The judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s arraignment is raising eyebrows.
On Thursday, Trump appeared in a federal court in Washington, D.C., to plead not guilty to charges stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhaya presided over the hearing. However, she reportedly declined to use the phrase “Mr. President.”
NBC News’ Kyle Griffin reported the former president’s lawyers referred to him as “President Trump.”
However, he added, “Judge Upadhyaya says, ‘Good afternoon, Mr. Trump.'”
Donald Trump's lawyer says, "President Trump" is present.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 3, 2023
Judge Upadhyaya says, "Good afternoon, Mr. Trump." @MSNBC
The Daily Caller’s chief national correspondent Henry Rodgers wrote, “Every other president would have been addressed as ‘President’ not ‘Mr.’… Let’s be real.”
Every other president would have been addressed as “President” not “Mr.”… Let’s be real. https://t.co/WmzSluzenn
— Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) August 3, 2023
“The judge is biased,” claimed the conservative outlet the Citizen Free Press.
The judge is biased https://t.co/v5v6GetBSu
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) August 3, 2023
CBS News’ Scott MacFarlane pointed out the federal judge presiding over Trump’s arraignment in Florida called him “former President Trump.”
Judge calls him "Mr. Trump"
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) August 3, 2023
(In florida— federal judge used titled "Former President Trump")
Liberal podcast host Victor Shi tweeted, “Wow. The first words of the Judge overseeing today’s arraignment are ‘Good afternoon, Mr. Trump.’ No mention of Donald Trump being former president. No special treatment. Treating him as just another man in a Courtroom. This is the rule of law at its best.”
Wow. The first words of the Judge overseeing today's arraignment are "Good afternoon, Mr. Trump." No mention of Donald Trump being former president. No special treatment. Treating him as just another man in a Courtroom. This is the rule of law at its best.
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) August 3, 2023
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported Trump was frustrated by the judge’s greeting.
“I am told that the former president, one thing that irked him particularly, was during that hearing today that lasted about 27 minutes, was when the magistrate judge referred to him as simply ‘Mr. Trump,'” she said during her show on Thursday night.
Collins added, “That may not sound odd to anyone else, but he is still referred to by his former title ‘President Trump’ when he’s at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, as he is tonight, or at Mar-a-Lago.”