Internet slams Donald Trump as legal team defends him against making more gag order violation allegations

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Former president Donald Trump's legal team has defended him against imputations of him making four additional gag order violations on Thursday, May 2, Fox News reports.

Judge Juan Merchan already fined the business mogul $9,000 for nine separate violations on Tuesday, April 30, and prosecutors with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg are now arguing he committed four others in comments outside the courtroom.

Four controversial statements by Donald Trump 

The first questionable statement from Trump is the one he gave to the cameras in the hallway outside the courtroom on April 22. “When are they going to look at all the lies that Cohen did in the last trial?” Trump said, as per The Hill, referring to his ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, who is expected to be prosecutors’ star witness. “He got caught lying in the last trial. So he got caught lying, pure lying. And when are they going to look at that?” he added.

The second statement at issue came after the court concluded that day. In the evening, Trump gave an interview to conservative channel Real America’s Voice and aimed at jurors. “That jury was picked so fast – 95% Democrats,” Trump said, adding “The area’s mostly all Democrat. You think of it as a – just a purely Democrat area. It’s a very unfair situation. That I can tell you.”

The following day, Trump administered a roughly 12-minute interview with the local ABC-affiliate in Philadelphia and the former president went after Cohen and ex-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who was testifying that day. "Michael Cohen is a convicted liar and he’s got no credibility whatsoever,” Trump said of his ex-fixer.

As for the other witness, Trump said moments later, “David Pecker, I don’t know exactly what he’s going to be testifying against but or about, but he’ll be testifying today.”

The last one came before coming to court last Thursday, April 25. Trump stopped at a construction site in Manhattan before turning it into a campaign stop. He again was asked about Pecker who hadn’t yet concluded his testimony. “He’s been very nice. I mean, he’s been – David’s been very nice. A nice guy,” Trump said.

Donald Trump blasted the gag order as 'unconstitutional' in a statement 

The prosecutions had highlighted upon the four times where Trump commented on the jury in the trial, former lawyer Michael Cohen, and another witness David Pecker who testified last week. Merchan's gag order, imposed on April 1, prohibits Trump from speaking publicly about witnesses, the jury, and their family members.

The 77-year-old blasted the gag order as "unconstitutional" in a statement on social media ahead of Thursday, May 2, trial. He has also lashed out at Merchan as a "conflicted" and "radical left" judge.

Stormy Daniels' lawyer's stunning revelation on Donald Trump's hush money trial

Keith Davidson, lawyer for adult film actress Stormy Daniels, said in court on Thursday, May 2, that the $130,000 payment to Daniels was not “hush money,” but a “consideration” payment. 

Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Johsua Steinglass pressed Davidson on the witness stand about Daniels’ statement in January 2018, which Davidson prepared for his client, that debunked any intimacy with Trump and said that her only interaction with Trump was “a few public appearances and nothing more.”

“Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false,” the statement said. "I don’t believe that Stormy ever alleged that any interaction with Trump was 'romantic'," Davidson testified on Thursday, May 2.

He also said the payment “wasn’t a payoff.” “It wasn’t a payoff. And it wasn’t hush money. It was consideration,” Davidson said. He added that he would never use “hush money” to describe the money exchange.

Legal meaning behind the term 'consideration'

Davidson would only refer to it as “consideration.” It is a contractual legal term for what someone gives in return for the promise to abide by a contract which, in this case, is money. The payment was labeled "legal fees" in Trump's accounting, which prosecutors allege amounted to fraud.

Steinglass asked about the veracity of the Daniels’ statement to which Davidson replied, “I think it’s technically true.” He continues that he doesn’t believe anyone alleged of a relationship between Daniels and Trump and it was just an interaction. Davidson said he believes a “relationship” to be an ongoing occurrence.

Donald Trump's ongoing legal problems aren't stopping him from commenting on the ongoing anti-semitic protests

Donald Trump also had a brief interaction with the reporters before entering the courtroom in his New York criminal trial on Thursday, May 2. He heaped praises on the New York Police Department for its operation clearing out a University of Columbia building that had been taken over by anti-Israel protesters.

Trump also praised police for their efforts to contain protests at the University of California at Los Angeles. It also didn't take him much long to blame President Joe Biden for the protests and said they are a product of the "radical left." "You don't need to worry about the right," he said.

Internet takes a jab as Donald Trump violated his gag order four more times

Internet users also sniped out at the ex-president after prosecutors alleged Trump violated his gag order an additional four times. One user wrote, "#LockHimUp. He violated the gag order in Michigan last night as well." Another tweeted, "They all should hope he loses. If he wins. Gitmo bound." 

"He wants to be thrown in jail, his cult followers will eat it up. Also, the media wants this, click revenue," opined one and another said, "Lock him up already." "Just more garbage from this kangaroo court," one exclaimed and another added, "Trump is looking for a confrontation, wants to be thrown in jail for contempt, and than milk it for his fans." 

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.