Donald Trump may have kept quiet during his historic arraignment on Tuesday, but social media was another matter. The first American president to ever be indicted on criminal charges has been a loose cannon maniac on his rinky-dink Twitter clone, where he’s done things like whip up his base to “PROTEST” his legal woes and, when the big day finally arrived, give a play-by-play en route to the courthouse. Trump may think he can do whatever he wants with no consequences, but the judge had other ideas.
GAG ORDER WATCH IS ON
Trump has been given a warning about his social media post by the judge in Manhattan. This is not a gag order (yet) but a warning. We KNOW Trump will not obey such rules, and when he next makes threats, he WILL get gag order
We should run a pool of when https://t.co/odOo02J4cU pic.twitter.com/DMJcN4Wxik
— Tomi T Ahonen Moved to Post, Spoutible & Mastodon (@tomiahonen) April 4, 2023
During the arraignment, when Trump pled not guilty to 34 separate felony counts, the prosecution brought up his habit of firing off incendiary tweets, including about Judge Juan Marchan. They implied that he should issue a gag order, which would refrain anyone from mentioning the case as it’s going forward.
Marchan replied that he wouldn’t be giving a gag order, at least at the time. But there was a “but”: He then addressed Trump and his legal team, sternly telling them, “I don’t want to see this anymore,” referring to him riling up his base with reckless posts about anyone involved, including himself and Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg.
Trump’s attorney tried to push back, arguing that “selective leaks” about Trump regarding the case were “harming” him. He needed to be able to “defend himself” by siccing his infamous base on those working in the justice system. Judge Marchan was not moved.
It wasn’t the only time Judge Marchan chided Trump during the court appearance. At one point he warned him that he could be removed if he was disruptive. MSNBC’s Kyle Griffin reported that Trump “noticeably” sighed upon hearing that warning, then said, “I know.”
NBC News: In court, Trump showed no discernible emotion. He did, however, noticeably sigh when the judge warned he could be removed if he was disruptive.
Trump sighed, and said, "I know." @MSNBC
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 4, 2023
Perhaps the reality of what he was facing finally dawned on Trump, who, apart from not being able to carry on a second presidential term after losing re-election, has never faced any real comeuppance for his actions. Anyway, we’ll see how long he lasts before dropping some self-incriminating post.
(Via Mediaite)