Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday raged at New York Judge Juan Merchan's threat to put him in jail over violating a gag order prohibiting him from speaking out about jurors, witnesses, and others involved in his ongoing business records case in Manhattan, accusing the judge of taking his right to free speech away from him.
"It is hard to sit back and listen to lies and false statements be made against you knowing that if you respond, even in the most modest fashion, you are told by a Corrupt and Highly Conflicted Judge that you will be PUT IN PRISON, maybe for a long period of time," Trump posted on his Truth Social page early Wednesday.
He further said that it is a "really bad feeling to have your Constitutional Right to Free Speech, such a big part of life in our Country, so unfairly taken from you, especially when all of the sleazebags, lowlifes, and grifters that you oppose are allowed to say absolutely anything that they want."
Merchan said Monday he'd hold Trump in contempt of court for a 10th time for violating the gag order and said he would consider putting him in jail if there were further violations.
The next day, Trump said in a Truth Social post that he was "just recently told who the witness is today," calling it "unprecedented, no time for lawyers to prepare. No judge has ever run a trial in such a biased and partisan way."
Adult film star Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday about an alleged tryst she says she had with Trump in 2006 that led to her being paid $130,000 before the 2016 election. Trump has denied her claim and did not name her in his social media post, which was quickly deleted.
His campaign denied that the post he made Tuesday was a further gag order violation.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Trump said in his post that the "Fascist mindset is all coming from D.C." when it comes to his trial in New York.
"It is a sophisticated hit job on Crooked Joe Biden's Political Opponent, ME!" said Trump. "Judges Engoron and Kaplan, also of New York, are equally Corrupt, only in different ways. What these THUGS are doing is AN ATTACK ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND OUR ONCE GREAT NATION ITSELF. OUR FIRST AMENDMENT MUST STAND, FREE AND STRONG. 'GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!' "
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.