CNN analyst warns of ‘civil unrest across the country’ if Trump jailed for gag order violation

CNN analyst Mark Preston said that if former President Trump is jailed for violating the gag order in his hush-money trial, it would cause “social unrest across the country” and help him in the polls.

Preston, along with CNN’s Jim Acosta and others, said that Judge Juan Melchán found the former president “willfully defying a gag order that was expanded to prohibit him from publicly attacking Trump.” They discussed the possibility of keeping him in custody for several hours. Witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, jurors, and judges’ families.

“I think if that happens, first of all, you’ll probably see civil unrest in some cities, certainly across the country. That’s one thing,” he said, Highlighted by Mediaite. “And two, politically, if I’m in the Biden camp, I don’t necessarily want to see him in prison, because that just stirs people up even more and excites them even more.”

Preston and other panelists pointed to the politicization of the case, particularly how Trump is capitalizing on the ongoing legal battle. President Trump’s mug shot has become a symbol of resistance since he surrendered to the Fulton County Jail in Georgia for election interference charges.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office on Monday sought to fine President Trump for inflammatory social media posts related to the criminal gag case, which made history as the first criminal trial of a former president. Assistant District Attorney Chris Conroy asked that Trump be fined $1,000 for each social media post and reminded that he could be jailed for violating the gag order.

Machan has chosen to hold a hearing on April 23, when he will hear arguments requested by prosecutors.

Arriving at the courthouse on Friday, Trump slammed the gag order, saying it “must be lifted.”

“People are allowed to talk about me and I have a gag order, just to show you how unfair it is,” he said.

Trump has spoken to reporters in court every day since Monday’s trial began, but a gag order has stripped him of his constitutional right to speak, telling reporters he has “a lot to say.” Ta.

As of Thursday, 12 jurors and one alternate had been selected after about 100 people were dismissed for lack of impartiality in a lawsuit over the Republican presidential nomination.