Experts ask if Trump's new attack violated bail: 'Is he on the government's witness list?'
Donald Trump on Friday suggested a retiring general might deserve the death penalty, prompting some to say he went too far and others to ask if the former president violated his court-ordered conditions for release.
Trump late in the evening lashed out against General Mark Milley, who said in a recent news profile that he was forced to keep Trump in check during his presidency. Trump came out swinging on Truth Social, blaming Milley for lives lost in the Afghanistan withdrawal and saying he may in fact deserve to be killed for his purported actions.
Conservatives including fellow GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie weighed in on that controversial statement.
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Now, reporters, ex-prosecutors, and political operatives are asking the bigger questions about whether Milley is connected to Trump's court cases. If so, some onlookers posit, Trump may be subject to consequences in the courtroom, or potentially jail.
Kyle Cheney, a senior legal affairs reporter for Politico, asked the question on Saturday.
"One question I have about Trump’s overnight attack on Milley: Is he on the government’s witness list for Trump’s DC trial?" he asked. "He was a key Jan. 6 committee witness who said Trump privately admitted losing the election."
He followed-up with some context:
"The reason it matters if Milley is a potential trial witness (which Trump would know based on discovery) is the part of his release conditions in which he specifically swore not to tamper with or intimidate witnesses."
Tristan Snell, a former assistant attorney general in New York, also weighed in.
"My bet: Donald Trump is threatening General Milley because General Milley is on the government's witness list for the trial in the Mar-a-Lago documents case," he wrote.
Political commentator Lindy Li called it the "m
on Jack Smith’s list?" she asked on Saturday. "If so, is anyone finally going to do anything about Trump’s persistent and dangerous tampering?"
Even George Takei made the connection between Milley and the witness lists.
"Gen. Milley is a patriot who served his country honorably all his career, instead of claiming bone spurs," Takei said. "He’s also likely a witness in the many trials of Donald Trump, including as the alleged author of the top secret Iranian War Plan that Trump waved around to brag and boast to civilians about how special he is. Trump attacks him at his peril, and likely in violation of court orders not to threaten or intimidate witnesses."