Donald Trump could be blindsided by a so-called October surprise that would obliterate his chances at retaking the White House.
Former Bush administration official John Yoo has sounded the alarm that the former president could wind up in prison as soon as next month.
Trump has been desperately seeking to hold of his sentencing hearing until after the election, following his conviction by a Manhattan jury of 34 counts of falsifying business records.
But the controversial Judge Juan Merchan has consistently denied his appeals.
While speaking to Fox News host Bill Hemmer on Thursday, Yoo said Merchan wields the power to ‘order Donald Trump…to jail immediately.’
Trump could face an ‘October surprise’ in the form of a jail sentence, according to law professor John Yoo
Yoo, a former Bush administration official, has sounded the alarm that Donald Trump could wind up in prison as soon as next month
Hemmer referred to Trump’s sentencing as ‘the story nobody’s talking about.’
John Yoo agreed, explaining that a possible jail sentence is ‘the October surprise that’ll hit in September.’
‘Five weeks from yesterday, Judge Merchan will sentence Donald Trump,’ the host continued. ‘[Merchan has] been asked yet again to step aside. He refuses to do that. How do you see this playing? What does the judge do?’
Trump’s legal team has unsuccessfully tried to get Merchan to recuse himself from the trial on three separate occasions.
Each effort has hinged on the judge’s daughter’s work as a Democratic consultant, which the former president’s lawyers argue compromises Merchan.
New York Judge Juan Merchan already delayed sentencing following a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity
By invoking the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on ‘presidential immunity,’ Trump is seeking to overturn his conviction.
If his bid fails, the former president will be sentenced on September 18.
Yoo, a distinguished legal professor, commended Hemmer for paying attention to the case’s schedule.
‘Bill, it’s excellent you noticed how the calendar is working this way,’ the former Bush official said.
‘Merchan has ruled against Donald Trump every opportunity he’s had,’ Yoo continued.
Lawyers for former President Donald Trump said it would amount to ‘election interference’ to go ahead with scheduled Sept. 18th sentencing in his Stormy Daniels hush money case
‘He could have exercised his discretion here to change the sentencing date. But instead, he actually moved it closer to the beginning of absentee voting in my home state of Pennsylvania.’
A key battleground state, Pennsylvania is currently leaning toward Harris, according to the latest surveys.
‘Could you imagine what would happen if Judge Merchan sentenced Donald Trump to jail time, even though he’s a first-time nonviolent offender?’ Yoo asked.
‘What if Judge Merchan even went crazier and said, Donald Trump doesn’t even get to stay out of jail while his case is on appeal?’ the legal scholar continued.
‘Could you imagine what would happen if Judge Merchan sentenced Donald Trump to jail time, even though he’s a first-time nonviolent offender?’ Yoo asked
Then Yoo raised a shocking prospect.
‘[Merchan] has the power to actually order Donald Trump sent to jail immediately,’ he said, before qualifying the statement: ‘although I expect he wouldn’t.’
‘But this judge has used the discretion every time to try to force this trial in a political direction that will have an effect on the election,’ the former Bush official concluded.
On May 30, the former president was found guilty of 34 counts of falsification of business records in an effort to conceal reimbursements to a lawyer who had wired ‘hush money’ to porn star Stormy Daniels in order to keep her quiet about an alleged tryst.
On May 30, the former president was found guilty of 34 counts of falsification of business records
Trump’s lawyers are now endeavoring to postpone the trial’s sentencing until after the presidential election.
In a letter to Judge Merchan, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche argued that the current schedule courts the risk of ‘election interference.’
‘Setting aside naked election-interference objections,’ Blanche wrote. ‘There is no valid countervailing reason for the Court to keep the current sentencing date on the calendar.’
‘There is no basis for continuing to rush.’
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