The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s trial is providing plenty of fuel for the former president to torch his own legal team but that may not matter: The audience of one seems happy — at least for now.
It’s a surprising turn considering how many lawyers Trump has jettisoned in the past or have gone their separate ways.
Despite Justice Juan Merchan admonishing Trump’s lawyers for not objecting during salacious testimony, Trump himself appears to be satisfied .
“I want to thank my lawyers,” the former president said this week from the courthouse. “They’ve done a very good job, but I’d rather thank them after it’s over, as opposed to now because we don’t want them to get carried away because there’s no case.”
The prosecution quizzed porn star Stormy Daniels over her alleged sexual encounter with Trump this week, leading the former president’s defense team to complain that the details she shared were prejudicial. They requested a mistrial twice and were denied each time, with Merchan taking the opportunity to criticize Trump’s team — particularly Susan Necheles — for not trying harder to shut down Daniels’ testimony.
“I agree, that shouldn’t have come out. I wish those questions hadn’t been asked, and I wish those answers hadn’t been given,” Merchan said, referring to graphic details like whether or not Trump used a condom.
“But for the life of me, I don’t know why Ms. Necheles didn’t object. Why on earth she wouldn’t object to a mention of a condom, I don’t understand.”
