That didn’t take long

Created
Sat, 05/08/2023 - 23:00
Updated
Sat, 05/08/2023 - 23:00
Trump plays ‘chicken’ with the court U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya might as well have warned a toddler in a highchair not to throw his spoon onto the floor … again. During Donald Trump’s first court appearance Thursday on Jan. 6 conspiracy charges, Upadhyaya issued a stern (and unusual) warning to the accused before releasing him on bond: “It is a crime to try to influence a juror or to threaten or attempt to bribe a witness or any other person who may have information about your case, or to retaliate against anyone for providing information about your case to the prosecution, or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice. Do you understand these warnings and consequences, sir?” Trump replied in the affirmative, just as he had before the world on Jan. 20, 2017, when he swore to “faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States” and to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” We know how that worked out. Violation of those conditions could lead to Trump’s being held until trial and could add to his sentence if convicted, Upadhyaya warned. The question now is, how many chances will Trump get? Strike One! That didn’t take long. Upadhyaya issued that unusual warning because she knew who was standing before her. But by Friday afternoon , Trump was playing chicken with her warnings. (See his alt-Twitter/X post above.) By late Friday, the Department of Justice responded (and probably already had this motion for a…