Former judge Andrew Napolitano on Friday criticized the judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial for imposing a gag order after Trump attacked the judge’s daughter on social media.
Trump has demanded that the judge presiding over his New York trial involving alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels “should be recused” over a gag order preventing Trump from speaking about the judge’s daughter, who works as a progressive political consultant.
Napolitano said on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America,” “When a judge says, ‘Don’t attack my daughter,’ the first thing you’re thinking of is, ‘Why is a judge ruling on an issue involving his own child? That should go to another judge.'”
He continued, “The second thing you think of is, ‘Why does the defendant want to attack the judge’s daughter?’ It’s not to irritate the judge; it’s because the daughter is raising money for the Democrats.
“We all know this — and using exaggerated, one-sided versions of the trial before her father as an instrument with which to raise the money.”
The former judge noted that this was “all legal,” but he said, “That generates his right to challenge that, to attack it, to call it out.”
He went on to say that he expects the appellate division will reverse the judge’s decision.
