Trump Granted Permission To Attend His Son Barron’s High School Graduation During Hush Money Trial

Donald Trump can attend his son Barron Trump‘s high school graduation. On Tuesday, New York Judge Juan Merchan allowed Trump to miss a court date in May to attend Barron’s graduation ceremony, which will take place at Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach, Florida. 

In the initial court proceedings on April 15, Trump had petitioned the judge to adjourn the trial for Barron’s graduation. At the time, Judge Merchan did not rule on the request due to time constraints, but he acknowledged that if the prosecution progressed as planned, it would be feasible to adjourn for a day to facilitate Trump’s attendance.

In addition to the request for the May court date, Trump had also sought to adjourn a court day in April to attend Supreme Court arguments. However, Judge Merchan denied this request and asserted that Trump’s ongoing criminal trial precedes other court matters. 

While Trump received permission to attend his son’s graduation, the recent hearing also brought unfavorable news. Judge Merchan found Trump in contempt of court and imposed a fine of $9,000 for nine violations of his gag order.

In his written statement, Judge Merchan warned Trump that further willful violations of the court’s lawful orders “would not be tolerated” and could result in incarceration if deemed necessary and appropriate. 

Trump, the first U.S. president to face criminal charges, must be present in court four days a week over the coming months as a New York jury hears his case. The charges against Trump include allegations of false documentation of hush money payments to Stormy Daniels in his financial records, as outlined in his indictment.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is expected to argue that Trump falsified the documents to conceal attempts to defraud voters and unlawfully influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in his favor.

Barron, who remained close to his mother, Melania Trump, during his father’s legal troubles, is reportedly considering attending college in NYC in the fall.