Donald Trump risks jail time after court says he violated gag order 7 times in hush money trial, Internet says 'why wait'

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Former President Donald Trump may face contempt charges in the ongoing hush money criminal trial, as prosecutors have presented seven additional social media posts that they claim violate a gag order.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office's attorneys contend that Trump should be penalized for disseminating a New York Post article in which Michael Cohen is referred to as a "serial perjurer" and an "embarrassment" to the legal system.

Another post included sharing a statement made by Fox News host Jesse Watters, who alleged that the defense team is "catching undercover liberal activists lying to the judge" to gain a place on the jury.

Judge Juan Merchan has scheduled a hearing to address the violations of the gag order, and if the 77-year-old MAGA figurehead continues to flout the guidelines, he could potentially face imprisonment, according to a report by the Daily Mail.

Day 3 of hush money criminal case against Donald Trump

Day 3 of jury selection in the trial, where former President Donald Trump is the defendant, began with a stern warning. The judge admonished the media for revealing too many details about the jurors. He cautioned the press not to disclose the jurors' accents, workplaces, or physical appearances.

During the jury selection process, a juror was dismissed after admitting their inability to be impartial. The juror who dropped out was among seven people who had been selected from a pool of hundreds to sit in deliberation on the Trump case. Judge Merchan revealed to the court that the juror had “conveyed after sleeping on it overnight she had concerns about her ability to be fair and impartial.”

The judge then summoned the juror to court and inquired about the reason for their withdrawal. The juror replied, “Yesterday alone, I had friends, colleagues, and family push things to my phone, questioning my identity as a juror.”

“I don’t believe at this point I can be fair and unbiased and let the outside influence not affect my decision making in the courtroom,” they added. The judge expressed his regrets to the compromised juror, saying, “I’m sorry you went through that,” and excused them from the case.

It is worth mentioning that the judge has ordered former President Trump not to attack potential jurors in the case. However, the 2024 presumptive Republican nominee is reportedly threatening to break this rule. CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin argued the post was “clearly barred by the gag order in this case.”

“Criminal defendants have different and lesser rights than ordinary citizens. They are not allowed to interfere in the trial process, especially when there is a gag order that specifically addresses attempts to intimidate jurors. It is just not permissible,” Toobin explained.

So far, the jury selection process has resulted in the selection of seven jurors to participate in the forthcoming deliberations. The jurors selected include an oncology nurse, a software engineer, an information technology specialist, a sales professional, an English teacher, and two attorneys.

Judge Juan Merchan has indicated that he expects the opening statements in this momentous case to be made as early as next week. The swiftness with which the jury selection process has proceeded has caused the ex-Commander-in-Chief to voice his concern that Judge Merchan is "rushing" the trial.

Internet unfazed as Trump faces contempt of court after violating gag order

One X user remarked, "Hold him in contempt and send him to jail. Everyone will be better off."

Another user wrote, "Good..he thinks he's above the law He needs to shut up."

Another user said, "Let's hope justice prevails in this case."

One user asserted, "The importance of upholding the rule of law cannot be overstated."

Another X user remarked, "Lock him up already."

One user tweeted, "Trump is purposely trying to get thrown in jail. He'll be surprised to see how it doesn't help his numbers."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.