Recently, President Trump has been hit with another gag order in his ongoing legal trials. This is not the first time he has faced such restrictions, as he has received two prior gag orders as well. In October, Judge Arthur Engoron issued a gag order against the former president after he directed far-right venom towards Engoron’s chief law clerk. Trump was fined $15,000 for violating this order. Another gag order was imposed on Trump by Judge Tanya Chutkan in his election interference trial.
The consequences of Trump’s disregard for the gag order could vary, according to MSNBC analyst Caroline Polisi. She stated that punishment could range from a “tongue lashing” to monetary sanctions to even the possibility of jail time. Polisi noted that the judge overseeing the trial is in a difficult position and that no judge wants to be the one to send a former president to jail for criminal contempt. While she personally doesn’t foresee this happening, the judge may feel their hands are tied and have to consider escalating sanctions, such as monetary penalties.
