In a weekend Truth Social blitz, the former president threatened to violate his gag order in the upcoming hush money trial
Donald Trump said Saturday he is willing to go to jail, but not for the crimes he’s accused of committing.
The presumptive GOP candidate said he wanted to violate the expanded gag order against him in his upcoming hush money trial. In fact, he would be willing to make himself a martyr and serve jail time if the judge found him guilty of violating the order.
In a three-part post on his tanking social media company, Truth Social, Trump lashed out at the New York judge who granted the gag order, Juan Merchan, whom Trump has repeatedly targeted in his posts along with Merchan’s daughter for being biased against him.
“IF this Partisan Hack wants to put me in the ‘clink’ for speaking the open and obvious TRUTH, I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson Mandela – It will be my GREAT HONOR,” Trump wrote.
Saying mean things about people on social media typically isn’t a crime (unless it’s libel).
But, Trump is a cult leader, so this situation is different since his saying mean things can put those people in imminent danger. This is actually one of the only times the government is allowed to infringe on free speech.
I mean specifically saying mean things and posting info about the family of a court with whom you have an active hearing should be.
The problem with adding exceptions like that to free speech is that it’s easy to abuse it. Trump is already an exception, so there’s really no need to widen it more.
Plus, it’s not like it being explicitly illegal would make any difference here. Trump can basically commit any crime he wants with impunity. Doxing a judge is like a speeding ticket to him.