Hero Dad Trump Won't Miss Chance To Make Son's Graduation All About Himself

Hooray?

Judge Juan M. Merchan held professional criminal defendant Donald Trump in contempt of court on Tuesday for repeatedly violating his gag order against attacking witnesses and jurors. Trump was fined $9,000 — a slap on the wrist for a supposed billionaire who, more to the point, rarely pays his bills. Last fall, he was fined a total $15,000 for violating the gag order in his civil fraud case. He normally shells out cash to make his former sex partners shut up. This is probably far less satisfying.

“It is critically important that Defendant’s legitimate free speech rights not be curtailed, that he be able to fully campaign for the office which he seeks and that he be able to respond and defend himself against political attacks," Merchan wrote in his order. “It is of utmost importance to this Court that the Expanded Order not be used as a sword instead of a shield by potential witnesses.”

This is very generous treatment. Don’t expect anything similar at your own criminal trial. Witness intimidation and defamation of jurors are not legitimate campaign tactics. Of course, Trump still whined about “ELECTION INTERFERENCE” on his jack-legged social media site.

Merchan had given Trump until 2:15 p.m. eastern time to remove the nine offending posts from social media and his campaign website. Anyone expecting a defiant showdown was disappointed as Trump complied before the deadline. This fool doesn’t want to go to jail, which Merchan warned is a very real option if Trump keeps behaving like a common thug.

“Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment,” Merchan wrote.

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Trump’s going to Barron’s graduation!

There was some good news for Trump yesterday. Judge Merchan gave Trump a hall pass to attend his youngest son Barron’s high school graduation in Florida on May 17. The trial is moving at a steady pace to what I hope is a prompt conviction, so Merchan confirmed that Trump could have the day off from court, where he’s constantly chilly and sleepy. He’s free to doze off in the audience while his son accepts his diploma from the private school he attends.

The judge had never said Trump couldn’t go to Barron’s graduation. He just couldn’t commit to this in advance because he’s on trial. “It really depends on if we are on time and where we are in the trial,” Merchan said last month.

Trump naturally lied and told reporters, “My son is graduating high school, and it looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation.” He whined on social media, “Who will explain for me, to my wonderful son, Barron, who is a GREAT Student at a fantastic School, that his Dad will likely not be allowed to attend his Graduation Ceremony, something that we have been talking about for years, because a seriously Conflicted and Corrupt New York State Judge wants me in Criminal Court on a bogus 'Biden Case' which, according to virtually all Legal Scholars and Pundits, has no merit, and should NEVER have been brought.”

(OK, I assume that Trump, after introducing himself, would explain to his own son why he couldn’t attend his graduation. He can’t delegate these unpleasant tasks to Michael Cohen anymore.)

The MAGA cult promoted the lie that Merchan had vindictively barred Trump from Barron’s graduation, the event of the season. The judge was condemned as “heartless & cruel, “disgusting,” and “pure evil.”

“THEY ARE FORCING ME TO SKIP MY SON’S GRADUATION,” Trump’s campaign texted his gullible supporters. “I’LL BE IN COURT.”

That day, the Trump campaign raised $1.6 million in small-dollar donations. I’m happy to report that not even my late uncle who believed O.J. Simpson was innocent was stupid enough to send the Juice his hard-earned money.

Despite some random Internet rumors, Trump didn’t blow off his other kids’ graduations. He showed up at the high school and college ceremonies for Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and the rest. A classic narcissist, he’d likely consider what limited success they enjoy as an extension of his own. That’s not why he’s a crap dad.

So, what happened when Barron was born?

Trump is charged with falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her keeping quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Bad judgment is not a crime, so Daniels isn’t the one on trial. She claims the affair began in July 2006 when she met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. They had dinner and returned to his hotel suite where they had what I assume meets the strictest legal definition of “sex.” At the time, she was 27 and Trump was 60. He’d married then 34-year-old Melania in January 2005 and their son Barron was born in March 2006.

Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, also alleges that she had a sexual relationship with Trump that started in 2006, shortly after Barron was born.

“Well after we had been intimate, he tried to pay me,” McDougal said. “And I actually did not take that.” Good for her, although the check probably would’ve bounced.

No one imagined that Trump would help with changing diapers and nighttime feedings, but the least he could’ve done is not cheat on his new, much-younger wife while she (and presumably the nanny) are home with their newborn. Not even a Gershwin soundtrack could romanticize this perverse behavior.

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