Criticism of Trump for insulting Colombian-born judge during trial: ‘Consider his background,’ he says

Amid these ongoing legal battles, Donald Trump said the Colombian-born judge “hated” him. He went on to say “look where he came from”.

Former US President Donald Trump has a history of lashing out at judges, witnesses and prosecutors during his ongoing legal battles, accusing them of corruption and being part of outgoing President Joe Biden’s political agenda. His latest target was Juan Merchan, the acting New York State Supreme Court justice who oversaw the former president’s secret trial, in which he is accused of hiding business records to pay a huge sum to former movie star Donald Trump.

Since the trial began in Manhattan court, Trump has attempted to characterize the veteran judge as biased and the entire affair as a political “witch hunt” intended to damage his presidential campaign. The GOP leader has already been fined several times for violating the silence order issued against him. However, on Tuesday, Trump went a step ahead by using a familiar racial slur against Merchan.

“The judge hates Donald Trump. Look at. Take a look at him. Look where he comes from,” he said, apparently referring to Colombian-born judge Merchan. “He can’t stand Donald Trump. He does everything in his power.

However, some X users pointed out that Merchan and Judge Aileen Cannon, who oversees his classified documents case, were born in Colombia and moved to the United States.

“Judge Aileen Cannon was also born in Colombia,” wrote X user Mueller.

Congressional lawyer Eric Columbus blasted Trump’s remarks by mentioning that Merchan and Cannon were born in Colombia.

“It’s an ugly thing. Judge Juan Mercan is from Colombia. He moved to the United States when he was a child. Remarkably, Judge Aileen Cannon was also born in Colombia – but I doubt Trump knows that,” he wrote.

“He’s an American. And a patriot. Unlike Trump,” one X user wrote, while another joked, “Trump’s family is from Germany.”

Everything you need to know about the Trump cases and the judges presiding over them

In March, Judge Merchan issued a gag order against Trump, barring him from making public comments regarding witnesses, lawyers and personnel involved in the case. The ruling omitted Merchan and Alvin Bragg, but it was later amended to include both of their families after Trump launched a scathing attack on the judge’s daughter, Loren Merchan.

Earlier this month, Trump was fined $9,000 for violating the gag order nine times. He was fined another $1,000 again on May 6 after the judge warned him that further offenses could send him to prison.

Mercan emigrated to the United States from Colombia with his family at the age of six. After growing up in Queens, New York, he began his legal career in 1994 as a prosecutor in the New York County District Attorney’s Office. In 2009, he was named an acting justice of the state Supreme Court, handling criminal cases.

Cannon grew up in Miami, Florida after being born in Colombia. She served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Serious Crimes and Appellate Divisions for the Southern District of Florida. Cannon was subsequently appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in November 2020.

Cannon is currently handling the classified documents case, in which the former US president is accused of illegally storing sensitive information at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and obstructing authorities’ attempts to federal authorities to obtain them. Trump has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty in the case.