'Sleaze bag' rant against trial witness makes jail even more likely for Trump: analyst

Donald Trump risked jail time Friday when he railed against a witness in the historic criminal hush money trial that transformed the former president into a convicted felon, according to CNN correspondent Kristen Holmes.

Trump's rambling speech from the lobby of his eponymous tower in New York City included multiple digs at a "sleaze bag" witness which Holmes suggested violated a gag order, still in place, from Justice Juan Merchan.

"He called a witness, sure he didn't name him but it's pretty clear who he's talking about, a sleaze bag," Holmes said.

"The last time he violated the gag order, a judge said that he would consider jail as one of the punishments."

Trump was also fined $9,000.

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Holmes argued that Trump's dig was directly aimed at Michael Cohen, the former fixer who testified in court that he paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000, at Trump's behest, to keep quiet about her alleged affair with the then-2016 presidential candidate.

Trump pleaded not guilty to charges that he falsified business records to conceal reimbursing Cohen, denies he had an affair with Daniels and contends he's the victim of a political witch hunt.

His defense did not ring true to the jury, which found him guilty on all 34 counts.

Despite this resolution of the trial, Trump remains under a gag until it is lifted by Merchan, legal experts have said.

Trump's flirtation with jail time can also be seen in campaign fundraising emails, Holmes noted.

"Right now he is going to campaign off of the fact that he is a convicted felon," Holmes said. "He has sent out fundraising emails that have said that he is a political prisoner."

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