Former prosecutor Elie Honig is dismissing Donald Trump’s assertion that he can’t testify due to a gag order, calling it a bogus excuse. Contrary to Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, who cited the gag order as a reason not to testify on Monday, Honig clarified that the order applies universally to Trump, whether on social media or in court.
I’m mystified by the attorneys blaming the gag order, Honig shared with Jim Acosta on Sunday. It applies no matter where Donald Trump is… it’s a very narrow gag order, and it doesn’t matter whether he’s on the stand or not. To me, that is a bogus excuse that I’m not buying at all.
Acosta speculated whether Trump would opt for a courtroom appearance on Monday, possibly avoiding the oath while expressing himself outside. Honig emphasized that a third violation of the gag order would be completely out of bounds and discussed the need for the judge to enforce discipline.
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The penalties thus far have been minimal. He was fined $5,000 the first time, and $10,000 the second time. For Donald Trump, he could care less about that. If he continues to do this, the judge is going to have to decide how to actually enforce some discipline, Honig explained. So, there’s a little bit of a staring match going on here. We’ll see if Trump has the gall to do it again. If he does, the judge really has to stand up for his staff in a firm way.
