Former President Donald Trump should not be surprised if New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan puts him behind bars, according to Trump ally Mike Davis.
Merchan is presiding over Trump’s hush-money criminal trial, which began in Manhattan on Monday. Trump is facing 34 felony charges for allegedly falsifying business records and concealing payments to adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, during his 2016 presidential campaign. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Davis, a lawyer who serves as president of the conservative group Article III Project, answered in the affirmative after being asked by right-wing activist Jack Posobiec if he thought “we could see President Trump behind bars as an element of this” during an interview on the streaming show Human Events Daily on Monday.
Jabin Botsford
“Yes, I do,” Davis said. “If they try to put him in prison, which I could see this Democrat prosecutor and Democrat judge in Manhattan doing this. [Manhattan District Attorney Alvin] Bragg and this Juan Merchan, I could see them doing this.”
“They would have to literally clear out a wing of a jail to have enough protections in there for President Trump,” he added. “This is part of their pattern… Trying to imprison Trump for the rest of his life. This is the most anti-democratic thing imaginable. These are republic-ending tactics by Democrats.”
While addressing Trump directly for the first time on Monday, Merchan told the former president that a warrant could be issued for his arrest if he fails to show up in court without permission—a standard warning for criminal defendants in New York.
Merchan also said that he received a request from Trump to be excused on May 17 for his son Barron’s graduation ceremony, but would not yet rule on the request because the schedule for the trial had not been finalized.
Posobiec incorrectly suggested that the arrest warning was given in response to the graduation ceremony absence request during his interview with Davis on Monday, prompting the conservative lawyer to call Merchan’s actions “insane.”
“This is insane that this is happening,” said Davis. “It just shows you how clearly biased and partisan this Democrat Manhattan judge Juan Merchan is…This whole process is clearly rigged against President Trump.”
Davis went on to predict that Trump would be convicted on the “bogus charges” in Manhattan. He said the conviction would later be reversed on appeal, but only after the November presidential election, when Trump is expected to face President Joe Biden for a second time.
“There’s no question that President Trump is going to be found guilty and convicted under these bogus charges,” he said. “They’ll get eventually reversed on appeal, maybe even to the Supreme Court of the United States. But that won’t happen before November 5, 2024.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.