Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, recently urged Trump to disregard his upcoming criminal court trial in Manhattan and instead attend the Supreme Court hearing regarding whether he has immunity from prosecution in a separate trial being held in Washington, D.C.
Bannon made these comments during his “War Room” show on Monday, specifically suggesting that Trump should focus on the immunity hearing, even if it means he misses his trial. Bannon stated that Trump should “go to the immunity thing and let him put me in, in, in a jail cell and I’d go, I’d go to Barron’s graduation.” He added, “I do both of them say, ‘Come on, dude.’ Stand up to him. Just do it. See what, see how the chips fall.”
While Judge Juan Merchan has the authority to imprison the former president for violating court orders, there is no indication that this is currently being considered. Additionally, Trump has expressed anger over Merchan’s decision to potentially prevent him from attending his son Barron’s graduation, although Merchan has not completely ruled out the possibility of allowing Trump to attend the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Fox News’ Jesse Watters has criticized the court’s treatment of Trump, arguing that the former president should be allowed to engage in activities such as golf instead of being confined to a courtroom. However, this sentiment has been met with widespread mockery on social media, with some users questioning Trump’s fitness for office if he is unable to remain alert during his trial.
A full jury has been empaneled for Trump’s Manhattan criminal case, but there is concern that jurors may drop out due to safety concerns or the pressure of their responsibilities. This is especially relevant given the potential for Trump supporters or others seeking to disrupt the trial to reveal the identities of the jury members.
In a separate development, prosecutors in the Manhattan trial have read transcripts of Trump’s infamous “Access Hollywood” tape to the jury, which legal experts have described as both “cringy” and “damning.”
