Confrontation in Trump’s criminal case intensifies, judge now threatens with imprisonment

“Mr. Trump, it is important that you understand,” Judge Juan Merchan sighed on Monday, “the last thing I want is to jail you.” After imposing $9,000 in fines on Donald Trump last week and $1,000 again on Monday, the judge is crystal clear: the limit is full. If the former president continues to break his gag order, he will go to jail. “I want you to understand that I will.”

Although the defendant remains politely silent during hearings, Trump uses all stages outside for continuous attacks on witnesses, the judiciary, the judge and – in this case – the jury. It would consist of ’95 percent Democrats’, Trump said in an interview, ‘very unfair’. In doing so, he was in contempt of court, Merchan ruled. For the tenth time.

“You are the previous president, and possibly the next president,” Merchan said. “But I have a job to do.”

Unprecedented escalation

Never before has the confrontation between judge and defendant become so heated. Fines “apparently don’t work as a deterrent,” Merchan said. Temporary imprisonment is then the only alternative. That, even for one night, would represent an unprecedented escalation in this already historic case.

Trump is being prosecuted, as the first former president ever, for buying off porn star Stormy Daniels with campaign money. The trial in New York entered its third week on Monday. After the day of the hearing, Trump far from surrendered. He told journalists on Monday evening that he would rather go to prison than remain silent from now on. “I will always make that sacrifice.”

Trump may be betting that Merchan will still get cold feet, or he may be hoping to use an imprisonment as a campaign opportunity. He already cites his ban on silence incessantly in speeches, as well as in fundraising emails to his supporters.

In any case, New York City would face a logistical challenge: former presidents are permanently accompanied by agents from the Secret Service, the presidential security service. They should go to prison with him.

Witness cries

The temperature in the courtroom is starting to rise. On Friday, another witness burst into tears. Hope Hicks, the 35-year-old former White House spokesperson, was forced by the justice system to testify about her old boss.

With Trump in front of him, Hicks described, under oath, how closely the former president was involved in the operations of his Trump Organization. In this way, the justice department hopes to make it plausible that the payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels could not have been made without his approval, a claim by the defense.

Justice said on Monday that it would need another two weeks to hear witnesses. Stormy Daniels may be called up this week. The most important witness, Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, has also yet to appear. He is the one who allegedly advanced the payment of the hush money for the former president.

Donald Trump himself will probably not speak. The former president previously claimed that he would not be allowed to testify because of the gag order imposed on him. This was also corrected by Judge Juan Merchan: Trump can say anything in the witness box. As long as it concerns the truth.