How Long Until Donald Trump Violates His Reinstated Gag Order?

INSIDE: Mike Pence ... Mike Johnson ... Matthew Perry
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JUNE 27: Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women's Lilac Luncheon on June 27, 2023 in Concord, New... CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JUNE 27: Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women's Lilac Luncheon on June 27, 2023 in Concord, New Hampshire. Republican presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is also holding a campaign event in New Hampshire today. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Chutkan Reimposes Gag Order On Trump

Maybe we should do an office pool?

After U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan reinstated her gag rule in the Jan. 6 case against former President Donald Trump in an order issued Sunday night, it seems like only a matter of time before he violates it.

Chutkan, showing a great deal of restraint and careful consideration (perhaps too much), had paused her gag order while she considered Trump’s argument that she should keep it on pause while he appealed it. While the gag order was stayed, Trump continued to make the kinds of public attacks on witnesses that had given rise to the gag order in the first place, a point Special Counsel Jack Smith had seized on.

In her Sunday night order denying Trump’s request for a ongoing stay of the gag order, Chutkan highlighted a Trump post on Truth Social last week attacking Mark Meadows. “This statement would almost certainly violate the Order under any reasonable definition of ‘targeting,'” Chutkan wrote.

In some respects, the gag orders and the public debate over Trump’s out-of-court conduct are secondary to the prosecutions themselves –- but they’re of particular interest for three reasons:

  1. Is the rule of law strong enough for Trump to be treated the same as any other criminal defendant?
  2. Will Trump succeed in creating an environment in which witnesses, judges, prosecutors, and others are too intimidated and fearful to fulfill their responsibilities to the rule of law?
  3. Will Trump end up in jail or under other harsh sanction because he refuses to abide by the terms of his pre-trial release?

In another sign that any Trump violation won’t lead to his pre-trial release being revoked immediately, Chutkan write in a footnote that she would give the parties a chance to be heard before sanctioning any purported future violations: “Before concluding that any statement violated the Order, the court would afford the parties an opportunity to provide their positions on the statement’s meaning and permissibility.”

2 Disqualification Clause Cases Come To A Head

Fani Willis Is Targeting The Big Fish Duh

This is not a surprise at all, but The Guardian confirms that some of the bigger fish in the Georgia RICO case have not (yet) received offers of plea deals, including Donald Trump, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman.

As for the small fish, a great Liz Dye treatment of Jenna Ellis’ guilty plea.

Don’t Sleep On The MAL Case!

Big Week In Trump’s NY Fraud Trial

NYT: Trump’s Children Are Set to Take the Stand at His Fraud Trial This Week

Hmmm …

Arizona Republic: Indicted Michigan lawyer pushed false claims of fraud for Arizona ‘audit’ report, texts reveal

2024 Ephemera

  • Mike Pence ends his presidential campaign:
  • WSJ: The race is on for second place in Iowa
  • WaPo: Youngkin ‘purge’ removed nearly 3,400 legal Virginia voters from rolls
  • NYT: How Trump’s Verbal Slips Could Weaken His Attacks on Biden’s Age
  • On bifurcating aid to Ukraine and Israel:

Israel-Gaza Watch

  • WSJ: Israeli Forces Make Major Advance Toward Gaza City
  • NYT: Netanyahu Finds Himself at War in Gaza and at Home
  • AP: Crowd storms Russian airport to protest flight from Israel
  • On the U.S. domestic political front, the big issue is House Republicans wanting to separate Ukraine aid and Israel aid.
  • CNN: New Speaker Mike Johnson vows to move standalone $14.5 billion Israel aid package in the House, setting up showdown with Senate
  • Politico: McConnell goes all out as Ukraine fight fractures GOP
  • An English translation of French diplomat Dominique De Villepin’s assessment of the Israel-Hamas War (warning: it’s a long-ish read):
  • Another thoughtful thread from Danny Seidemann, who graciously toured me and a group of journalists through East Jerusalem a decade ago:

A Puzzle For Our Time

Brian Beutler:

 I find myself increasingly puzzled over how to weaken this widespread liberal assumption that risk aversion and following the public lead is always wise, even at the expense of the better world they want to build. Even when the underlying issues are salient, failure of the status quo seems likely, and the consequences of failure would be severe. 

Matthew Perry, 1969-2023

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – OCTOBER 14: Actor Matthew Perry arrives at the 9th Annual Dinner Benefiting the Lili Claire Foundation at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 14, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

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