WASHINGTON: For­mer US President Donald Trump said it would be a great honour to go to jail for violating a gag order imposed by the judge who will hear his upcoming trial on charges stemming from a hush-money payment to a porn star.

“If this Partisan Hack wants to put me in the ‘clink’ for speaking the open and obvious TRUTH, I will gladly become a Modern Day Nelson Mandela — It will be my GREAT HONOR,” Trump posted on Saturday on his Truth Social platform.

Trump was referring to Justice Juan Merchan, who will preside over his trial in New York state court in Manhattan on criminal charges of covering up a $130,000 payment before the 2016 election to porn star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged sexual encounter.

The trial begins on April 15.

The Republican, who is challenging Democratic President Biden in the presidential race, has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records and denies an encounter with Daniels, whose real name is Step­hanie Clifford.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2024