Here in New York, the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s hush money and election interference criminal trial has refused to throw out Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts. Judge Juan Merchan rejected arguments by Trump’s lawyers that Trump should not have been prosecuted because of the Supreme Court’s July ruling that shields presidents from prosecution for “official acts.” Instead, Judge Merchan noted that Trump hadn’t even been elected yet in 2016 and was therefore acting in an unofficial capacity when he falsified business records to cover up hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.