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In 2024, the message of President Trump’s campaign has come to represent the plight of many Americans who are struggling under the brunt of the Biden administration, summed up by two opposing ideologies: liberty versus tyranny.
On Monday this week, President Trump faced a 12th day in court in Manhattan, where he is sitting through weeks of trial in a so-called “hush money” case that has been promulgated largely by District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
This week, the president was ruled to be in violation of a standing gag order for the 10th time, resulting in a $1,000 fine from Judge Juan Merchan and a warning that future violations will likely result in incarceration.
Trump has often argued that the gag order is “unconstitutional” and has previously scorched Judge Merchan for being “conflicted.”
Following the alleged gag order violation and the threat of jail time, Trump told the press on Monday that he was prepared to get locked up over his First Amendment rights.
He said, “This judge has given me a gag order and said, ‘you’ll go to jail if you violate it.’ 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. But what’s happening here is a disgrace, and the appellate courts ought to get involved.”
On Tuesday, adult film actress Stormy Daniels took the witness stand in the trial, delivering a long, drawn-out story of her background in “adult film” and later recounting her allegations about her supposed affair with Trump, who has denied that such an affair ever took place.
According to The New York Times, Daniels’ testimony was salacious and flashy, providing details on her alleged recollection of the events that led up to the “hush money” that she was paid by Michael Cohen, who was serving as Trump’s lawyer at the time.
A possible Trump arrest by Judge Merchan upon future alleged gag order violations would likely result in massive electoral support for the president’s candidacy in November.
Trump lawyer and spokeswoman Alina Habba explained in April, “I think, like anybody, he’s concerned about going to jail. But if they put him in jail for his First Amendment right, he will be like Nelson Mandela. I mean, that would be just absurd. And frankly, they’ll win him the election.”