Acting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan warned former President Donald Trump against using social media for violent behavior after Tuesday’s arraignment hearing, but stopped short of issuing an official order.
Merchant said that specifically concerned that Trump will “encourage violence or civil unrest” and issued a warning after Trump repeatedly issued seemingly threatening statements in recent weeks, as the facts of the indictment set in.
In one post, which has since been taken down, Trump posted a picture of himself with a baseball bat alongside a photo of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg with his hands up.
In another, Trump ominously warned of “death & destruction” if he was indicted.
Trump is Joe’s lawyer Tacopina and Todd Blanche held an impromptu media conference after Trump’s arraignment hearing, which Tacopina unconvincingly said that Trump’s baseball bat post is not threatening at all.
“He didn’t swing a baseball bat at anybody’s head,” Tacopina he said, adding that Trump was just “showing off an American-made bat.”
Trump surrendered to law enforcement on Tuesday in New York City, where he faces 34 felony charges stemming from cash payments made before the 2016 presidential election.
Merchan refused multiple media requests to televise the proceedings, even Trump himself the news bring a videographer along to document as much of the process as possible.
Trump attacked Merchan after he was indicted last week, claiming without evidence that Merchan “HATES” him.