NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 04: Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court during his arraignment on April 4, 2023, in New York City. Trump was arraigned during his first court appearance today following an indictment by a grand jury that heard evidence about money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. With the indictment, Trump becomes the first former U.S. president in history to be charged with a criminal offense. (Photo by Seth Wenig-Pool/Getty Images)
On Tuesday, Donald Trump‘s lawyer, Todd Blanche, was slammed by Judge Juan Merchan in court while discussing a gag order on the former president.
When Blanche said that Trump was doing his best to comply with the order, Judge Merchan cut him off, snapping, “You are losing all credibility with the court.”
Initially, the gag order blocked the former president’s ability to make public statements about witnesses, prosecutors and court staff if they had been “made with the intent to materially interfere with” the case.
On April 1, Merchan expanded a gag order in the hush money case, including family members of the court and prosecution. Trump repeatedly attacked Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan.
The prosecution cited ten incidents in recent days when Trump violated the order.
Last week, Trump reposted a clip from Fox News host Jesse Watters claiming that liberals were “lying” to get the jury. “They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge to get on the Trump Jury,'” the former president wrote on Truth Social on April 17.
Jury selection concluded last week, and opening statements took place on Monday.
During an interview on CNN, Trump’s former White House attorney, Jim Schultz, agreed that his former client violated the gag order.
“He’s referencing the jurors,” Schultz said. “He’s pushing something that someone else said. Yes.”
“I’m sure the judge can fine him. He can admonish him,” he stated. “He could do a lot of things in the courtroom. He’s not gonna throw him in jail. This trial’s still gonna continue. And you’re still gonna hear from Donald Trump on Truth Social, no doubt about it.”
On April 15, Judge Merchan issued a warning to the former president, stating that he would be arrested if he ever disrupted or skipped his hush money trial.
Trump was told that he might face an arrest warrant if he skipped his trial for no reason – a statement given to defendants in New York known as the Parker Warning.
On day two of jury selection for the hush money trial, Merchan accused Trump of “intimidating” a juror after he made a gesture and muttered at him. The judge asked Blanche to “speak to” his client about his behavior.
The former president and his attorneys had a possible juror dismissed over a Facebook post he wrote about him in 2017, in which he said, “Get him out and lock him up.”
When the potential juror was called into court to explain his actions, he admitted that he had “strong feelings at the time” but also said he could be unbiased today.
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