“He is CROOKED & HIGHLY CONFLICTED” Donald Trump Challenges Gag Order as Stormy Daniels Testifies in Hush Money Trial

Donald Trump continues to challenge the limits of his gag order, urging Republicans to rally against testimonies presented by the “sleazebags, lowlifes, and grifters” he once associated with. The former president’s call to action follows testimony by adult film star Stormy Daniels, who described in vivid detail their alleged sexual encounter in 2006. Her testimony is central to the hush money case currently under scrutiny in Trump’s New York criminal trial.

A day after Daniels testified, Trump publicly criticized witnesses involved in the case and called on his GOP allies to defend him against the allegations. This bold move could potentially violate the gag order that prohibits him from commenting on trial participants. Judge Juan Merchan imposed the order to prevent Trump from influencing the proceedings and barred him from discussing participants, including witnesses and prosecutors.

On Tuesday morning, Trump appeared to edge closer to the line, making a post that alluded to an upcoming witness, who turned out to be Daniels. However, the post was quickly deleted within minutes. This incident raises concerns about Trump’s willingness to adhere to the restrictions of the gag order, especially considering his past defiance.

“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “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.”

Judge Merchan had previously found Trump in contempt of court for violating the gag order and fined him $10,000. On Monday, he warned the former president that any further violations would likely result in jail time. Trump’s allies could unwittingly contribute to such consequences if they heed his call to attack witnesses like Daniels. The gag order explicitly prohibits Trump from “directing others to make public statements about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses concerning their potential participation in the investigation or in this criminal proceeding.”

Stormy Daniels’ testimony on Monday centered on her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, during a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. She told jurors how Trump later arranged to pay her hush money through his then-attorney Michael Cohen to keep her from going public about the affair during the 2016 presidential campaign. Cohen, who has already testified in the trial, claimed that Trump directed him to pay Daniels $130,000 and then reimbursed him through the Trump Organization.

“I have just recently been told who the witness is today,” Trump previously posted on Truth Social shortly before Daniels was confirmed as a witness. “This is unprecedented, no time for lawyers to prepare. No Judge has ever run a trial in such a biased and partisan way. He is CROOKED & HIGHLY CONFLICTED, even taking away my First Amendment Rights. Now he’s threatening me with JAIL, & THEY HAVE NO CASE – This is according to virtually all Legal Scholars & Experts! Why isn’t the Fake News Media reporting his Conflict?”

Trump denies having an affair with Daniels and insists the payment was intended to prevent a false story from tarnishing his campaign. However, prosecutors allege that the hush money scheme involved falsifying business records to hide the payment’s true nature. They argue that this act constitutes a felony under New York law because it was done in furtherance of another crime: violating campaign finance laws.

Despite Trump’s insistence on his innocence, the trial continues to unfold with testimony from key witnesses like Daniels and Cohen. Judge Merchan’s gag order aims to maintain the integrity of the proceedings, but Trump’s continued defiance threatens to undermine that objective. His attempts to rally Republican allies could land him behind bars if it is proven that he or his associates attempted to intimidate witnesses or sway public opinion.

The coming weeks will be crucial for Trump’s legal defense and could determine whether he manages to avoid further penalties or faces jail time for his ongoing comments and efforts to sway the trial’s narrative. Judge Merchan has made it clear that further violations of the gag order will not be tolerated, putting Trump on notice that the consequences could be severe.