“ATTACK ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND OUR ONCE GREAT NATION ITSELF” Trump Pushes Limits of Gag Order by Attacking Witnesses and Urging Allies to Defend Him
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Donald Trump once again tested the limits of his gag order by rallying Republicans to oppose the testimony of “sleazebags, lowlifes, and grifters” he once associated with. Just a day after adult film star Stormy Daniels testified before a jury about their alleged 2006 sexual encounter—the focal point of the hush money case—the former president attacked witnesses involved in his New York criminal trial and urged his Republican allies to defend him.
However, doing so could be a violation of the gag order that prohibits him from commenting on trial participants, according to a report by Raw Story. Trump expressed his frustrations on Truth Social, claiming that his constitutional right to free speech was being unfairly restricted. “It is a really bad feeling to have your Constitutional Right to Free Speech, such a big part of life in our Country, so unfairly taken from you, especially when all of the sleazebags, lowlifes, and grifters that you oppose are allowed to say absolutely anything that they want,” he wrote.
The former president continued his tirade, criticizing Judge Juan Merchan for imposing the gag order and alleging that it was motivated by a “fascist mindset.” “It is hard to sit back and listen to lies and false statements be made against you knowing that if you respond, even in the most modest fashion, you are told by a Corrupt and Highly Conflicted Judge that you will be PUT IN PRISON, maybe for a long period of time,” Trump added.
In his Truth Social post, Trump also took aim at Merchan’s warning of potential incarceration, stating that the judge’s caution was rooted in D.C. politics. He further attacked the judges presiding over his defamation lawsuit against E. Jean Carroll and his New York civil fraud case. “This Fascist mindset is all coming from D.C. It is a sophisticated hit job on Crooked Joe Biden’s Political Opponent, ME! Judges Engoron and Kaplan, also of New York, are equally Corrupt, only in different ways. What these THUGS are doing is AN ATTACK ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND OUR ONCE GREAT NATION ITSELF.”
Judge Merchan previously warned Trump that he could be incarcerated for less than 30 days if he continued to violate the gag order. He had already fined Trump a total of $10,000 for infractions committed since the trial began. While Trump encouraged his allies to criticize court employees and witnesses, Merchan’s order explicitly forbids Trump from “directing others to make public statements about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses concerning their potential participation in the investigation or in this criminal proceeding.”
Thus, if Trump’s allies accept his invitation to attack Daniels or other witnesses, Trump could face jail time, per HuffPost. Instead of refraining from criticism, Trump stated he would willingly go to jail if “necessary” while speaking to reporters on May 6. “This judge has given me a gag order and said you’ll go to jail if you violate it,” he said. “And frankly, you know what, our Constitution is much more important than jail. It’s not even close. I’ll do that sacrifice any day.”
Trump’s defiance highlights his ongoing struggle with the judicial system as he faces mounting legal challenges. The gag order aims to ensure a fair trial, but Trump’s persistent attacks on those involved threaten to compromise the proceedings. Despite his willingness to risk imprisonment, the court’s enforcement of the gag order could have significant consequences for the former president.
