MSNBC anchor Dr. Jason Johnson tore into former President Donald Trump’s intimidation tactics since being federally indicted, asking: “Why isn’t he in jail already?”
Earlier this month, Trump pleaded not guilty in Federal Court in Washington, D.C., to charges alleging that he conspired to overturn the 2020 election. Counts include conspiracy and obstruction of official proceeding.
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, the federal judge overseeing Trump’s federal case, issued a warning about speaking publicly about the proceedings. She was responding to a Truth Social post in which Trump wrote “If you go after me, I’m coming after you!”
“It should surprise no one that Donald Trump has gone on the attack against the prosecutors and judges who are trying to hold him accountable,” said Johnson on Monday. “This has always been his standard practice.”
Johnson continued by saying “This behavior has become normalized, imitated, and even praised,” throughout the Republican party.
“Look I’m old enough to remember way back to three days ago,” quipped Johnson, mentioning Chutkan’s warning regarding Trump’s inappropriate behavior, while he is a defendant in a federal court case.
“The more a part makes inflammatory statements about this case,” said Chutkan in legal proceedings, “the greater the urgency will be that we proceed to trial quickly.”
“Judge Chutkan invoked the well-known legal precedent of ‘Keep my name out your mouth,’” continued the MSNBC host, “But of course, it didn’t work because Trump was on the attack in less than 48 hours.”
On Sunday, Trump reposted a Truth Social which referred to Chutkan as an “Obama left-wing activist judge,” while falsely claiming that she admitted to “running election interference against Trump.”
Later that evening, Trump posted that Chutkan was “VERY BIASED & UNFAIR,” because he obviously wants him “behind bars.”
“This galls me,” said Johnson in response. “We’re beyond poking the bear.”
“This is not Yogi and picnic baskets,” the MSNBC anchor said. “He’s clubbing the bear over the head by constantly attacking the judge who is actually overseeing a case about him trying to violently overthrow the country.”
“Why isn’t he in jail already?” Johnson questioned.
On Monday, Trump was indicted for a fourth time by the Georgia grand jury over the state’s 2020 election probe. Trump and other defendants were charged under a racketeering statute, used to charge individuals who conspire within a “criminal enterprise.”
