Jen Psaki Asks If Trump ‘Already Violated The Gag Order’ By Attacking Judge Who Issued It

MSNBC host Jen Psaki asked ex-Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) if ex-President Donald Trump has “already violated the gag order” imposed by Federal District Judge Tanya Chutkan — by attacking Judge Chutkan hours later.

Christie was a guest on Monday’s edition of MSNBC’s Inside With Jen Psaki, during which Psaki asked his legal opinion on whether Trump’s attack on the judge in a speech Monday night violated the gag order she imposed hours earlier.

While Christie thought the attack was “close to the line,” he said it would take more than that for the judge to act:

JEN PSAKI: Donald Trump is already openly complaining about the gag order. And Judge Chutkan. I want to take a listen. You’ve probably seen this, but everybody may not have to what Trump said just a couple of hours ago.

DONALD TRUMP: A judge gave a gag order today. Did you hear that? On speech, which I believe is totally unconstitutional. What she did. A judge gave a gag order. Judge doesn’t like me too much. Her whole life is that like in me?

JEN PSAKI: I think us non-lawyers are trying to evaluate what violates the gag order and what doesn’t. I mean, did he already violate the gag order by complaining about Judge Chutkan? What’s your view on that?

CHRIS CHRISTIE: He probably didn’t violate the gag order. But look, he will. I mean, that’s — we know, Jen, he will. And the fact is that this is the problem with having a Republican candidate for president who is under indictment in four different jurisdictions. These kind of things happen to defendants all the time. Gag orders are often put in place. I was a U.S. attorney for seven years and we saw this happen any number of times. You’re not allowed to do this. And because he’s running for president, he thinks somehow the law does not apply to him. It does.

And so the fact is that I think that appears to be, I didn’t see the whole order, but it appears to be a pretty narrowly-tailored order that tries to prevent him from polluting a jury pool against certain witnesses and against the government. He gets to say it was a politically, it’s a politically-motivated prosecution if that’s what he wants to say. But he doesn’t get to attack individuals, which is his, you know, stock and trade.

So I think he came close to the line on that one in saying she doesn’t like me and that she has a history of not liking me. My guess is it’s not going to take that, if she’s going to call him on it. It’s going to take something much more direct. But look, this is the awful temperament of the guy who is currently the frontrunner for the nomination of my party. And that’s why I’m out here calling him out directly on this stuff, Jen, because his conduct is beneath the office that he was privileged to hold.

Watch above via MSNBC’s Inside With Jen Psaki.

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