The U.S. Secret Service, in its never-ending babysitting gig, has confirmed it’ll keep guarding former presidents, even if one happens to land in the slammer. Yep, you guessed it. They’re talking about Donald Trump, who’s currently dancing on the edge of a jail sentence for tweeting when he shouldn’t.
Of course, this follows speculations that Donald Trump might be incarcerated for violating a gag order imposed by a New York judge. Judge Juan Merchan warned Trump about the possible jail time during a court session on Monday, pointing out that fines seemed ineffective as a deterrent. He emphasized the severity and last-resort nature of incarceration. He laid it on thick, reminding Trump that jail would be a hassle not just for him but for, well, everyone, given Trump’s status as a former and potentially future president. Merchan also said the jail time could disrupt the trial proceedings.
When asked about the protocol for a situation where Trump might end up in stripes, a spokesperson for the Secret Service explained that the agency is mandated by federal law to protect current and former national leaders, including former presidents.
Not only did they skip the juicy details of whether they’d actually bunk with Trump in his cell, but also the specifics of how this protection would be executed inside a jail setting.
The spokesperson went on about their uber-preparedness, crafting “layered protective models” with all the bells and whistles. Translation: We do our thing, and no, we’re not spilling how we do it. What this all means, according to them, is that the Secret Service meticulously plans security based on the environment, employing advanced technology and intelligence to ensure the safety of their protectees, though specific operational details remain confidential.
The discussion comes amid ongoing tension in New York City, where Mayor Eric Adams assured the public that the Department of Correction and Rikers Island are prepared for any possibility. However, he prefers not to speculate on hypothetical scenarios.
The gag order in question was initially set by Judge Merchan just days before the trial started. It prohibited Trump from making public statements about jurors, court staff, prosecutors, and likely witnesses. The order was expanded to include the judge’s family members after Trump accused Merchan on social media of having a conflict of interest due to his daughter’s consultancy work for Democratic candidates.
At Tuesday’s showdown, Stormy Daniels took the stand to rehash her alleged 2006 fling with Trump, who, of course, denies all. Under the gag order, Trump is prohibited from publicly commenting on Daniels’s testimony.
Trump’s legal eagles tried to pull the mistrial card over her testimony, claiming it was unfairly biasing the jury and totally inappropriate. Judge Merchan wasn’t having any of it.
Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, said, “It’s still extraordinarily prejudicial to insert safety … concerns into a trial about business records.” Adding, “There’s no way to un-ring the bell.”
Blanche stated that her testimony regarding consent and danger contradicted the narrative she promoted when she signed non-disclosure agreements in 2016. Blanche also argued that the witness’s statements were irrelevant to the charged offense and so prejudicial that they could distract the jury from the evidence that actually matters.
But prosecutors disagreed with his statements. Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger defended Daniels’s credibility in response to the defense’s attacks and maintained that her testimony was consistent with her previous statements.
On the Truth Social platform, Trump criticized the prosecutors and suggested that a mistrial should be declared. In court, Judge Merchan addressed the potential impact of Daniels’s testimony on the jury, planning to instruct them on how to consider her allegations, including a claimed threat in 2011.
With Trump’s future hanging in the balance and the Secret Service poised to uphold its duty no matter the circumstance, the stage was set for a spectacle unlike any other.