Former White House ethics lawyer Jim Schultz believes that the New York judge in former President Trump’s hush money case will likely find Trump’s recent social media posts quoting others to violate the gag order.
Despite the indirect posts, Schultz thinks the judge will see them as a violation, as they reference prospective jurors and push a narrative that could influence the trial. While the judge may fine or admonish Trump, the trial will continue, and Trump will likely continue to post on social media.
Schultz’s comments come after Trump quoted Fox News host Jesse Watters, who claimed that “undercover Liberal Activists” were lying to get on the Trump jury.
Donald J Trump (Credits: WHYY)
This move raised questions about whether it violated the expanded gag order, which prohibits Trump from making public statements about prospective or actual jurors. Legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin also believes the post attempted to intimidate jurors and violates the gag order.
Toobin emphasized that Trump has different and lesser rights as a criminal defendant than ordinary citizens and is not allowed to interfere in the trial process.
The judge has explicitly barred Trump from making public statements about the jurors or potential jurors. Toobin believes that Trump’s actions are an apparent attempt to circumvent this order. By quoting others, Trump tries to influence the jury pool and sway public opinion, which is not permitted under the gag order.
Donald Trump (Credits: EL PAÍS English)
The trial began on Monday and is historic, being the first criminal trial of a sitting or former president in US history. Jury selection was completed on Friday, and the trial will continue next week, focusing on allegations that Trump falsified business records to conceal a hush money payment to an adult film star to hide an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election.
Trump has pleaded not guilty, and his legal team will likely argue that the payment was a personal matter and not a campaign finance violation. Schultz and Toobin’s comments highlight the ongoing tension between Trump’s social media presence and the legal proceedings.
While Trump may try to use social media to shape public opinion and influence the trial, the judge and legal experts are closely watching his actions to ensure that he does not violate the gag order or compromise the integrity of the trial.
