Donald Trump has criticized the presiding judge in his hush money trial for threatening to send him to jail if he violates his gag order again
Donald Trump Rips Into Hush Money Trial Judge Over Jail Threat: ‘Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death’
Donald Trump has criticized the presiding judge in his hush money trial for threatening to send him to jail if he violates his gag order again.
Since the start of the trial, the former president has been found in contempt of his gag order twice, leading to a total fine of $10,000 at $1000 per violation.
Donald Trump Blasts Judge Merchan For Threatening Him With Jail Over Gag Order Violations
Earlier in the week, Judge Juan Manuel Merchan fined Trump a second time for violating his gag order, after which he told the former president that subsequent violations might lead to him being incarcerated.
Following the ruling, Trump has taken to his Truth Social to lash out at the judge, claiming that he was biased in his ruling. He also bemoaned the fact that he is not allowed to speak as he pleases about his trial.
“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,” the billionaire mogul wrote on his social media platform.
He added: “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.”
Donald Trump Uses Historic Quote In His Rant: ‘Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death’
In his lengthy rant about Judge Merchan potentially throwing him behind bars, Trump dragged other big names, including President Joe Biden and the judge presiding over his NYC fraud trial, Judge Arthur Engoron.
He said, “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.”
Trump added: “What these THUGS are doing is AN ATTACK ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND OUR ONCE GREAT NATION ITSELF. OUR FIRST AMENDMENT MUST STAND, FREE AND STRONG.”
The politician then concluded with a quote from American Founding Father Patrick Henry: “‘GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!'”
Judge Merchan Warned The Ex-President That Further Violations Might Lead To Jail Time
While giving his ruling about Trump’s latest gag order violation, Merchan warned the former president that further violations would force his hand to send him to jail.
“The last thing I want to do is put you in jail,” Merchan told Trump while giving his ruling, per Deadline. “You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well.”
The judge also reiterated his stance in the document that contained his ruling.
It read, “It is apparent that monetary fines have not, and will not, suffice to deter Defendant from violating this Court’s lawful orders…..THEREFORE, Defendant is hereby put on notice that if appropriate and warranted, future violations of its lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration.”
Donald Trump’s Gag Order Violations
Trump was initially fined $9000 due to nine instances of violating his gag order for statements he made on his Truth Social media platform and his presidential campaign website. Each violation carried a $1000 punishment, the maximum the judge could impose according to New York Law.
Subsequently, he was again found in contempt of the gag order for one instance out of the four claimed by the prosecution. Like before, he was fined $1000 for the violation, making it a total of $10,000 he was ordered to pay.
According to reports, Trump has since made payment for the first fine in two installments, one for $2,000 and one for $7,000. However, it is unclear if he has made payment for the second fine, although he was instructed to do so before the close of business on May 10, 2024.
In both instances of the fine, the former president was also instructed to take down the offending posts.
The Ex-President Said Judge Merchan Suffers From ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’
Ahead of Trump’s hush money trial, he was hit with a gag order that prevented him from talking about the individuals in the case, such as the witnesses, prosecutors, jurors, or their families.
The billionaire mogul was issued the order after he had gone on one of his usual rants on Truth Social, attacking both Merchan and his daughter.
“Judge Juan Merchan, a very distinguished looking man, is nevertheless a true and certified Trump Hater who suffers from a very serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Trump said, per Newsweek.
He added, “In other words, he hates me! His daughter is a senior executive at a Super Liberal Democrat firm that works for Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, the Democrat National Committee, (Dem) Senate Majority PAC, and even Crooked Joe Biden.”
At the time, Trump also asked Merchan to recuse himself from the trial, citing that his alleged bias against him would prevent the trial from being fair.
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