In a significant blow to former President Donald Trump's defense strategy, Judge Juan Merchan has rejected Trump's attempt to use presidential immunity in his falsifying business records case. The judge ruled on Wednesday that Trump had delayed raising the issue for far too long.

Trump's motion to delay the trial's start date until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on his immunity claims in the federal election interference case was also denied by Judge Merchan. Trump had argued in a New York filing last month that he is immune from state prosecution based on "official acts," including his tweets and public comments.

However, Judge Merchan dismissed Trump's argument, stating that the former president had ample opportunity to raise the claim of presidential immunity before March 7, 2024, but failed to do so. The judge emphasized that Trump was well aware of the impending use of evidence from his social media posts, public statements, and interviews.

The charges against Trump involve the falsification of business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment made by his lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels alleges having had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which he denies. Trump publicly criticized both Daniels and Cohen after Cohen pleaded guilty to related charges in 2018.

Judge Merchan highlighted Trump's previous attempt to use the immunity defense when he sought to move the case to federal court. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein firmly rejected that effort, stating that the hush money payment was not related to a president's official acts and was merely an attempt to cover up an embarrassing event.

Merchan deemed Trump's delay in raising the immunity defense in the state case "unjustifiable" and raised doubts about the sincerity and actual purpose of the motion.

Additionally, Trump's request to pause the trial pending the Supreme Court's ruling on his immunity arguments was also denied. The high court is scheduled to hear those arguments on April 25, but the trial is set to begin on April 15.

As of now, no comment has been received from Trump's attorney regarding the judge's ruling.

The decision by Judge Merchan brings further clarity to the legal battle Trump faces in the falsifying business records case, diminishing the viability of the presidential immunity defense.