
Breaking down Trump’s attacks on the daughter of the judge in his New York hush-money trial
CNN
Former President Donald Trump recently ramped up his attacks against the daughter of the judge presiding over his hush-money criminal case in New York.
Former President Donald Trump recently ramped up his attacks against the daughter of the judge presiding over his hush-money criminal trial in New York, and repeatedly cited her Democratic ties in a new attempt this week to remove the judge from the case. Judge Juan Merchan then broadened an already-existing gag order Monday after Trump vilified Merchan’s daughter with a combination of accurate information about her political affiliations melded with dubious claims about her supposed anti-Trump online posts, which the court says don’t even belong to her. The judge ruled that Trump’s “dangerous rhetoric” threatens the integrity of the looming trial, which is scheduled to begin April 15. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover-up payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in order to prevent her from speaking publicly before the 2016 election about their alleged affair. Here are the facts about Trump’s recent attacks against Merchan’s daughter, and how this sideshow could affect the first-ever criminal trial of a former American president. Three is a well-documented pattern of Trump attacking witnesses and bashing judges when he doesn’t like their testimony or rulings. He deployed this same tactic in the New York case, but went even farther by targeting Merchan’s adult daughter, Loren Merchan. Last week, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Judge Merchan is a “certified Trump hater” and said Loren Merchan is a senior executive at “a Super Liberal Democrat firm” that has worked with top Democrats, including President Joe Biden.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.

Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.

Authorities in Colombia are dealing with increasingly sophisticated criminals, who use advanced tech to produce and conceal the drugs they hope to export around the world. But police and the military are fighting back, using AI to flag suspicious passengers, cargo and mail - alongside more conventional air and sea patrols. CNN’s Isa Soares gets an inside look at Bogotá’s war on drugs.

As lawmakers demand answers over reports that the US military carried out a follow-up strike that killed survivors during an attacked on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, a career Navy SEAL who has spent most of his 30 years of military experience in special operations will be responsible for providing them.









