Judge Juan Merchan unwittingly spurred a wave of mockery Tuesday when he ruled former President Donald Trump could skip a day in his criminal hush money trial to attend his youngest son's high school graduation.
Barron Trump's named trended on X as news spread that a day of hearings in New York City had been canceled to allow Trump to take the parental trip.
"Breaking," quipped X user Machine Pun Kelly. "Barron Trump has appealed Judge Merchan's decision to let his father attend his graduation."
The mockery focused primarily on Trump — who stands accused of covering up hush money payments to adult film stars ahead of the 2016 presidential election — rather than his youngest son.
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Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges of falsifying business records and denied the affairs contended by Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, who says her relationship with the then-real estate mogul took place while Barron's mother Melania was pregnant with him.
"I hope the speeches at Barron's graduation are really long," wrote comedian Paula Poundstone. "And that there are lots of solos in the orchestra's version of Pomp and Circumstance."
MSNBC contributor Brian Tyler Cohen chastised Trump for repeated complaints that claimed Merchan had banned him from attending the ceremony.
Trump used Barron’s graduation as a shtick to wallow in victimhood," Cohen wrote. "And now he has to go."
X user Jon Cooper expressed cynicism and asked fellow X users to gamble on the odds.
"I’ll bet you ten bucks Trump skips the graduation and plays golf instead," he wrote. "Any takers?"
"I can see it now," replied writer Mike Morton. "Trump will attend a private graduation ceremony for Barron at the Bedminster Golf Club."
