A fresh wave of drama unfolded in the high-profile legal case involving Donald Trump (77). Following the commencement of the gag order trial against the former president and current Oval Office contender, a new development emerged on Tuesday morning.
During a special session, Judge Juan Merchan (61) aimed to establish whether Trump had defied the restrictions of a gag order. The prosecution outlined ten instances in which the Republican had openly criticized the court and potential witnesses.
The prosecution had requested a fine of 3,000 dollars for contempt of court, along with a stern warning from the judge that any further violations of the gag order could lead to 30 days of imprisonment.
Prior to the hearing, Trump had made a theatrical address to his MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters, stating, “My farewell message,” and casting doubt on whether this was truly the end. A fundraising appeal hinted at the possibility of him being incarcerated.
During the hearing (excluding the presence of a “jury”), the prosecution laid out the ten breaches of the judge’s order, which were visible on Trump’s website and his social media platform “Truth Social.” Christopher Conroy contended on behalf of the prosecution that Trump had once again violated the rules by making statements outside the courtroom the day before. Previous posts were also scrutinized: Trump had previously referred to his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen (57) and Stormy Daniels as “slimeballs” and accused Cohen of deceit. In addition, Trump alleged that “liberal activists” were infiltrating the jury incognito.
On the previous day, both the prosecution and defense had set the stage for their upcoming arguments in their statements: Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo condemned Trump’s hush-money payments to previous romantic liaisons, including adult film star Stormy Daniels (44), as a “criminal scheme to ‘rig’ the 2016 election. Trump’s aim was to hide embarrassing truths and cover up financial transactions.
In defense, Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche contended that influencing elections is a normal part of democracy, asserting, “It’s just democracy!” Blanche claimed that Trump was unaware of Cohen’s financial misconduct, and any motives for secrecy were purely personal.
The prosecutor reinforced the importance of the defendant adhering to the gag order. He argued that Trump’s outbursts could intimidate jurors and witnesses, thus compromising the integrity of the proceedings. Despite this, Conroy clarified that the prosecution was not currently seeking a prison sentence, but urged the judge to threaten imprisonment if Trump continued to brazenly violate the order.
During the trial, Trump’s defense attorney Todd Blanche raised the point that witnesses such as Cohen and Daniels are active on social media, often posting aggressively and using insults. Blanche mentioned how Trump was once unfairly called an “orange man” on social media, prompting the defendant to defend himself. This argument seemed to upset the judge, as Blanche continuously expressed his client’s frustration with the perceived unfairness of the trial. However, the judge labeled Blanche’s argument as “stupid” and pointed out the lack of substantial evidence being presented. In response to Blanche’s failure to support his argument, the judge criticized his credibility in the court. Despite the heated exchange, the judge decided to postpone his ruling on potential violations by Trump.
