A New York judge overseeing Donald Trump’s hush-money criminal case has rejected the former US president’s request to postpone Monday’s scheduled trial, arguing that extensive pretrial publicity would make the proceedings unfair.

Trump had sought an indefinite postponement, saying media coverage was biased against him and that finding an acceptable jury in Manhattan would be difficult because the borough is “extremely biased” against him.

But Judge Juan Merchan said in a decision on Friday that adjourning indefinitely was “untenable.”

Merchant also said Trump himself has drawn considerable attention to his legal issues, including through “relentless media posts” attacking those he accuses.

“The situation the defendant now finds himself in is not new to him and is at least partially of his own making,” Merchian wrote.

Prosecutors argued it was unlikely that the profile would drop and that it would be “unjustified” to reward Trump for the delay based on the media attention he attracted.

They also said that thorough questioning of potential jurors might yield enough of them to fairly decide the case.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is expected to face Democratic incumbent Joe Biden, who defeated him in 2020, in a rematch in the Nov. 5 election.

“President Trump and his legal team will continue to fight the Biden trial and all other witch hunts,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in an email.

Earlier this week, three state appeals court judges rejected Trump’s various arguments for delaying the trial, but the issues will ultimately be considered by a full panel.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the four criminal cases he faces.

The hush-money case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will be the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president.

Prosecutors say Trump covered up a $130,000 payment his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election to secure her account of an extramarital affair a decade ago. Sexual behavior remains silent.

Trump has denied that the encounter occurred and has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

His lawyers said the payments were legitimate legal expenses.

The hush money case is likely to be the only criminal trial Trump faces before the November election.