NEW: This is the fourth Trump trial I’ve attended regularly. But I have never seen anything like the phenomenon we’re witnessing the morning. 1/

Breaking on MSNBC: All the Truth Social and campaign website posts that Judge Merchan ruled violated his gag order have now been deleted.

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Never before in history has a former President of the United States been found guilty of a crime. Until today. Read it and weep with joy or sadness. Sadness because this man has a 50-50 chance of being re-elected in November

jentaub.substack.com/p/trump-found-…

The New York Times reports Todd Blanche is on the outs with Trump for being insufficiently aggressive. But blaming Blanche — whose Everyman amiability is his usual best asset — is misplaced. No tone shift can erase proof or change facts.

nytimes.com/2024/04/30/us/…

On this day in history:

A former president of the United States was held to be in Criminal Contempt for 'willful disobedience of a court's lawful mandate' by attacking witnesses and jurors in a criminal proceeding.

Court's finding based on beyond a reasonable doubt.

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He glared at me on the way out of the courtroom for the mid-morning break.

I grinned at him.

One has to ask: with Apollo managing hospitals, nursing & hospice facilities & also the retirement accounts of seniors are they essentially taking a straddle position on seniors by buying life insurance policies on them? National Association of Insurance Commissioners AARP Ben Sasse Josh Hawley Ron DeSantis

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Break the Silence: Not the windows or the law

I notice a disappointing silence from my real life friends and social media mutuals who usually object to smashing windows and breaking into buildings in the name of a cause, whether righteous or not.

jentaub.substack.com/p/break-the-si…

It's odd to think Gen X (babies or not even born during the Vietnam War) protested it. Furthermore, most of us who protested South African Apartheid on campus did so non-violently. Friends who occupied university buildings expected to be arrested as part of civil disobedience.

The university protests are right here, and they are easy to visit, cover, and photograph. But for God's sake, they are not what this is about. There are three things that matter right now: a hostage deal, more aid, and a big No! to a Rafah invasion. Life first. Life always.

NEW: Judge Merchan now rules on the gag order violations:

On #2 and 3 in the first motion: the court finds that the People have met their burden and Trump is fined $1000 for each of those.

#4-10 in the second motion: the court finds that the People have also met their burden

Some personal news. I'm thrilled to join American Economic Liberties Project and get the opportunity to contribute to their very important work. Bonus: I got a mention in POLITICO Playbook for something other than my birthday.

Interestingly: Eric Trump has accompanied his father to court today. Perhaps Trump’s legal team heard all of the chatter about the appearance to the jury with no family members being present?…

NEW: Judge Merchan’s order notes that the criminal contempt statute allows him only to impose a $1,000 fine per violation, even though it “would be preferable if the Court could impose a fine more commensurate with the wealth of the contemnor.”

Unacceptable