Former President Donald Trump is continuing to push back against the court-imposed gag order that stops him from discussing certain people involved in his New York hush-money case.
On Monday, after leaving the courtroom for the day, Trump told reporters gathered outside that he would be willing to risk jail time over what he deems to be an unconstitutional order.
“This judge has given me a gag order and said you’ll go to jail if you violate it,” Trump told reporters. “And frankly, you know what, our Constitution is much more important than jail. It’s not even close. I’ll do that sacrifice any day.”
Judge Juan Merchan, who has threatened to put Trump in jail if he continues to violate the order, fined the former president $1,000 on Monday for attacking jurors assigned to the court case.
Merchan told Trump that the “last thing I want to do is put you in jail,” but “at the end of the day, I have a job to do.”
While the judge says Trump’s “continued violations constitute a direct attack on the rule of law,” the former president says that higher courts need to get involved.
“But what’s happening here is a disgrace, and the appellate courts ought to get involved,” Trump said.
Under the court-imposed gag order, Trump is barred from insulting witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff, and the judge’s family. Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg are considered fair game.
Trump is appealing the order with the New York Appellate Court, arguing that his First Amendment rights to respond to political attacks are being restricted.