Donald Trump’s attorney Alina Habba said on Tuesday that if the former president is jailed for violating a limited gag order imposed on him in his hush-money criminal trial, he would “be like Nelson Mandela.”
Habba’s straight-faced invocation of the former South African president who spent 27 years in prison for his anti-apartheid activism mirrors Trump’s own recent rhetoric, in which he’s repeatedly used his criminal cases to portray himself as a martyr.
In a court filing on Tuesday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office asked Judge Juan Merchan to hold the ex-president in contempt for repeatedly using social media to disparage two of the witnesses in his criminal trial—former Trump fixer Michael Cohen and ex-porn star Stormy Daniels. A gag order imposed by Merchan bans the former president from publicly attacking trial witnesses, as well as family members of the judge and prosecutors.
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Besides urging Merchan to fine Trump $3,000 for his latest Truth Social posts slamming Cohen and Daniels, prosecutors also asked the judge to warn the former president that he could face up to 30 days in jail for any further violations of the gag order. In addition to the prosecution’s motion, Merchan also accused Trump of attempting to intimidate jurors during Tuesday’s proceedings.
During an appearance on Fox News’ The Story with Martha MacCallum, Habba was asked about Trump’s recent social media posts and if the threat of jail time and fines would stop the ex-president from continuing his online attacks.
“I don’t think so,” Habba replied. “I think that he’s respectful but there have to be boundaries and I think we should appeal it—it is currently on appeal. So there’s also a due process element to this. We have items on appeal in this case that have not been heard.”
Continuing to press for a direct answer, Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum wondered whether Trump was concerned about the possibility of serving jail time if he continued to ignore the gag order.
“No,” the media-savvy attorney fired back. “I think like anybody he’s concerned about going to jail, but if they put him in jail for his First Amendment rights, he will be like Nelson Mandela! I mean, that would be just absurd and, frankly, it would win him the election.”
As is the case with many of Trump’s lackeys and sycophants, Habba was merely mimicking what she’d already heard the former president exclaim. As the multiple criminal cases against Trump have ramped up, he has repeatedly likened himself to the famed freedom fighter. “I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson Mandela — It will be my GREAT HONOR,” Trump posted on Truth Social earlier this month.
