Trump Plays Chicken With Judge as Hush-Money Trial Continues

The thirteenth day of Donald Trump’s hush money trial gets underway Tuesday after the judge gave the former president a clear ultimatum: stop violating the court’s gag order or risk being thrown in jail.

The final warning Monday came as Judge Juan Merchan found Trump in criminal contempt for the tenth time over breaches of an order meant to prevent the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee from intimidating jurors, potential witnesses, and others associated with the proceedings in Manhattan. After hitting Trump with yet another $1,000 penalty, Merchan said it “appears that the $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent.”

“The last thing I want to do is put you in jail,” Merchan told Trump. “You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well.” The judge added that while the “magnitude” of possibly jailing Trump isn’t lost on him, he ultimately has “a job to do.”

Read more at The Daily Beast.