Donald Trump says itd be a great honor to end up in jail for repeatedly violating a gag order. He doesnt appear to mean a word of it.
Soon after, the suspected felon said he would not be deterred by the prospect of jail time. In fact, as my MSNBC colleague Clarissa-Jan Lim explained, Trump suggested he was prepared to sacrifice himself on the alter of the First Amendment.
This judge has given me a gag order and said youre going to jail if you violate it. And frankly, you know what? Our Constitution is much more important than jail, he told reporters outside the courtroom later that day. Its not even close. Ill do that sacrifice any day.
He did not appear to be kidding.
To be sure, the posturing wasnt altogether new. It was just last month, for example, when Trump used his social media platform to declare that it would be a great honor to be jailed for violating a gag order. As part of the same boast, the former president compared himself in apparent seriousness to Nelson Mandela.
There are, however, two important things to keep in mind.
First, court-imposed gag orders are not unconstitutional. Trump is an accused criminal out on bond. As Judge Tanya Chutkan recently explained to one of the former presidents lawyers, the defendant is currently under the supervision of the criminal justice system, and he must comply with the conditions of release. He does not have the right to say and do exactly as he pleases.
Trump would have the public believe that his free speech rights have been curtailed, which has inspired him to champion the Constitution. Thats ridiculous.
Second, I cant help but notice that the presumptive GOP nominee hasnt exactly been eager to back up his chest-thumping with any actual, concrete steps.....
So, on the one hand, the public sees the former president presenting himself as a martyr, boasting about his eagerness to make a great sacrifice, and assuring Americans that itd be a great honor to end up behind bars.
And on the other hand, the public also sees Trump sheepishly backing down, apparently terrified by the prospect of jail time.