Maggie Haberman at Trump Hush Money Trial. AP Photo.
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New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman gave gripping updates on the “extraordinary moment” Judge Juan Merchan threatened former President Donald Trump with jail time — and pointedly noted that Trump was much less defiant. As reported by various news media.
Court began Monday in the Stormy Daniels hush money-election interference trial with fireworks, as Merchan issued his ruling, telling Trump “I find you in criminal contempt for the 10th time,” and adding “Going forward this court will have to consider a jail sanction.”
Haberman and her Times colleagues reported from inside the courtroom with live updates, as they have since the trial began in earnest, and were all over that dramatic moment.
But Haberman, who has consistently called it BS on the idea that Trump wants to be jailed in order to benefit from sympathy, observed that Trump wasn’t as defiant as he has been in the past over such threats. Below is her transcript.
Tony
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Maggie Haberman
May 6, 2024, 9:30 a.m. ET
Justice Merchan is speaking directly to Trump, in an extraordinary moment. He tells him he’s finding him in contempt of the gag order a 10th time, but that the $1,000 per instance fines aren’t working and that he has to consider jail. “The last thing” he wants to do is put Trump in jail, the judge says, adding, “You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well.”
Maggie Haberman
May 6, 2024, 9:32 a.m. ET
Justice Merchan tells Trump his ongoing violation of his gag order is a “direct attack on the rule of law. I cannot allow that to continue.” He says he wants him to understand he will put him in jail if he has to.
May 6, 2024, 9:32 a.m. ET
Justice Merchan says that his job is to “protect the dignity of the justice system,” and calls Trump’s violations of his gag order “a direct attack on the rule of law.” And now he hands down his decision. We’ve already heard that he held Trump in violation a 10th time, in addition to the previous nine violations.
May 6, 2024, 9:33 a.m. ET
Trump had no noticable reaction to Merchan warning him that jail could be in the offing if he continues to flaunt his gag order.
Kate Christobek
May 6, 2024, 9:33 a.m. ET
Trump was hunched over at the defense table staring at Merchan as he issued his warning. When the judge concluded, Trump shook his head.
Jonathan Swan
May 6, 2024, 9:38 a.m. ET
It’s worth underscoring what a stunning moment this was. I have never seen anybody warn Trump, to his face, about the prospect of incarceration. He’s now sitting quietly, frowning, still seemingly absorbing that message from the judge.
Maggie Haberman
May 6, 2024, 9:43 a.m. ET
It’s an extremely subdued reaction compared to when Lewis Kaplan, a federal judge, threatened to jail him in one of his civil trials and Trump shot back, “I would love it.”
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