict should be overturned based on the SCOTUS decision.
Megyn said that is the real reason for Merchan’s move. “Amazingly, this guy has the gall to think we are going to believe he has done this so as not to influence the election,” she said. “Those are all lies… This judge had no choice. Two days before the sentencing hearing… he is scheduled to make a decision on whether Trump has immunity and whether the evidence that was introduced against Trump violates the Supreme Court’s ruling.”
Assuming it is not in his favor, Megyn said Trump will appeal as soon as the immunity decision comes in, which means the sentencing was never going to happen on September 18. “It was going to ‘stay’ the whole thing anyway, so [Merchan] is a dishonest broker,” she explained. “The dishonesty by our elected officials of all is front and center every day.”
While Ravikant has largely remained apolitical in his public life, he said the lawfare campaign against Trump is what got him off the sidelines. “The moment you can start weaponizing the law against your enemy selectively, that is the beginning of the end,” he said. “I think the weaponization of the justice system… is the thing that will lead to violence. It is the thing that will lead to a dissolution and a breakup and something worse in the United States.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Ravikant by tuning in to episode 881 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.