Trump loses latest 11th hour attempt to delay hush money trial while challenging gag order

Donald Trump has failed to convince a New York appeals court to delay an imminent criminal trial surrounding a so-called hush money scheme while he challenges a gag order that blocks him from public attacks against trial participants and family members of court staff.

A state appeals court judge rejected his second 11th hour attempt to further delay the trial on Tuesday, one day after a judge denied his request to delay the proceedings while he tries to move the case out of Manhattan.

Mr Trump’s latest attempts to delay the proceedings follow repeated failures to stop what will be the first of four criminal trials he is expected to face in the coming months.

Last year, in the first criminal indictment against him, a grand jury charged the former president with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with repayments to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen, who arranged a hush money scheme to prevent the release of potentially compromising stories about Mr Trump and his affair with an adult film star.

The case from the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg could rely on Cohen’s testimony that Mr Trump authorised his business to falsely file payments as legal expenses, part of an alleged effort to quash stories that could interfere with then-candidate Trump’s 2016 campaign, according to prosecutors.

He has pleaded not guilty.

A full state appeals court panel will begin considering his request to delay the trial on Monday – the same day that jury selection is scheduled to begin. Mr Trump’s legal team has until 10am on Monday to respond.

The panel will also consider his challenge to Judge Merchan’s gag order later this month.

The gag order issued by Judge Merchan – issued hours after Mr Trump lashed out at