"The isolated report of one Israeli heckler has been broadcast around the world as an instance of “anti-Semitism” after a performance by Northern Irish alternative comedian Paul Currie.
As a consequence, Currie has been banned from his entire Australian tour, with a whole run of shows cancelled at multiple upcoming comedy festivals.
#GagOrder Against #Trump Is Expanded to Stop Attacks on Judge’s Family
Donald Trump had in recent days targeted the daughter of Juan #Merchan, the judge overseeing his #criminal trial in Manhattan, in blistering social media posts.
In the expanded order, Justice #Merchan recognized #Trump's "constitutional right to speak to the American voters freely, & to defend himself publicly," & clarified that the initial #GagOrder did not include members of his or #AlvinBragg's family, but wrote Trump’s attacks on family members serve no purpose but to inject fear.
#Merchan points out that courts are typically concerned about #1A defendants’ rights, but that the “conventional 'David vs. Goliath' roles" are inverted here, & #Trump's statements pose a very real #threat to the judicial proceedings’ integrity.
#Merchan cont: “Put mildly, the assortment of allegations presented as ‘facts’ & cobbled together, result in accusations that are disingenuous & not rational. To argue that the most recent attacks, which included photographs, were ‘necessary & appropriate in the current environment,’ is farcical.”
“The People argue in their submission that Defendant's attacks, which include referring to a prosecution #witness last week as ‘death’, are based on ‘transparent falsehoods.’ …The People provide a plethora of compelling arguments in support of their claim that Defendant's conduct is deliberate & intended to #intimidate this Court & impede the orderly administration of this trial.”
DA #AlvinBragg prosecutors write, “There is simply nothing new here that would alter this Court's prior conclusion that nothing about this proceeding will directly benefit Authentic* or this Court's family member, let alone this Court.” (*#Merchan’s daughter’s co)
"There is no #constitutional right to target the family of this Court, let alone on the blatant falsehoods that have served as the flimsiest pretexts [...] Defendant knows what he is doing, & everyone else does too."
"Defendant's claim of a constitutional right to levy personal attacks on family members is as disturbing as it is wrong."
#Trump attys argued that it was okay to attack Justice #Merchan's daughter bc she's allegedly engaged in "adversarial campaign speech" by his political opponents.
A footnote to the accusation references this AP story, in which Judge #Merchan refused to talk about the specifics of the case, only that preparing for it has been "intense" & that his court wants to "follow the law" & "justice to be done."
#Trump Can't Stop Attacking Judge's Daughter
[who does that?]
Trump took to his social media platform Thurs to criticize NY Judge Juan #Merchan & his daughter AGAIN even after a #GagOrder was issued.
Merchan is presiding over Trump's Manhattan case involving alleged #HushMoney payments to adult film star actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign [to hide the info from the electorate]. …The case is set to go to trial April 15, 2024.
Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg told Newsweek on Thurs, "It is as if #Trump is daring the Judge to sanction him so Trump can achieve greater martyrdom w/ his rabid supporters. Another possibility is that Trump wants a war w/ Judge #Merchan, which could lead to more attempts at recusal/disqualification & therefore more delays. It won't work."
"My own opinion is that Hur took those political shots at Biden in order to cover for the fact that he had decided not to bring any charges. That decision likely would have made him a target for anger and even threats by MAGA had he just done his job and kept it professional."
Noting that Republican senator James Lankford has stated that he was threatened by a right-wing media personality if Lankford tried to move a border bill before the election, Heather Cox Richardson says,
"It is not a normal part of our political system to have members of Congress deciding what laws to support on the basis of threats."
"Trump’s actions are not those designed to win an election by getting a majority of the votes. They are the tools someone who cannot win a majority uses to seize power.
Trump’s base is shrinking as his actions become more extreme, but he has a big megaphone, and it is getting bigger."
Nikki Haley targeted in '#swatting' incident at her home
Authorities responded to the South Carolina home of Republican presidential candidate #NikkiHaley last month after a man claimed to have shot a woman & threatened to harm himself at her home, acc/to town records obtained by Reuters.
The previously unreported “swatting” incident is among a wave of #violent#threats, #bomb scares & other acts of #intimidation against #government officials, members of the #judiciary & #election administrators since the 2020 election that have alarmed #law enforcement ahead of this year’s U.S. presidential contest.
#Swatting cases have surged over the past two months, targeting mainly those who have opposed #Trump….
The targets include figures who have publicly opposed #Trump, such as ME SoS Shenna Bellows,…who barred him from…the primary ballot. Judges & ≥1 prosecutor handling cases against Trump have been targeted.
…Swatting is filing false reports to the police to set off a potentially dangerous response by officers. #Law enforcement see it as a form of #intimidation or #harassment that’s increasingly being used to target prominent figures,incl’g ofcls involved in #civil & #criminal cases against Trump.
The #DOJ concluded that fmr Gov #AndrewCuomo of #NewYork & his executive staff subjected female #employees to a “sexually hostile work environment,” & then retaliated against several who complained, acc/to a #settlement announced on Fri.
The findings appear to largely substantiate the investigation of the #NYAG, #LetitiaJames, who concluded that Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 women, amid a culture of #fear & #intimidation.
The #Jan6#insurrection …seemed to mark a new peak in #extremist intimidation targeting public ofcls. But it was hardly the only act of #PoliticalViolence to break the period of relative stability that followed the assassinations of the 1960s.
"Compared to 'crazy,' it doesn’t take much to demonstrate competence and normalcy. And Trump is about to show the world what crazy really means as he is challenged by a strong woman who is not afraid to mock his insecurity and weaknesses."
"The contrast between the politics of Trump and Biden is not new news! But the contrast in this instance is striking and highlights yet again that what Trump offers to so many of his supporters is the thrill of threatened violence, the frisson of wiping away one’s opponents, the chance for vicarious transgressiveness. It’s a dangerous cocktail of swagger and situational violence."