Hispanic Trump Rally Speaker Apologizes for Judge Merchan
A speaker at Donald Trump’s rally in the Bronx Thursday cited his Hispanic heritage while apologizing to the indicted Republican presidential candidate for the behavior of the judge in his criminal trial, Juan Merchan—who also happens to be Hispanic.
At one point during his remarks, Trump welcomed to the stage former New York City Councilman Rubén Díaz, who on paper is a member of the Democratic Party but opposes abortion and same-sex marriage, among a number of other unorthodox positions. Díaz, who would go on to endorse Trump, mentioned the hush-money trial underway in Manhattan, where closing arguments are set for early next week, and—like Trump himself has often done—attacked Merchan.
“I am here for a variety of reasons, but I want to tell you first, that as a Puerto Rican, as a Hispanic, I want to apologize to you for the conduct of Judge Juan Merchan,” Díaz said. “As a Hispanic, I want to apologize. He has been used to destroy you, but we know better than that.”