Trump speaks after first day of hush money trial and jury selection: "it's a scam"

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Former President Donald Trump spoke outside the Manhattan courthouse Monday after the close of the first day of jury selection in his hush money criminal trial. 

“It's a scam. It's a political witch hunt," Trump said Monday after court adjourned for the day.

The 45th president lamented over the judge's apparent decision to not let him attend the high school graduation ceremony for his son Barron Trump on May 17th. Trump just be present in the courtroom every day of the trial.

"It looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son who's worked very, very hard. He's a great student and he's very proud of the fact that he did so well. And was looking forward for years to have graduation with his mother and father there, and it looks the judge isn't going to allow me to escape this scam - it's a scam the trial," Trump said.

Trump also said Judge Juan Merchan would not let him attend oral arguments in his presidential immunity case at the U.S. Supreme Court later next week

"We've got a real problem with this judge... a real problem with a lot of things having to do with this trial," Trump said, adding a swipe at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

"You go right outside and people are being mugged killed all day long, and he's sitting here all day with 10 or 12 prosecutors over nothing, over what people say shouldn't be a trial."

The former president and 2024 GOP presumptive nominee went on to say that the trial precludes him from certain campaign stops.

"That I can't go to my son's graduation and I can't go to the United States Supreme Court. that I'm not in Georgia or Florida or North Carolina and campaigning like I should be. It's perfect for the radical left Democrats. That's exactly what they want. This is about election interference. That's all it's about," Trump said.