N.Y.C. Mayor Eric Adams Says Rikers Island Will 'Be Ready' if Donald Trump Gets Jail Time over Gag Order

Virginia Chamlee
·4 min read

Trump was recently fined for repeatedly violating a gag order that forbade him from publicly discussing witnesses and jurors in his hush money trial. The judge warned incarceration is next if he continues

<p>Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Bloomberg via Getty</p> Donald Trump at a Manhattan court room

Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Bloomberg via Getty

Donald Trump at a Manhattan court room

If Donald Trump is held in contempt of court again, the New York City Department of Corrections will "be ready" for his incarceration, according to Mayor Eric Adams.

In the former president's Manhattan criminal trial, Judge Juan Merchan has ordered Trump to pay a total of $10,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that forbade him from publicly discussing witnesses and jurors in the case.

Following Tuesday's bombshell testimony from former adult film actress Stormy Daniels, some have questioned whether Trump, 77, might violate the order yet again and receive jail time as a result.

Related: Donald Trump Learns Punishment for Repeatedly Violating Gag Order in Manhattan Criminal Trial

Andrew Burton/Getty New York City Mayor Eric Adams
Andrew Burton/Getty New York City Mayor Eric Adams

Asked about the possibility of the former president's incarceration if he violates the gag order again, Adams, 63, told reporters that New York corrections officers are "professionals,” adding: “They’ll be ready," according to NBC News reporter Katherine Doyle.

Trump's Secret Service detail has also reportedly been preparing for the possibility of the former president being put into jail. CBS News reports that Secret Service officers would most likely rotate on to a detail with Trump in an isolated cell, where they would screen his food and personal items.

Related: Adult Film Star Stormy Daniels Testifies That Donald Trump Told Her She Reminded Him of 'His Daughter'

The fear that Trump may violate the gag order an 11th time comes after bombshell testimony from Daniels, who spoke under oath on Tuesday, May 7, about an alleged affair she had with the reality television star in 2006.

<p>Elizabeth Williams via AP</p> A courtroom sketch of Stormy Daniels testifying in Donald Trump's Manhattan criminal trial on May 7, 2024

Elizabeth Williams via AP

A courtroom sketch of Stormy Daniels testifying in Donald Trump's Manhattan criminal trial on May 7, 2024

The former adult film actress, 45, took the stand in Manhattan as part of Trump's trial on 34 felony counts of falsified business records, which come with a broader implication of election interference based on alleged attempts to suppress information from the voting public.

In her testimony, Daniels claimed that Trump did not wear a condom when the two allegedly had sex, and that he said, "Oh it was great, let’s get together again honey bunch" when it was over.

Related: Adult Film Star Stormy Daniels Testifies That Donald Trump Told Her She Reminded Him of 'His Daughter'

Prior to Daniels' testimony, Trump took to social media to lambast the decision to allow a witness to testify, though he did not name Daniels specifically.

Writing on Truth Social that he had “just recently been told who the witness is today," Trump added: “This is unprecedented, no time for lawyers to prepare."

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Trump also attacked the judge overseeing the trial, writing: "No Judge has ever run a trial in such a biased and partisan way. He is CROOKED & HIGHLY CONFLICTED, even taking away my First Amendment Rights. Now he’s threatening me with JAIL & THEY HAVE NO CASE -This according to virtually all Legal Scholars & Experts! Why isn’t the Fake News Media reporting his Conflict?”

The former president deleted the post minutes later.

<p>WIN MCNAMEE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images</p> Donald Trump sits in the Manhattan criminal court on May 7, 2024

WIN MCNAMEE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump sits in the Manhattan criminal court on May 7, 2024

Since the trial began, Trump has attacked Michael Cohen — his former personal attorney, who is expected to be a witness in the trial — and posted about the jury on Truth Social.

On Tuesday, April 30, Judge Merchan ultimately found Trump to be in contempt of the Manhattan criminal court for violating the order, ordering him to pay $9,000 in fines ($1,000 for each violation) and warning him that he would receive an "incarceratory punishment" for future violations.

On Monday, May 6, Merchan found Trump in violation of the gag order for a 10th time, fining him $1,000 and again threatening jail time.

“Mr. Trump, it’s important you understand, the last thing I want to do is put you in jail," Merchan said in court, per CNN. "You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well."

“The magnitude of this decision is not lost on me but at the end of the day I have a job to do,” he added. “So as much as I don’t want to impose a jail sanction … I want you to understand that I will if necessary and appropriate.”

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