‘Will gladly become modern day Mandela,’ says Trump as he violates gag order in hush money trial

Former US president Donald Trump announced Saturday (Apr 6) it would be his “great honour” to go to jail for violating a gag order in the hush money trial. He also likened himself to Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa who spent 27 years behind bars for anti-apartheid activism. “I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson Mandela — It will be my GREAT HONOR,” Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform.

The post attacked New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the hush money case.

The gag order

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Judge Juan Merchan has prohibited Trump from speaking about the case’s witnesses, jurors and lawyers in public. Additionally, the gag order restricts him from publicly speaking about court staff, employees in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and their family members.

The gag order came after Trump urged Merchan to recuse himself from the case. Trump claims Merchan to be compromised as his daughter serves at a progressive consulting firm that has worked for Democrats.

When Trump went after Merchan’s daughter, he expanded the scope of the gag order to prohibit direct attacks on his own family members and those of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

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Trump claimed Merchan was “violating the law and the Constitution” by not allowing him to criticise court staff of their families.

Previous cases

Trump has in the pastflouted such gag orders in a flurry of cases under trial against him. In October last year, he was threatened with jail time by Judge Arthur Engoron in a civil case and was ultimately issued a fine worth $10,000.

Trump lashed at Engoron for ordering him to pay over $460 million following a civil fraud trial, calling him a “total lunatic, whack job.”

Trump also lambasted Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversaw E. Jean Carroll’s successful defamation case, deriding him as a “crazed bully.”

‘Mandela, Jesus Christ’

It’s not the first time that Trump has likened himself to a great martyr. He did the same in October while issuing a rant against various lawsuits he faces.

Last week, the former president compared his legal challenges to the persecution of Jesus Christ.

(With inputs from agencies)