OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Donald Trump’s remarks against the daughter of the judge presiding over his impending criminal trial in New York have drawn criticism from a federal judge.
Reggie Walton, a U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia whom President George W. Bush nominated to the bench in 2001, responded to Trump’s criticism of Judge Juan Merchan.
The former president is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records; the Republican has entered a not-guilty plea to 34 counts. Merchan is presiding over this case. In remarks on social media, Trump also disparaged Merchan’s daughter.
The former president has more than 6.8 million followers on Truth Social, where he has posted twice about Loren Merchan. He has called her a “Rabid Trump Hater, who has admitted to having conversations with her father about me.”
Before the former president’s hush money trial on April 15, Judge Merchan issued a gag order, which prompted Trump’s attacks. The order was intended to stop Trump from publicly discussing court employees, jurors, possible witnesses, Manhattan district attorney’s office attorneys, or their families.
Walton told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that any attack on a judge is “particularly problematic” when it involves a member of their family.
“We do these jobs because we’re committed to the rule of law and we believe in the rule of law. The rule of law can only function effectively when we have judges who are prepared to carry out their duties without the threat of potential physical harm,” Walton said.
“You can’t let that impact on how you live your life, and how you treat litigants who are before you,” Walton said. “Even though threats may be made against you and your family, you still must ensure that everybody who comes into your courtroom is treated fairly, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done. But nonetheless, it is very troubling, because it is an attack on the rule of law when judges are threatened, and particularly, when their family is threatened. And it’s wrong and should not happen.”
When asked if Trump’s online attacks against the judge and his family will result in real-life harm, Walton suggested that “any reasonable thinking person” would appreciate that people could resonate with their words.
“That’s particularly true when you have somebody who has status in our society, and they make certain statements, it can cause people to act on those statements, even if they don’t necessarily intend for someone to do so,” Walton said.
“So I think it’s very important that people in positions of authority, be very circumspect in reference to the things that they say, so that they’re not causing others to act on what they say and maybe cause injury or death to someone as a result of that.”
In another attack on Judge Merchan’s daughter, Trump referenced an account on X, formerly Twitter, to suggest that her “obvious goal” is to see him in jail.
“The account, which posted a mocked-up image of Trump behind bars, no longer belongs to Loren Merchan, and appears to have been taken over by someone after she deleted it last year, the New York’s state court system said,” according to Newsweek.
The account “is not linked to her email address, nor has she posted under that screenname since she deleted the account,” court spokesperson Al Baker said in a statement. “Rather, it represents the reconstitution, last April, and manipulation of an account she long ago abandoned.”
Trump previously paid a total fine of $15,000 for twice breaking a gag order that Judge Arthur Engoron imposed on him during his civil fraud case. Trump was later fined $354 million, rising to $454 million with interest, for filing fraudulent financial statements that inflated the value of his properties and assets for years.
A New York appeals court agreed on March 25 to delay collection of a $454 million civil fraud penalty against Trump, provided he makes a payment of $175 million within 10 days.
