Donald Trump has faced numerous gag orders in his legal trials, so it should come as no surprise to him that he has been hit with yet another one. In a prior trial, Judge Arthur Engoron silenced Trump for targeting a law clerk with far-right hatred and was later fined $15,000 for violating the order. Judge Tanya Chutkan also imposed a gag order on Trump in his election interference trial.
Despite the previous gag orders, Trump’s disregard for them could result in varying levels of punishment. MSNBC analyst Caroline Polisi mentioned that the consequences could range from a simple “tongue lashing” to monetary sanctions, or even the possibility of Trump being put in jail. During live coverage of the trial, Polisi expressed that the judge is in a difficult position and that no judge wants to be the one to jail a former President for criminal contempt. However, she acknowledged that the judge’s hands may be tied, as previous judges have issued increasing sanctions for similar behavior.
With Trump’s history of disregarding gag orders, the consequences for his actions during the trial remain to be seen. While jail time seems unlikely, the judge may issue more severe penalties in response to Trump’s repeated violations. The escalating nature of these sanctions shows that the court is taking Trump’s behavior seriously and will not tolerate further defiance of its orders.