Former President Donald Trump's onetime White House spokesman tried Tuesday to preach against what he described as the one-sided treatment his old boss received in Manhattan criminal court, but CNN anchor Jake Tapper wasn't having it.
Former White House communications official Hogan Gidley tried to claim that Trump's criminal hush money case — in which he stands accused of falsifying business records to conceal deals made ahead of the 2016 presidential election — has been presided over by a compromised judge.
"No offense, Jake, but you talked about [U.S. District Judge] Aileen Cannon earlier — and you called her a Trump appointee, which is absolutely correct," Gidley said.
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"But you didn't characterize Judge Juan Merchan as a Biden donor, for example. So I expect the media to come out full guns a blazing on Donald Trump, regardless of how this looks."
Tapper looked skeptical and quickly cut in: "I think he gave like $35 bucks to buy a T-shirt for his daughter."
Gidley concurred, saying, "A donor, correct."
This assertion made Tapper laugh out loud. Tapper's hedged reply included yet another point that challenged Gidley's claim that the bias accusations had gone unreported.
"Okay," Tapper said. "I don't think Judge Merchan's alleged bias has gone unremarked upon."
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Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan came forward to admit donating $35 in political contributions to Democrats in 2020 — that involved a $15 contribution to Democratic President Joe Biden and $10 to a group called “Stop Republicans.”
But Merchan was cautioned by a state ethics panel, but issued a warning against against such political donations.
What's more, Merchan was appointed initially to Family Court by former Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg back in 2006.
Three years later, Merchan became an acting New York Supreme Court judge when Democratic Gov. David Paterson placed him to the New York State Court of Claims.
Watch the exchange below or click here.
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