CNN analyst warns of ‘civil unrest across the country’ if Trump jailed for gag order violation

CNN analyst Mark Preston said he thinks if former President Trump is jailed for violating the gag order in his hush money trial, there would be “civil unrest across the country” and it would help him in the polls.

Preston joined CNN’s Jim Acosta and others to discuss the possibility of Judge Juan Merchan putting the former president in a holding cell “for a few hours” after he has deliberately defied the gag order in the case, which was expanded to bar Trump from publicly attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, jurors and the judge’s family.

“If that were to happen, first of all, I think you would probably see civil unrest across the country, certainly in some cities. That’s one,” he said, highlighted by Mediaite. “And two, politically, if I’m the Biden campaign, I don’t want to necessarily see him in jail, because that’s just going to get people more inflamed and more fired up.”

Preston and the other panelists pointed to the politicization in the case and particularly how Trump has capitalized on his ongoing legal battles. After surrendering at a Fulton Country Jail for his Georgia election interference case, Trump’s mug shot has become a symbol of resistance.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office sought to fine Trump on Monday for his inflammatory social media posts about the criminal hush money case, which made history as the first criminal trial of a former president. Assistant District Attorney Chris Conroy asked for Trump to be fined $1,000 for each social media post and to be reminded that he could be jailed for violating a gag order.

Merchan opted to hold an April 23 hearing, when he’ll hear arguments regarding the prosecution’s request.

Upon arriving at the courthouse Friday, Trump blasted the gag order, saying it “has to come off.”

“People are allowed to speak about me, and I have a gag order, just to show you how much more unfair it is,” he said.

Trump said the gag order has taken away his constitutional right to speak, and he has “a lot to say” to the press, although he has spoken to reporters in the courthouse each day of the trial since it began Monday.

As of Thursday, 12 jurors and one alternate had been selected, after nearly 100 people were dismissed for their inability to be impartial in the case about the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.