Former President Donald Trump was warned on Tuesday in New York City by the judge presiding over his legal case, Acting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, against using social media to incite violence and civil unrest among his supporters.
The judge was concerned that Trump would incite violence after making threatening statements on his social media platform Truth Social recently. Trump posted a photo of himself holding a baseball bat next to a photo of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, warning of death and destruction if he was charged.
Following Trump’s arraignment, his attorneys, Joe Tacopina and Todd Blanche, held an impromptu press conference. Attorney Tacopina defended Trump’s post, claiming that he was displaying an American-made bat and wasn’t swinging it at anyone’s head.
The former president turned himself in to police in New York City on Tuesday after being charged with 34 felonies related to alleged hush money payments he made through his lawyer ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Judge Merchan’s warning fell short of issuing Trump a formal gag order. He turned down several requests from media outlets to broadcast the proceedings. Trump, on the other hand, brought along a videographer to record the proceedings.
Following his indictment, Trump launched an attack on Judge Merchan, claiming that the judge “hates” him.
Trump is facing several criminal charges, including falsifying business records, according to the judge. Judge Merchan did not bar Trump from speaking publicly, but he did state that his social media posts should not incite violence or civil unrest.
Judge Merchan stated during the hearing on Tuesday that the ability of social media to reach millions of people in seconds is well-known, and that it has become clear that words matter. Words, he said, could either inspire or incite.
Trump has a history of using social media to energize his supporters and to attack opponents. Following the deadly January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, he was suspended from Twitter in 2021, and later reinstated by Elon Musk, and his Facebook account was suspended for two years.
