Former President Donald Trump has once again found himself in hot water as he violates a court-imposed gag order for the tenth time, leading to a stern warning from Judge Juan Merchan about potential jail time.
Despite the seriousness of the gag order, which prohibits Trump from discussing the jury or witnesses with the intent to influence their decisions or testimony, Trump has repeatedly violated it. These violations have resulted in multiple fines, with the total amount now reaching $10,000.
“We have a gag order, which to me is totally unconstitutional. I’m not allowed to talk, but people are allowed to talk about me. So, they can talk about me. They can say whatever they want, they can lie, but I’m not allowed to say anything,” Trump stated, expressing his frustration.
Judge Merchan has expressed frustration with Trump’s repeated disregard for the court’s orders.
“It appears that the $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent. The last thing I want to do is to put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States, and possibly the next president as well,” he stated in a recent hearing.
Despite the judge’s reluctance to resort to incarceration, he made it clear that Trump’s continued willful violations of the court’s orders threaten the administration of justice and constitute a direct attack on the rule of law. He warned Trump that further violations could indeed lead to jail time.
The gag order was imposed as part of a trial related to allegations of an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election and an unlawful plan to suppress negative information.
This included the payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to these allegations.
This ongoing legal battle has drawn significant attention, both domestically and internationally. As the case continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Trump will respond to the increasing pressure from the court and whether his actions will indeed lead to unprecedented legal consequences for a former U.S. president.
In response to these rulings, Trump has claimed that his constitutional rights are being violated. “This judge has taken away my constitutional right,” he stated, indicating that he may file a constitutional motion in response to the judge’s rulings.
Christopher Conroy, presenting the prosecution’s argument for holding Trump in contempt for the additional alleged violations, said, “The order was issued because of the defendant’s persistent and escalating rhetoric aimed at participants in this proceeding. He’s already been found to have violated the order nine times, and he’s done it again here.”
Todd Blanche, an attorney for Trump, argued that the gag order unfairly limits his client’s ability to respond to political attacks.
ALSO READ | Trump’s criminal hush money trial has its first 7 jurors, 11 more still needed
