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Why Trump's rhetoric about his gag order is difficult to believe
Donald Trump says it’d be a “great honor” to end up in jail for repeatedly violating a gag order. He doesn’t appear to mean a word of it.
Link to tweet
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-rhetoric-gag-order-difficult-believe-rcna151219
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.
He did not appear to be kidding.
To be sure, the posturing wasn’t 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 president’s 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. That’s ridiculous.
Second, I can’t help but notice that the presumptive GOP nominee hasn’t 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 it’d 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.
“This judge has given me a gag order and said you’re 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. “It’s not even close. I’ll do that sacrifice any day.”
He did not appear to be kidding.
Link to tweet
To be sure, the posturing wasn’t 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 president’s 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. That’s ridiculous.
Second, I can’t help but notice that the presumptive GOP nominee hasn’t 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 it’d 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.
