In Trump's latest failed bid, he pointed to a private survey indicating that 93% of residents in Manhattan have seen media related to at least one of the criminal investigations he faces. Trump also said a recent documentary about adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who received the hush money payment, jeopardized his ability to get a fair trial.
Daniels' "ongoing publicity tour relating to the documentary has included egregious efforts to prejudice the jury pool while seeking to enrich herself," Trump's legal team argued in a court filing.
However, Merchan said Friday that the proper way to assuage Trump's concerns about pre-trial publicity is to have a thorough and thoughtful jury selection process.
"Indeed, this remedy is supported by the results of Defendant's own Survey which indicates that 70% of New Yorkers could 'definitely or probably' be fair and impartial," Merchan wrote in his decision.