Prosecutors said Tuesday that one episode was “deeply disturbing” as they say former President Donald J. Trump committed repeated violations of the gag order. That's what he shared with commentators who disparaged potential jurors as left-wing secret agents.
Trump posted a quote from Fox News commentator Jesse Watters on his social media site, Truth Social, last week as jury selection in the hush-money trial proceeded. “They're secretly capturing liberal activists who lied to judges to get on Trump juries,” Trump said, quoting Watters.
Trump's post exaggerated what the commentator actually said, adding the phrase “to be on the Trump jury” even though Watters did not say it on air. But a few hours later, Watters said, Post accurate statement to X Trump also shared.
None of the jurors or potential jurors have been identified as liberal activists.
During that Fox News segment, Watters also shared personal information about the jurors in his segment. The day after that post, the judge in the case, Juan M. Marchan, ordered the reporter to withhold some information that could identify the jurors.
“What happened here is exactly what this order sought to prevent, and the defendant doesn't care,” prosecutor Christopher Conroy said in court Tuesday.
Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, argued that Trump was simply sharing the quote, an argument Trump often uses to distance himself from reposting other people's comments.
Judge Machan did not appear to support that argument. Machan said the way posts are published on Truth Social is “not passive.”
Conroy said the timing of the “liberal activist” post was important. The next morning, her jury appeared in her courtroom and asked for her immunity, saying that her friends and colleagues had been able to identify her as one of her members.
Mr. Watters is the host of the evening show “Jesse Watters Prime Time'' and co-host of the weekday afternoon chat show “The Five.'' He became famous for his street-based ambush interviews on Fox News, including a segment in 2016 in which he mocked Asians in New York City's Chinatown, which featured stereotypes. He was widely seen as a human trafficker with racist leanings.