Donald Trump attorney Alina Habba was criticized on social media after she made misleading complaints on Fox News about the first day of her client’s hush money trial.
“You’re not even allowing a father — never mind a former president — but a father attend his son’s graduation?” Habba griped on “Hannity” Monday, following day one of jury selection for Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
“And let’s not forget Passover. OK?” she continued. “Observing Jews have a right to go and pray to who they want and observe Passover, and this judge would not allow it.”
“Not for any of the attorneys, and there are observant Jewish attorneys on the Trump team and as well on the DA team,” she added.
However, the complaints are not true. Trump could still be allowed to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation. Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, did not rule on whether Trump could attend the May 17 event, saying he would have to see how the trial is tracking.
As for Passover, which takes place April 22-30 this year, the judge indicated there would not be trial dates that conflict with religious observances. Court proceedings are scheduled to finish early on April 22 and 23 to accommodate the observances, and the trial will not convene on April 29 and 30, according to Politico.
Trump complained Monday that “it looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son.” His eldest child, Donald Trump Jr., joined him in ramping up the outrage, calling the nonexistent decision “pure evil,” while Eric Trump said Merchan was “truly heartless.”
Trump is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to obscure a hush money payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election in exchange for her silence on an affair she claims she had with him a decade earlier. Trump denies all the charges.
Habba received a swift fact-check and a hefty dose of snark from critics on X, formerly Twitter, for her Fox News comments.
See some of the reactions below.