And on the third day, Trump rested. Why the hush money trial goes dark on Wednesdays.

NEW YORK — If you see Donald Trump back out on the campaign trail Wednesday, it doesn’t mean he’s skipping court.

Trump’s first criminal trial, which began Monday in Manhattan criminal court, typically won’t take place on Wednesdays for the duration of the proceedings, which are expected to last around six weeks.

Justice Juan Merchan, the judge presiding over the trial, uses Wednesdays to attend to the business of other cases he is handling, and said he won’t hold proceedings those days unless there are “excessive delays” in the Trump case.

Judges often set aside one day of the week during trials to work on other matters.

For Trump, who is required to be in court when the trial takes place, the day off is likely a welcome break. As his lawyer Todd Blanche told Merchan on the first day of the trial, Trump’s campaign “has taken pains” to schedule events on Wednesdays.