Jimmy Kimmel weighs in on Trump’s constant gag order violations: ‘Like trying to get a dog to stop licking itself’
Jimmy Kimmy has weighed in on Donald Trump’s constant gag order violations in his hush money trial, likening it to “trying to get a dog to stop licking itself”.
Mr Trump was handed yet another $1,000 fine after being found in contempt of court over his latest comments, but New York Justice Juan Merchan said he would consider putting the former president in jail if he continues to violate a gag order put in place that is intended to protect witnesses, jurors, court staff and their families.
This most recent blow comes off the back of Mr Trump having to pay a $9,000 fine last week for nine other violations of the protective order.
The late-night host said on his show on Monday night that he believes that Mr Trump will very likely end up in jail over gag order violations “because he can’t stop talking about the case”.
“This is Trump’s 10th violation, and we’re only on Day 12 of the trial,” Kimmel explained on his Monday night show. “He’s already paid $9,000 in fines for the first nine, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is a lot for Eric, who now won’t be getting his allowance this week.”
“It’s like trying to get a dog to stop licking itself,” Kimmel said.
While the judge has put jail on the table, he said that that would remain “truly a last resort.”
“The magnitude of such a decision is not lost on me,” the judge said to Trump. “But at the end of the day, I have a job to do, and part of that job is to protect the dignity of the justice system,” he said. “Your continued violations … threaten to interfere with the administration of justice and constitute a direct attack on the rule of law.”
Donald Trump sits in Manhattan criminal court on Monday for his ongoing hush money trial (AP)
While sending Trump to jail is something the judge will only enforce as a last resource, Kimmel has other aspirations.
“Sending the former president on a trip to Bar-A-Lago is ‘the last thing [the judge wants] to do,’ which is funny because it’s the first thing I would want to do. It’s like No. 1 on my list,” the late show host said.
“And how would that even work? I mean, would they give him a cavity search? God help whoever gets that gig,” he joked.
The Manhattan prosecutors also accused Trump of four other violations, including statements he made during an interview with Real America’s Voice, where he claimed that the jury was “picked so fast – 95 per cent Democrats”.
This recent gag order violation has brought Mr Trump’s total trial gag order fines to $25,000 after he was also given $15,000 in penalties from Justice Arthur Engoron for statements he made about court staff in his civil fraud trial last year.
The Independent has contacted a representative for Trump for comment.
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