Donald Trump could be locked up before any of his 91 criminal indictments are tried in court. And don’t take our word for it. Listen to some revered attorneys, such as one of Trump’s own ex-White House lawyers, and a former U.S. attorney general.
Judge Tanya Chutkan, who’s overseeing the case in which Trump stands accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election, reimposed a gag order limiting what the pugilistic defendant can say about witnesses and prosecutors in the case. Chutkan put the gag order on hold October 20 while Trump’s team pursued an appeal.
The disgraced ex-president, of course, has a long history of disparaging prosecutors and witnesses attached to his myriad of legal entanglements. Special Counsel Jack Smith argued the gag order needed to be reinstated, because while it was on hold, Trump attacked him three times by name… in less than 10 days.
Trump also made comments on two occasions about his former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who was granted immunity to testify under oath.
Appearing on CNN Thursday, Ty Cobb, who worked as a Trump White House special counsel, said he doubts fines will stop the ex-POTUS from disparaging people involved in the case.
He may have to be sent to jail.
“I think she’ll come in with a much heavier penalty, and ultimately I think he’ll spend a night or weekend in jail. I think it’s gonna take that to stop him,” he said.
We know, we know: we’ve been fed delicious speculation about Trump winding up behind bars for eight years. There is even doubt about whether Trump would serve jail time if he’s found guilty in his four criminal cases, given the security concerns attached to imprisoning a former president (home confinement is more likely, some experts say).
But as we’ve heard before, we are in unprecedented times. Trump is simultaneously running for president and serving as a defendant in a federal espionage case and criminal case about trying to overthrow an election… just to name two!
History shows he’s not going to stop his blatant judicial misconduct based on warnings alone. So far, he’s been fined $15,000 for disparaging a law clerk working on his $250 million fraud trial.
“Make no mistake: future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions, which may include steeper financial penalties, holding Donald Trump in contempt of court, and possibly imprisoning him,” said Judge Arthur Engoron.
In a recent interview, George Conway, the now-ex-husband of Kellyanne Conway, said Trump “could go to jail” if he keeps publicly smearing court officials.
“The fines can get bigger and bigger,” he said. “One method that has been used by courts in the past to enforce criminal contempt sanctions or civil contempt sanctions is to keep increasing the fines geometrically. You know, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000. Justice Engoron could keep ramping those figures up.”
Engoron has already found Trump liable for fraud in the case, and could force the one-term, twice-impeached, quadruply-indicted ex-president to auction off his New York properties.
For Trump, that’s, like, the worst thing that could ever happen.
Well, besides going to jail.
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Trump would probably be facing jail time for his near-constant violations of gag orders, if he were an average person.
What about that two-tiered justice system, again?
“Would a judge actually do that, which would happen to a normal person and put somebody in jail for violating a gag order? I suspect that’s not likely to happen with this defendant, but any other defendant would probably be facing [jail time],” he said.
Meanwhile, when Trump isn’t melting down about his court cases, he’s committing gaffe after gaffe.
Consider, for instance, this moment when Donald Trump said “Sioux Falls” multiple times despite being in Sioux City. It got so bad someone had to step onto the stage to correct Trump before he then corrected himself. Not great. It’s a pattern…pic.twitter.com/JLguaPW7ih
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) October 29, 2023
Despite all of these nadirs, Trump is still blowing out the Republican presidential field. Great party!
mildredspierce
Blah blah blah. A country riddled with guns and and opportunities and this asshole is still breathing.
Openminded
That sounds like a veiled message very much like the one Trump sent out on 1/06.
abfab
It may sound like that to you, but it isn’t. Open your mind and try to read between the lines. But really. This POS needs to be put down. ASAP. We’re done.
Baron Wiseman
@mildredspierce
@dbmcvey
Wishing death on someone…hmmm…
Who are the HATERS again?
inbama
@Baron Wiseman
That effing crooked insurrectionist who’s done more damage to this country than anyone since Osama Bin Laden has earned the hatred of every decent American.
May he rot in hell, the sooner the better.
LumpyPillows
While I do love the name, MildredSPierce, I find this sentiment to be 100% un-American.
For Thanksgiving, I would be thankful if Don is put into jail for contempt of court. He’s already guilty, based on his tweets.
abfab
Un American. That is so funny.
Kangol2
Mildredspierce, as much as abhor the vile, psychotic criminal Don the Con, I also utterly abhor veiled threats like this about him or anyone else, politician or otherwise.
Come on, now, walk that back, please.
RoyM
@Kangol 2 -Oh give us all a break. There wasn’t ant threat made. Maybe in your namby-pamby, self- loathing, Trump supporting world you can twist this into a threat but no intelligent thinking person would. And no one really gives a crap what a cowardly little twit like you abhors.
Baron Wiseman
As if President Trump’s poll numbers aren’t high enough!
Jaesly
His poll numbers have nothing too do with his criminal liability. What does it say about his supporters that they love him more the more lawless he is?
LumpyPillows
It will be interesting when the ephemeral polling numbers for Don collapses after people start actually voting, and it will, what will happen. Don is a very bad man, and even his supporters know it deep down.
Mister P
His poll numbers are basically the same. He has that same 35 ish percent base. Enough to influence republican primaries but nothing else.
abfab
Baron George Santos Wiseman has pols stuck up his fat ass. Anyone who leans on poll numbers as much as this hack does is serioulsy deranged and politcally naive
The Log Cabin Club sure did teach this boy well.
still_onthemark
Trumpers in 2018: “Polls are always wrong! Look what happened in 2016!” Followed by a Blue Wave.
Trumpers in 2020: “Polls are always wrong! Look what happened in 2016!” Followed by the “rigged election.”
Trumpers in 2022: “Look at those polls! RED WAVE! RED WAVE!” Followed by a red puddle and Dems keeping Senate.
Trumpers now: “Look at those polls! Trump is a sure thing!”
abfab
Katara Ravatche does love her poll dancing. Slut.
Mattster
You are mistaken. He *leads* the Republican primary polls by about 35% vs his nearest competitor. Indictments have not dented his popularity among Republicans, and even guilty verdicts are unlikely to do so. That is a lot more than “influencing” Republican primaries.
And as hard to believe as it may be, while we would like to think he is toxic to those outside the Republican primaries, polls show him in a dead heat with Biden.
We might be one gas crisis away from another Trump presidency. We need to ditch any sense of complacency or thinking the courts are going to save us from it.
LumpyPillows
And yet Don still does not have a majority of the people polled, meaning the majority of republicans prefer someone else.
abfab
Do Florida MAGA sex shops sell the blow up doll of Donald? Log Cabin Queers love that perfectly shaped, receptive, blowjob ready, pink mouth.
Baron……go get him, cowboy!
JJinAus
Just, ewwww. I’d rather sleep with a woman. Nothing against women, but that’s just wrong.
COTTONTOP
Ick!
stanpaske
Jail? Just give him the chair. Enough is enough.
abfab
A very big chair. ZAP!
Baron Wiseman
@stanpaske
“Just give him the chair.”
Who are the haters again? Why do Democrats wish death on those they disagree with? I have never heard a Republican wish death on Joe Biden. Retirement? Yes.
I hear wishes of death for Republicans all the time; Trump in particular. And yet, somehow, the Republicans are the haters. Strange.
smittoons
@baronwiseman I’ve read plenty of equally vicious things Republicans have wished upon the likes of Obama, Hillary, Pelosi, AOC, Gore, and Newsom.
Baron Wiseman
@smittoons
Yes, I believe you. I’ve read vicious things about leaders from both political parties. Sometimes it is warranted.
However, as I previously said, I don’t hear Republicans with the same hatred wishing death on their political rivals as I do with Democrats.
abfab
On Baron you foolish little pig. The republicans bigots just go straight to the homes of Democrats with guns drawn and knives out. Ready to kidnap, torture, mame and kill those they disagree with.
You are a complete and total ignorant right wing mess. F u c k off.
COTTONTOP
Baron Wiseman If you haven’t heard republicans issuing death threats then you need to have your ears cleaned out and/or your eyes examined. Republicans, in particular The Orange Taint, have been screaming out death threats to Democrats since the Clinton presidency. Republicans are the absolute WORST
Diplomat
With kennedy running on the independent ticket, Biden is all but assured to win.
The really big question, the elephant in the room no news channel wants to touch, is what would happen if Trump gets jailed.
RoyM
There really isn’t a single Republican in the nation that isn’t a detestable, vile human being. To bad we can treat them like the rabid animals that they are.
Baron Wiseman
@RoyM
Example A
RoyM
@ Baron Wiseman = lowlife rabid animal. Someone needs to call Orkin. They deal with rabid vermin, right?
LumpyPillows
Sorry, Roy, but that isn’t true. Larry Hogan from Maryland is OK.
Kangol2
Actually, and I’m going to say this as a very progressive/DSA-leaning Democrat, but there are some Republicans, like Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, who are better than horrible Democrats like Robert Menendez of New Jersey. It goes beyond not supporting Don the Con, and harkens back to the era when there were liberal Republicans, some far more progressive than their Democratic colleagues. They’re few and far between now and some, like Susan Collins, cave at the slightest push, put a (rare) few are willing to stand up to the Con cult.
COTTONTOP
Agreed
COTTONTOP
Ok, I have to eat my words. I agree with Kangol2
RoyM
Oh, now we hear from all the right-wing pieces of garbage falling all over themselves to praise and support the Republican Party. Not surprising. Detestable self-loathing log cabin queers have been doing it for decades.
LumpyPillows
Roy, why so angry? Makes you seem demented.
Jaesly
I for one don’t wish death upon Trump. A simple exile to a foreign country would be fine with me. Maybe Jared can convince his pal MBS to give his father-in-law a nice place to stay in Saudi Arabia. I’m afraid Donnie’s pal Vlad is too busy these days to handle Trump.
abfab
Dump him on a lonely, radioactiv Pacific atoll. He can work on a natural tan for once in his life.
COTTONTOP
I’d LOVE for him to sit in a jail cell for a long, long, long, long time
Baron Wiseman
@abfab
There’s that Democratic compassion I’ve heard so much about.
decrans
He called the black people of Memphis ‘hicks.’
COTTONTOP
TROLL ALERT! DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS. ATTENTION IS WHAT THEY SEEK. DON’T GIVE THEM ANY.
Diplomat
COTTON,
AGREED.
ZzBomb
The day this man is 6′ under, is the day I take my sledge hammer to his grave.
abfab
His Mausolium will be made from the cheapest fiberglass and be molded and sculpted into a CHEETO. There will be a faux fire hydrant at the base for dogs to relieve themselves.
The CHEETO will be placed in the Meadowlands with all the other dumb mobsters and criminals. But yes, by all means BRING THAT SLEDGE HAMMER!
inbama
@ZzBomb
I just want to live long enough to piss on it – even if I’m so old I can only show up attached to a colostomy bag.