Reporters this week have asked former President Donald Trump questions about the jury and witnesses in the business records trial in Manhattan that, if he answered, would be a violation of Judge Juan Merchan’s restrictive gag order and possibly land him in jail.
Merchan’s gag order prohibits Trump from commenting on prosecutors other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, their staff and family members, Merchan’s family members, and trial witnesses and jurors.
Last week, Merchan found Trump in contempt of court for allegedly violating the gag order ten times, and on Monday, threatened him with jail time if he continues to violate the order.
Despite this, one reporter on Monday shouted to Trump a question about a witness: “Is Michael Cohen a liar?”
He was also asked, “Mr. Trump, what do you think of the jury?” as well as, “Mr. Trump any thoughts about the witness?”
He was later asked, “Is Stormy Daniels a liar?”
Trump ignored the questions and, instead, criticized the gag order, calling it “disgraceful” and suggesting he might risk going to jail to maintain his constitutional right to speech.
“I have to watch every word I tell you people. Yes, we have questions, a simple question — I’d like to give it, but I can’t talk about it because this judge has given me a gag order and said, ‘you’ll go to jail if you violate.’ 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,” he said.
In this courtroom sketch, former U.S. President Donald Trump, left, sits with his attorney Todd Blanche before Justice Juan Merchan, at the beginning of his trial at a Manhattan criminal court in New York, Monday, April 15, 2024. (Jane Rosenberg/Pool Photo via AP)
Trump has also slammed Merchan, which he can do under the gag order, and the two other New York judges in cases that have been brought against him.
“But what’s happening here is a disgrace, the appellate court ought to get involved. New York looks so bad, the New York system is so full of justice looks so bad between this judge, Engoron and Kaplan. You’re tripled teamed with corrupt judges,” he said.
“It’s a disgrace to our nation, so I should be out there campaigning. but they said two [weeks] and the way I look at it, you’re really talking about three weeks more. And by the way , they didn’t have enough to fill out the time,” he said.
He told reporters, however, that he hoped they would report their stories accurately.
“I’ll tell you what — I hope you report your story accurately. This is a real threat to our country and it’s a serious threat to the constitution,” he said.
On Tuesday morning, a reporter asked him, “Did you sleep with Stormy?”
Trump ignored that question and slammed the gag order as “unconstitutional” and criticized the trial.
“This comes from the White House and it’s all Biden because it’s an attack on his political opponent that hasn’t happened in this country. It does happen in third world countries, but it hasn’t happened in this country. It’s a shame. The trial is a very unfair trial, a very, very unfair trial. The good news is they have nothing,” he said.
Stormy Daniels testifies in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in New York about the encounter in former President Donald Trump’s hotel penthouse. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
Meanwhile, Daniels, whose real name is Stephane Clifford, reportedly delivered testimony so lurid that it drew criticism from Merchan and prompted Trump’s defense team to call for a mistrial.
According to a report by the Hill, jurors did not seem moved by her testimony. The outlet reported:
Jurors were not as animated during her testimony as they were in earlier parts of the trial — most maintaining straight faces, some appearing tired and others taking notes.
Although many watched Daniels, even some of her more intimate details about the alleged encounter did not seem to captivate the jury like other witnesses did.
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