As he continues to try and push the limits of what he can say on social media regarding the numerous criminal charges that have been filed against him in federal court, failed former president Donald Trump may soon find that his defiance of one particular federal judge has major consequences, including a fast-tracking of the case that will significantly increase the ex-president’s already precarious legal situation.
According to Dennis Aftergut of The Bulwark, Trump appears to have already reached the breaking point for U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan.
Late Friday, Special Counsel Smith quoted Trump’s Truth Social post in a new legal motion for a protective order. Smith asked Judge Tanya Chutkan, the no-nonsense jurist assigned to Trump’s 2020 election/January 6th-related case, to limit his ability to share the discovery material that Smith will soon give to Trump’s lawyers.
Smith wrote: “If the defendant were to begin issuing public posts using details . . . obtained in discovery here, it could have a harmful chilling effect on witnesses or adversely affect the fair administration of justice in this case.”
Despite that filing by Smith and the fact that Trump’s attorneys have until 5 p.m. today to respond as to why Judge Chutkan shouldn’t impose a protective order against future Trump posts, the disgraced former president seemed to threaten his former vice president, Mike Pence, even after he’d been admonished by the judge. Trump posted this on Truth Social:
WOW, it’s finally happened! Liddle’ Mike Pence, a man who was about to be ousted as Governor Indiana until I came along and made him V.P., has gone to the Dark Side. I never told a newly emboldened (not based on his 2% poll numbers!) Pence to put me above the Constitution, or that Mike was “too honest.” He’s delusional, and now he wants to show he’s a tough guy. I once read a major magazine article on Mike. It said he was not a very good person. I was surprised, but the article was right. Sad!
Pence is a likely witness against Trump in the Jan. 6 trial that Chutkan will preside over, so the posting could well be considered witness intimidation, and that is likely to have serious consequences, Aftergut notes.
Judge Chutkan has broad discretion over Trump’s D.C. trial date. Anger her and you add incentive to set a trial as early as is consistent with the time Trump’s lawyers need to adequately prepare.
If a trial occurs in the spring of 2024, the prospects for a pre-election conviction are strong. A Thursday Reuters-Ipsos poll told us that if a conviction occurs, 45 percent of Republicans would not vote for him, compared to 35 percent who would.
Tough getting back into the Oval Office with those numbers.
Will Trump dial back his rhetoric? Based on his past actions, that seems unlikely, which means he’s about to be slapped silly by a judge who doesn’t take any shit.
As usual, Donald Trump is his own worst enemy, and he’s too damn arrogant, obstinate, and childish to shut his big mouth.
