Newsmax Touts Dubious Trump Trial Facebook Post: ‘This Needs to Be a Mistrial Immediately’

A Newsmax host and guest credulously accepted as fact a random Facebook comment purporting to be the cousin of a juror in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial.

The former president was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records last week and is set to be sentenced on July 11.

Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the case, wrote to prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys on Friday to inform them of a comment made on the court’s Facebook page. The comment was left by a user claiming to be a cousin of one of the jurors in the case.

“My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted [party emoji],” it stated. “Thank you folks for all your hard work!!!! [heart emoji].”

The user left a similar comment more than a week before – about 10 days before the conviction and several days before the jury even began deliberating. On Friday, the user addressed the row, explaining, “Take it easy… I’m a professional shitposter.”

Newsmax host Lidia Curanaj reported on Merchan’s letter as news of it broke, passing off the comment as fact. Meanwhile, guest and attorney Mehek Cooke bit hook, line, and sinker.

“Apparently a juror alerted a relative, his cousin, about the verdict a day before the verdict was delivered,” Curanaj said. “And then that cousin of the juror posted on Facebook that Trump was going to be found guilty. It’s unclear as to how this could possibly impact the ongoing legal proceedings. Judge Juan Merchan notified Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche. What do you think about this? Is this a big deal?”

Cooke replied:

Lidia, this is a huge deal. I’ve been saying this from the beginning. This was a rigged trial from the beginning and now we’re going to see it was rigged all the way to the end. We need more information about this juror to make sure that there is a relationship or if this was just some random troll on the internet. I would tend to believe this is not random. There is a relationship. That judge would not have sent notice to Todd Blanche, former President Trump’s attorney, if there wasn’t more evidence or something that was troubling.

This needs to be a mistrial immediately. This judge is now going to be on the hook and every single person is going to be watching because we know in jury instructions you’re supposed to be very particular about the evidence that you’re talking about and that stays within the jury room.

Curanaj replied, “Wow, that’s incredible.”

Watch above via Newsmax.