#Trump has his posse again. Today it’s more #Republican elected officials. Today, Trump will be joined by the #House speaker, #MikeJohnson, as well as #NorthDakota’s governor, #DougBurgum, a contender to be Trump's running mate. Also present will be Representatives #ByronDonalds & #CoryMills of Florida, & #VivekRamaswamy, who was one of Trump's primary rivals this year. Both Donalds & Ramaswamy are longshot hopefuls to be Trump's running mate.
#Hoffinger, the prosecutor, is now detailing a lawsuit that #Trump filed against #MichaelCohen in Florida, well after the presidency. Ultimately Trump decided not to be deposed [wonder why¿] & the case was dismissed. That suit was widely seen as #WitnessIntimidation.
Cohen reflects on his time w/Trump:
“I don’t regret working at the Trump Organization.” But in order to stay in Trump’s good graces & obey his orders, “I violated my moral compass, & I suffer the penalty.”
From Kaitlan Collins
Notable moment in court today where the judge told the defense he could hear Trump cursing:
Judge Merchan: "I understand that your client is upset at this point, but he is cursing audibly, and he is shaking his head visually and that's contemptuous...I am speaking to you here at the bench because I don't want to embarrass him."
Justice Merchan called #Trump’s lawyer to a sidebar to say Trump was “cursing audibly” & possibly intimidating Daniels... “I understand your client is upset at this pt, but he is cursing audibly & shaking his head visually & that’s contemptuous. It has the potential to intimidate the witness & the jury can see that...I am speaking to you here at the bench because I don’t want to embarrass him. You need to speak to him. I won’t tolerate that.” #TrumpTrial https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/07/stormy-daniels-testimony-trump-hush-money-trial/
Testimony started w/a bang last week as David #Pecker, the fmr publisher of The #NationalEnquirer, said that he had entered into a secret plot w/ #Trump & #MichaelCohen to #CatchAndKill negative stories about Trump as he ran for president in 2016. #GaryFarro, the 3rd to testify, started off w/dry details about banking transactions. But #Farro is leading us to the #HushMoney payment
The #TrumpCampaign has removed 2 posts from its campaign website that Justice Merchan determined were violations of a gag order preventing #Trump from attacking potential #witnesses. Both posts involved #MichaelCohen.
It appears that the 7 social media posts that were also found to be violations of the #GagOrder have been deleted as well. Justice #Merchan ordered the posts' removal by this afternoon.
Alright, who’s ready to see #Trump get his just deserts? He fucked up the whole damn world & that’s not an overstatement.
PS #BabySquirrel & I had a lovely weekend. It’s as boy! (He’s developed discernible - stuff)
He is doing quite well! Name: “Ramone” because he’s a sweet little punk rocker.
Lawyers indicated that their opening statements will take a little more than an hour combined. Justice Juan #Merchan also noted that one #juror reached out before court resumed to express nervousness about the media attention surrounding the case, but the judge added that the juror is still here.
BLANCHE: …I would ask that the People provide us w/the names of their first 3 witnesses so that we can prepare...
STEINGLASS: Look, I got to be honest: That's a courtesy that we normally extend. [but] Mr. #Trump has been tweeting about the witnesses. We're not telling who the witnesses are.
The NY judge presiding over one (bc there’s >1) of Trump’s #criminal trials imposed a gag order on Tues that prohibits him from attacking #witnesses, #prosecutors & #jurors, the latest effort to rein in Trump’s wrathful rhetoric.
…in seeking the #GagOrder last month, #AlvinBragg’s prosecutors highlighted #Trump’s “longstanding history of attacking witnesses, investigators, prosecutors, judges, & others involved in #legal proceedings against him” — comments that the judge seized on in his ruling.
“His statements were threatening, inflammatory, denigrating,” Justice #Merchan wrote in the Tues order.
#Trump, for example, has taken aim at #MichaelCohen, his onetime fixer & one of #AlvinBragg’s main witnesses, calling him a “liar” & a “rat.” And in a rambling & angry post on his social media site on Tues, Trump made an ominous reference to Cohen, claiming w/o explanation that his former fixer was “death.” He also referred to one of Bragg’s prosecutors in pejorative [#racist] terms.
#Manhattan prosecutors on Mon asked the judge overseeing the #criminal case against #Trump to prohibit him from attacking witnesses or exposing jurors’ identities.
@heatherlynn8571
Me too! @scentedmeat
Thinks @jensorensen is 💯💯💯 That's 300% liking!
I like her so much I just subscribed to her Patreon!
You can too! https://www.patreon.com/jensorensen/posts
This line is spot on.
"I believe in playing by the rules. Except when someone tries to apply them to Trump. Then they aren't rules anymore, but Partisanship."
Trump has violated more than rules, he's violated LAWS. It's NOT partisanship to demand consequences for his #WitnessIntimidation. Fines don't stop him. JAIL!
Appeals court suggests it may pare back #Trump’s DC #GagOrder
Panel weighs #1stAmendment protections for Trump’s speech as presidential candidate against danger posed by his verbal attacks on witnesses, prosecutors & the court in 2020 election case
The narrow gag order issued last week bars Trump from making statements targeting prosecutors & court personnel as well as inflammatory statements about likely #witnesses.
Smith points to a social media message #Trump posted on Oct 24 after ABC News reported that Trump's last chief of staff, #MarkMeadows, had testified in exchange for a grant of #immunity.
"Some people would make that deal, but they are weaklings & cowards, & so bad for the future of our Failing Nation," Trump said in the post, a screenshot of which is included in the government's filing. "I don't think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows?"
"The defendant's targeting included insinuating that if the reporting were true, the Chief of Staff had lied & had been coerced, & the defendant sent a clear public message to the Chief of Staff, intended to intimidate him," Smith writes.
Judge Arthur #Engoron warned Donald #Trump …at his #NewYork#civil#fraud trial to keep his voice down Wed after TFG threw up his hands in frustration & spoke loudly to his lawyers while real estate appraiser #DougLarson witness was testifying against him.
Judge #Chutkan just said she will share the “basic contours” of her decision now & then issue a written order.
Chutkan is granting in part & denying in part the government’s request for a #GagOrder. Details are coming now. The judge said she will craft “a narrowly tailored” gag order on #Trump.
Judge #Chutkan’s limited #GagOrder really sought to thread the needle on balancing Trump’s #rights to #political#speech as a candidate & her own #duties to #protect the #integrity of the case in front of her. But it is likely that if she tried to hold #Trump accountable for any particular offending statements that his lawyers will fight the effort vigorously.
There are 2 ways #Trump could bring a #FirstAmendment challenge to Judge #Chutkan’s #GagOrder. He could #appeal it now, saying it is an unconstitutional prior restraint on his free speech rights in the abstract. Or, if he later says something that she decides crossed the line & she imposes a sanction, like fining him, he could appeal that punishment in the context of whatever he specifically said.
“I cannot imagine any other #criminal case in which a defendant is permitted to call the prosecutor ‘deranged’ or ‘a thug,’ & I will not permit it here simply because the defendant is running a political campaign.
“His presidential candidacy does not give him carte blanche to vilify & implicitly encourage #violence against #PublicServants who are simply doing their job.
“Now, let me be clear: Mr. #Trump may still vigorously seek public support as a presidential candidate, debate policies & people related to that candidacy, criticize the current administration, & assert his belief that this prosecution is politically motivated.
“But those critical #FirstAmendment freedoms do not allow him to launch a pretrial #SmearCampaign against participating government staff, their families, & foreseeable #witnesses.
“No other #criminal defendant would be allowed to do so, & I am not going to allow it in this case.
“For the reasons discussed during this hearing, therefore, I find that these measures are consistent w/the rights secured by the 1st, 5th, & 6th Amendments, & that they are both necessary & narrowly tailored to #safeguard the integrity of these proceedings as well as to protect the #safety of the people assisting w/them.
“If any party or #counsel violates these restrictions or the other #laws or obligations by which they are bound, I will, either upon receipt of a motion or sua sponte, consider #sanctions as may be necessary. Thank you.
“We're adjourned.”