Donald Trump continues to test how far Georgia DA Fani Willis will let him go when it comes to what he posts about his fourth indictment. But former U.S. attorney Barbara McQuade doesn’t think he’ll cross any lines, because she thinks that he doesn’t actually “want to mess around and find out.”
In this particular case, Willis explicitly laid out rules for Trump, saying that under no circumstances is he allowed to threaten or try to intimidate witnesses, co-defendants or potential jurors on social media, including by posts or repost of material from others. Of course, Trump has been playing jump rope with that line, especially after posting “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU.”
McQuade noted on Tuesday’s episode of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that she does think “it’s going to be very difficult for a judge to use the ultimate hammer, which is to revoke the bond, and jail Donald Trump,” but admitted that she’s not sure it would have to come to that.
“I think Donald Trump doesn’t want to mess around and find out, because that would be such a devastating consequence,” she said. “I agree that maybe he wants to be a martyr for the First Amendment. But he also very much wants, I think, his liberty.”
McQuade added that awaiting trial in jail would be “certainly no picnic” for Trump, and speculated that, if he were to try and come for anyone online, it would be the prosecutor specifically.
“I imagine we will see Donald Trump skate as close to the line as possible,” she said. “I think he knows he’s going to get a long leash, he knows he’s going to get at least a warning. And so I see him going after the prosecutor instead of the witnesses, because she’s a public official. And so you know, First Amendment rights when it comes to public officials offer a lot of leeway.”
Watch the full discussion from “Morning Joe” in the video above.
