The New York Times’ Mara Gay on Wednesday characterized former President Donald Trump as a “caged animal” while expressing her fear that he will conduct harmful attacks because of a gag order in his ongoing trial.
Trump is on trial for 34 felony counts pertaining to a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in exchange for silence regarding an alleged affair during the former president’s 2016 campaign. Gay, who is also an MSNBC analyst, on “Morning Joe” said Trump’s circumstances are causing him to feel vulnerable and could cause him to react dangerously. (RELATED: ‘Morning Joe’ Panelists Dismayed By Trump’s ‘Terrifyingly Competent’ Campaign)
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“Well, that’s certainly a concern,” Gay said in response to a question about the potential danger. “And you saw yesterday that the judge recognized that concern in admonishing him and saying, ‘I’m not going to have you know, mumblings in my courtroom that could intimidate potential jurors.’ So you know, obviously, that is a concern that’s shared by many … I think that his PR capabilities are going to be somewhat limited in New York City … That’s absolutely true. It’s an ongoing concern, because essentially, he’s like a caged animal. And that’s a dangerous situation. He’s feeling very threatened. He’s out of control. And so we do expect him to lash out. Anybody who has covered him over the past decade can expect that.”
Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing Trump’s trial, imposed a gag order on the former president that he expanded on April 1. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in a Monday court filing urged the judge to warn Trump he could face up to 30 days in jail if he breaches the gag order in the future.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 15: Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears ahead of the start of jury selection at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jeenah Moon-Pool/Getty Images)
The gag order on Trump prohibits him from discussing witnesses, prosecutors other than the district attorney, court staff, their families and prospective jurors.
Merchan on Tuesday admonished Trump to remain silent during jury selection, according to CBS News.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 15: Former U.S. President Donald Trump departs after the first day of jury selection at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jeenah Moon-Pool/Getty Images)
A Tuesday AP/NORC poll found that over 30% of Americans feel Trump’s alleged actions were “unethical, but not illegal,” while 14% assert he did “nothing wrong” and 19% say they “don’t know enough to say.”
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