In a hearing held on Tuesday, prosecutors in the New York criminal trial against former President Donald Trump argued that he had violated a gag order issued by the judge. The gag order prohibited Trump from making public statements about the witnesses in the case. However, Trump posted messages on social media criticizing his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, and adult film star Stormy Daniels.
During the hearing, prosecutors urged the judge to impose a fine on Trump for violating the gag order. After the hearing, Trump criticized the gag order, calling it “unconstitutional” and claiming that he was being unfairly prevented from defending himself.
Georgetown Law professor David Super said that Trump’s posts were a clear violation of the gag order. He added that while ordinary citizens would likely be jailed for such behavior, Trump’s status as a former president may protect him from that fate.
Instead, Super expects the judge to fine Trump for his actions. However, he believes that this may not have much of an impact on Trump’s behavior, as he sees jail as off the table and fines as irrelevant.
In the meantime, the trial continued with testimony from witnesses. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified that Trump was directly involved in a scheme to buy and bury negative stories about himself during the 2016 election.
Super downplayed the significance of the gag order violation, emphasizing that the testimony presented in court was more important. The trial is scheduled to resume with more witness testimony on Thursday.
