Former US President Donald Trump said it would be “a great honor” to go to prison for violating a gag order imposed by the judge in his upcoming trial on charges stemming from a secret payment to an adult film star.
“If this biased partisan wants to put me in the position of speaking the open and obvious TRUTH, I will gladly become a modern-day Nelson Mandela – it will be my GREAT HONOR,” Trump posted on Saturday on his Truth Social platform.
Trump was referring to Judge Juan Merchan, who will preside over his trial in New York state court in Manhattan on criminal charges of covering up a $130,000 payment before the 2016 election to adult film star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence. about a supposed intimate encounter.
The trial begins on April 15.
The Republican, who is challenging Democratic President Joe Biden in the November 5 US presidential election, has pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of falsifying business records and denies having had a meeting with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
Merchan on April 1 expanded an existing gag order that prohibited Trump from commenting publicly about witnesses and court personnel to make clear that it also applies to family members. He did this after Trump belittled Merchan’s daughter.
The looming trial is one of four criminal cases Trump faces ahead of the US election. It could be the only one to come to trial before the elections. He declared himself innocent of all of them and said they were politically motivated.
