Former Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, issued a stern warning on Friday regarding the recent barrage of attacks unleashed by former President Donald Trump against Judge Juan Merchan and his family.
Judge Merchan presides over the trial focusing on allegations that Trump made hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. Last March, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with falsifying business documents, alleging that he unlawfully paid Daniels to silence her about an alleged affair in 2006.
Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, maintains his innocence and denies any involvement in the affair with Daniels.
As the trial, scheduled for April 15th, approaches, the former president has utilized Truth Social, his social media platform, to launch attacks against Merchan and his family, particularly his daughter, Loren Merchan, who has been the target of several recent posts.
Cheney, a prominent anti-Trump Republican, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday morning to caution against the potential consequences of Trump’s remarks, suggesting they could incite “threats of violence” against Merchan’s family.
Liz Cheney (Credits: The Hill)
“Trump is repeatedly and maliciously attacking a judge’s daughter on social media. He knows this will bring threats of violence against her and the judge. Trump is depraved and unstable. This unconscionable behavior shows yet again why he is unfit for any office,” she posted.
Following her vote to impeach Trump for his alleged role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, Cheney faced backlash from the former president and ultimately lost the GOP primary election in 2022 to Trump-backed Representative Harriet Hageman. Despite this, Cheney remains a vocal critic of Trump and his growing influence within the Republican Party.
Trump’s targeting of Merchan’s family has sparked widespread condemnation.
“Trump is not only targeting Judge Merchan in the Manhattan criminal case but also his daughter. This is a blatant attempt to intimidate the judge by threatening his family. It warrants a gag order and strong opposition from GOP leadership—although we know that won’t happen,” wrote Joyce White Vance, a former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama during the Obama administration.
“Anyone else would face consequences if they attacked a judge’s daughter during a trial,” remarked Ashton Pittman, editor of the Mississippi Free Press.
“Trump’s legal team now faces a dilemma. How do they continue to represent someone engaging in such conduct, especially when charged with similar encouragement of violence on January 6th and before and after?” questioned legal analyst Andrew Weissmann.
In his most recent post on Thursday, Trump insisted, “Judge Juan Merchan is completely compromised and should be immediately removed from this TRUMP Non-Case. His daughter, Loren, is a rabid Trump hater who has openly discussed me with her father, yet he has silenced me.”
Trump has called for Merchan’s recusal from the case due to his daughter’s political affiliations.
In a post on Truth Social earlier in the week, Trump referenced Loren, stating, “His daughter holds a senior position at an extremely liberal Democratic firm that works for Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, the Democratic National Committee, the Senate Majority PAC, and even Crooked Joe Biden.”
