Ty Cobb, a former lawyer in the Donald Trump administration, foresees an appeals court upholding a limited gag order imposed by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Trump’s ongoing criminal case related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The prosecution centers on Trump’s baseless claims of election rigging against him. In October, Judge Chutkan issued a restrained gag order after Trump publicly criticized Special Counsel Jack Smith as a “thug” and “deranged.” The order drew attention during a recent hearing when one of Trump’s attorneys faced reproach from an appeals judge.
During a segment on Monday’s OutFront on CNN, Cobb expressed confidence in the appeals court maintaining the gag order and reiterated his belief that Trump’s actions could lead to imprisonment.
“I don’t think his initial violations will land him in jail,” Cobb remarked. “But ultimately, his narcissism will lead him to violate it until he discovers the limits of Judge Chutkan’s patience.”
Host Erin Burnett acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating, “It’s hard to even imagine, but actually in jail.”
Cobb responded, “I think that’s exactly right. The judges today seemed frustrated with both sides due to the vagaries of their interpretation of the order and the arguments presented.”
This follows Cobb’s October prediction, where he surprised Burnett during a live hit by stating that Chutkan would eventually send Trump to jail.
“That’ll be an incredible thing,” Burnett exclaimed at the time.
As the legal battle intensifies, the looming question remains whether Trump’s penchant for violating the gag order will indeed lead to incarceration, as suggested by his former White House lawyer. The appeals court’s decision on the gag order will be pivotal in determining the course of Trump’s legal fate.