No judge budge for Barron

Donald Trump fumed Monday that his Manhattan hushmoney trial may force him to miss son Barron’s high-school graduation — and flashed a tight-lipped smirk as he stood to face the first pool of potential jurors who may decide his fate in the historic case.

“I was looking forward to that graduation with his mother and father there, and it looks like the judge does not allow me to escape this scam,” Trump, 77, told reporters in a Manhattan Supreme Court hallway after the first day of trial.

Trump’s attorneys had asked Justice Juan Merchan not to hold the trial on Friday, May 17, so as not to coincide with Barron’s graduation at Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach, Fla. Merchan was noncommittal. “It really depends on if we are on time and where we are in the trial,” he said.

The back-and-forth came as a handful of possible jury members were screened in the case charging Trump with fudging business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The trial — the first criminal prosecution of a US president — could last up to eight weeks and will run every weekday except Wednesdays.

Trump lawyers also requested he be excused next Thursday to attend Supreme Court arguments on immunity claims he raised in another criminal case, but Merchan didn’t bite.

“Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal, and I can certainly appreciate why your client would want to be there, but a trial in New York Supreme Court . . . is also a big deal,” the judge said, rebuffing Trump lawyer Todd Blanche.

“I will see him here next week,” Merchan said.

That ruling led to more ire from Trump in the hallway.

“He won’t allow me to leave here for a half a day to go to DC and go before the United States Supreme Court, because he thinks he’s superior, I guess, than the Supreme Court,” the Republican 2024 presidential frontrunner said.

No jurors were selected Monday. Out of a first pool of 96 prospects, at least 50 were excused after saying they could not be fair and impartial when judging the ex-president, and 32 remained by the end of day.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for allegedly covering up a $130,000 payment to Daniels to silence her story about an alleged tryst.

Because it’s a criminal trial, he must show up at court every day that it’s in session. He faces up to four years in prison.