Former President Donald Trump's mandatory attendance at his ongoing criminal trial in New York has already caused him to miss attending Thursday's oral arguments at the Supreme Court on his disputed claim of presidential immunity from prosecution.

On Friday, Trump revealed that the trial also forced him to miss spending time with his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, on her 54th birthday, Newsweek reported.

Rather predictably, however, the former president's remarks about missing his wife's birthday only served as fodder for his critics and haters to launch attacks against him.

Trump wishes Melania a happy birthday -- from outside his "rigged trial" in New York

The Hill reported that Friday, in addition to being the former first lady's birthday, was also Day 8 of his ongoing criminal trial in New York for allegedly falsifying business records in 2017 to cover up reimbursement payments to then-personal attorney Michael Cohen for the "hush money" payments he made or arranged to silence accusations of extramarital affairs ahead of the 2016 election.

"I want to start by wishing my wife, Melania, a very happy birthday," Trump told reporters outside the courtroom. "It would be nice to be with her but I’m in a courthouse for a rigged trial. It’s a rigged trial -- terrible."

"But we're doing very well in this rigged trial and everybody knows it, and yesterday was a big day," he continued without further explanation.

"But I do have to begin by wishing Melania a happy birthday. She's in Florida," Trump added. "I’ll be going there this evening after this case finishes up -- this horrible, unconstitutional case, when it finishes up."

Critics point out the underlying reason for Trump's absence on Melania's birthday

Newsweek reported separately that former President Trump's birthday message for the former first lady seemingly backfired on him as it resulted in "brutal backlash" from his critics and haters, most of whom did little more than point out the underlying reason for why Trump was stuck in New York at a criminal trial instead of at home in Florida with his wife for her birthday.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump last year with 34 counts of falsification of business records that stemmed from Trump's reimbursement payments in 2017 to then-personal attorney Michael Cohen for "hush money" payments he made just before the 2016 election.

Cohen reportedly paid porn actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 -- and made arrangements with the National Enquirer to pay off Playboy model Karen MacDougal -- to keep quiet and hidden from the public allegations of extramarital affairs that occurred during and shortly after Melania's pregnancy with Trump's youngest son, Barron.

To Trump's critics and haters, it was particularly ironic for Trump to lament being away from his wife on her birthday when the whole reason for that circumstance was his alleged desire to be away from her 18 years earlier.

Trump continues the "happy birthday" wishes online

On former President Trump's Truth Social account, he posted a video clip on Friday of his remarks outside the courthouse that included his birthday message for Melania and shared several posts by other users who wished the former first lady a happy birthday.

Trump also marked the occasion with a special video that praised his wife for her initiatives and the work she did while in the White House that compiled together numerous clips and commentary from the media that praised her efforts.