In the latest development of Donald Trump's hush money criminal case, a judge has denied the former president's request to postpone the trial due to publicity surrounding the case. This marks the culmination of a series of delay denials from different courts as Trump fights to delay the start of the trial on Monday, including jury selection.

Trump's lawyers argued that the extensive news coverage had inundated the jury pool with prejudicial information, making a fair trial impossible. However, Judge Juan M. Merchan dismissed this notion, stating that Trump's own statements and actions had contributed significantly to the publicity surrounding the case.

Merchan referred to Trump's involvement in two federal defamation trials and a state civil business fraud trial in Manhattan within the past year, remarking that the ex-president himself was responsible for generating much of the media attention through his public statements on social media and outside the courtrooms.

The judge asserted that questioning prospective jurors would address any concerns about their ability to be fair and impartial. Prosecutors also contended that publicity would not wane, highlighting Trump's own comments as contributing to a significant portion of the attention.

Trump's attorney Todd Blanche had previously argued that potential jurors in Manhattan had been exposed to biased and unfair media coverage, with many already believing that Trump is guilty. However, prosecutors countered this argument, highlighting the large population of over 1 million people in Manhattan, suggesting that impartial jurors could still be found.

In addition to this denial, Trump's lawyers have also sought delays at the appeals court level. One of the appeals requested a hold on the trial until the appellate court could consider the defense's argument that the trial should be moved elsewhere due to a polluted jury pool. Trump's legal team also claimed potential prejudice in heavily Democratic Manhattan.

All appeals made this week were turned down by individual appellate judges, although they are set to be further considered by a panel of appeals judges.

Trump's hush money case is the first of his four criminal indictments to go to trial, marking the first-ever criminal trial involving a former president. The charges against him include allegations of doctoring company records to conceal the true purpose of payments made to his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, who facilitated burying negative claims during Trump's 2016 campaign. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, with his defense arguing that the payments were legitimate legal expenses.