Former President Donald Trump was slapped with a $10,000 fine for violating a gag order in the New York civil fraud trial this week, after he unsuccessfully argued his disparaging comments were not directed at Judge Arthur Engoron's court clerk.
But that doesn't go far enough, argued "The View" commentator Whoopi Goldberg, reported Entertainment Weekly on Thursday. Trump should be hit with a fine more likely to actually hurt him — like $10 million.
"He was fined when he disparaged a law clerk, but it didn't stop him from spewing more nonsense when he stomped out of the courtroom," Goldberg told the audience, playing a clip in which Trump proclaimed that he "won" the trial. "What trial is he talking about? He has not won a trial."
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"You know, every time we say something that is mistaken, 5 million people come down on us and go, 'You need to correct that.' I would like the judge to say, 'You know what, D? I think, from now on, every time you disparage or run over some other law or gag order we've put in, it's going to cost you $10 million. I feel like he thinks $10,000 doesn't mean anything, so he keeps doing it," said Goldberg. She added that "he might shut up" if that were the price of running his mouth.
The civil fraud trial turns on allegations that Trump and his adult sons intentionally misstated the Trump Organization's assets in order to get more favorable loans and other banking preferences. That case was already partially ruled against them in summary judgment.
Trump faces a separate gag order in the federal 2020 election subversion case brought by special counsel Jack Smith, although Judge Tanya Chutkan has temporarily stayed the order pending review.
