Judge Juan Merchan denied Donald Trump's demand to delay his sentencing in the New York fraud trial involving the hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016.
Former FBI general counsel and top Justice Department prosecutor Andrew Weissmann called the move "bold," saying Merchan was "trying to uphold the rule of law."
He explained that Merchan "had very limited options" in response to Trump's motion.
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"It was basically trying everything now or putting everything off for four years because the one thing that is true is there is this temporary presidential immunity while someone is president," Weissmann told MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace on Monday afternoon.
He agreed with Merchan's decision and speculated that Trump's team is desperately trying not to have a "bad day" between now and Jan. 20.
However, "I think, bad news for the president-elect," said Weissmann. "So, what he is trying to do is put things off, and even though Judge Merchan has said I will not issue a stay, President-elect Donald Trump said he is going to the public courts to say, you should now reverse that, and you should now issue a stay so that the sentencing does not go forward on Friday."
He also noted that Judge Merchan's response "really takes Todd Blanche and another Trump lawyer to task for their rhetoric."
Merchan also quoted Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Chief Justice John Roberts in the ruling, "saying this really undermines the rule of law," said Weissmann.
"And when you think that the people who are being proposed to run the Justice Department now have, as part of the record here, the trial judge saying you kind of went over the line," he closed.
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