Donald Trump calls judge ‘crooked’ after facing warning of jail time if he violates gag order
- Though barred from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his hush money case, Trump is free to criticise Judge Merchan
- The ex-US president is being closely watched as he campaigns after being fined and held in contempt of court for his social media posts
Donald Trump returned briefly to the campaign trail Wednesday and called the judge presiding over his hush money trial “crooked” a day after he was held in contempt of court and threatened with jail time for violating a gag order.
Trump’s remarks at events in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan were being closely watched after he received a US$9,000 fine for making public statements about people connected to the criminal case.
In imposing the fine for posts on Trump’s Truth Social account and campaign website, Judge Juan M. Merchan said that if Trump continued to violate his orders, he would “impose an incarceratory punishment”.
“There is no crime. I have a crooked judge, is a totally conflicted judge,” Trump said speaking to supporters at an event in Waukesha, Wisconsin, claiming again that this and other cases against him are led by the White House to undermine his campaign.
The gag order bars him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his hush money case. Trump is still free to criticise Merchan.
