Maggie Haberman Says ‘People’ Tell Her Trump Is Lashing Out At Judge’s Family To Force Him Off The Case

CNN analyst Maggie Haberman said “people” have told her ex-President Donald Trump is attacking Judge Juan Merchan and his family to force him off the case.

Trump traveled to New York Tuesday for his arraignment in a Manhattan courtroom, during which Bragg’s indictment was unsealed and the 34 felony counts against Trump were revealed. The defendant entered pleas of “not guilty” to crimes involving hush money payments to adult entertainment entrepreneur Stormy Daniels and others and left the courthouse without answering questions.

DA Bagg held a press conference following the court appearance, during which he defended his case from an onslaught of questions from reporters. Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago and delivered a speech that night in which he renewed his attacks on Judge Merchan and the judge’s wife and daughter, despite being warned in court.

On Wednesday morning’s edition of CNN This Morning, Haberman joined co-anchors Don Lemon, Poppy Harlow, and Kaitlan Collins to discuss the developments and revealed that “people” — presumably her 5G-level network of Trumpworld contacts — told her after the speech that Trump is trying to force a recusal with the attacks:

POPPY HARLOW: The question about the gag order, I think is fascinating. You know, you and Kaitlan know Trump better than anyone else in this room. Certainly. Does he keep challenging the judge here saying, “Try to silence me. Try to silence me, Try to silence me?”

MAGGIE HABERMAN: I don’t. Yes. Yes. But I don’t think that’s the only thing that he’s doing. I think he is trying to get the judge to recuse himself. I think that is part of what Trump’s game here is because he…

POPPY HARLOW: Attack the judge into accusing himself?

MAGGIE HABERMAN: (inaudible) just saying the judge has too many conflicts and therefore there’s going to be that. That is what this is about in part. Now, it’s also in part about the Trump doesn’t believe systems apply to him, and he’s going to push them as far as he can.

But just based on conversations I had with a bunch of people last night after we saw that speech and after we finished our last together experience, Kaitlan last night, our last together experience, the people that I spoke to made very clear that this is where this is headed, that basically, remember, this judge oversaw Trump organization trial is overseeing Steve Bannon trial related to Allen Weisselberg’s sentencing. So Trump is trying to change the judge, which is one of the things we’ve seen Trump do in other cases over time.

KAITLAN COLLINS: And guess what? The Trump Organization trial had business falsification charges in it. So you can’t ignore that.

Watch above via CNN This Morning.