GAGGING TRUMP: WHY IS HE BARRED FROM DISCUSSING MICHAEL COHEN AND STORMY DANIELS? Former President Donald Trump starts his trial on Monday forbidden to speak publicly about the witnesses against him in a case some experts have called weak and politically motivated. But the witnesses are not forbidden from speaking about Trump. Indeed, one of the witnesses in the case, former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, is today in the full-time Trump-bashing business and talks about Trump all the time. Cohen does his talking on MSNBC and other media outlets, as well as his own podcast. Cohen’s motive in speaking about Trump is no secret. He titled his book about Trump Revenge, which, no matter what Cohen might say, clearly referred to Cohen’s deep desire for revenge against his former employer.

So Cohen is in the news daily trashing Trump. And yet Trump is forbidden by Judge Juan Merchan’s gag order from saying a word about Cohen. And when Trump did say a word about Cohen, in a post on Truth Social, the former president’s social network, some called for Trump to be jailed. It is a surpassingly weird situation.