Trump's 'Harebrained' move in hush money case proves he's 'running scared': legal expert

Donald Trump's latest move in his criminal hush money case proves the former president case is "running scared," legal experts said Tuesday.

Trump Monday filed a notice that he plans to demand the recusal of New York judge Juan Merchan, prompting legal experts to tell Salon Tuesday the former president is probably feeling panicked.

"Trump is running scared," Bennett Gershman, a Pace University law professor and ex-New York prosecutor told Salon. "He faces four major criminal trials that threaten his liberty, just as the lasttwo recent civil trials inflicted a huge cost on him."

Gershman also threw his support behind the gag order Merchan issued last week and tightened Monday, arguing Trump would only amp up his "violent rhetoric" without it.

Gershman pointed to the clip the former president posted last week showing images of President Joe Biden hog-tied as proof that that Trump's speech crosses the line of protected political discourse.

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"Threats of harm," he argued, "are not protected speech and never have been."

That's a part of the reason Gershman believes Trump's lawyers' argument that Merchan be yanked from the case, slated to start on April 15, doesn't hold up, he told Salon.

He described the argument as "too broad," saying it "involves speculation and irresponsible insinuation" that Merchan's daughter could influence his ruling.

On Trump's argument basis, said Gershman, "Every Justice on the US Supreme Court, and probably every sitting judge in America, would have to be disqualified from sitting."

The former prosecutor did not mince words when he criticized the attempt.

"Once again, his legal team continues to make frivolous and even harebrained claims in an effort to delay Trump’s legal reckoning," Gershman said.

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Trump stands accused of 34 counts of falsifying business records to disguise hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. He pleaded not guilty.