Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday descended into a raging tirade, accusing Judge Juan Merchan of rigging the 2024 election, following Merchan’s ruling that Trump violated a gag order imposed due to his courtroom behavior.
Trump’s latest diatribe centers not on his perceived injustices but rather on the fallout from his own actions, as he faces the repercussions of flouting a court-ordered gag order.
Trump took to Truth Social, alleging the judge’s actions infringe upon his freedom of speech. Yet, the judge’s ruling stemmed from Trump’s repeated breaches of the gag order, which prohibited him from discussing witnesses and court officials’ family members.
“This Judge has taken away my Constitutional Right to FREE SPEECH. I am the only Presidential Candidate in History to be GAGGED,” Trump wrote.
“This whole ‘Trial’ is RIGGED, and by taking away my FREEDOM OF SPEECH, THIS HIGHLY CONFLICTED JUDGE IS RIGGING THE PRESIDENTIAL OF 2024 ELECTION. ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!” Trump ranted.
Yet, his cries of censorship ring hollow against the backdrop of Judge Merchan’s ruling, which deemed Trump’s social media musings as flagrant violations of a court-mandated decorum.
Merchan’s decision resulted in fines totaling $9,000 for Trump’s transgressions. Despite Trump’s removal of the offending posts, Merchan warned of potential incarceration if violations persist.
Earlier in the day, Trump called on Merchan to recuse himself from the case, citing again that he’s “conflicted.”
“This is a hoax. This is a judge who is conflicted – badly, badly, badly conflicted,” Trump said outside the courtroom before the trial began its ninth day. “I’ve never seen a judge so conflicted and giving us virtually no rulings.”
“I’m going to sit in the freezing cold icebox for eight hours, nine hours or so. They took me off the campaign trail. But the good news is my poll numbers are the highest it’s ever been. So, at least we’re getting the word out. And everybody knows this trial is a scam. It’s a scam. The judge should be recused; that he should recuse himself today, he should recuse himself today. And maybe he will,” he told reporters.
Trump is on trial for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He has pleaded not guilty and slammed the case as a “witch hunt” and “scam.”
However, as the trial marches forward, it becomes clear that Trump’s grievances are self-inflicted wounds, the byproduct of a defiant refusal to abide by the rules of legal decorum.
