Today is Friday, April 19, 2024. There was a lot of excitement inside and outside the courtroom in which Day 4 passed in the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump. Outside the courtroom, a man from St. Augustine, Florida, set himself on fire a la Buddhist monks of the Vietnam era in an obvious nod to some cockamamie conspiracy theory where he scattered pamphlets linked to an online manifesto with the heading: “I have set myself on fire outside the Trump Trial.” Originally, when I heard this tragic news, I thought this misguided man from crazy state Florida set himself on fire in opposition to Dump being persecuted in this trial, but it had nothing to do with it. Apparently, this man who identifies himself as an “investigative researcher” has contended that he has found proof of a vast conspiracy involving billionaire Peter Thiel, cryptocurrency, NYU, and The Simpsons. Don’t ask me how this cartoon show is involved. I feel very badly for the people who were around the area in which this man, Max Azzarello, 37, lit himself on fire and were forced to witness the ghastly scene. This incident unfolded as a full jury of 12 New Yorkers and six alternates was seated in Chump’s election interference (I’m not referring it it to the “hush money” trial, as the media still refer to it) trial.

By the way, it’s been reported that the former president was left “fuming” after Judge Juan Merchan told him to sit down at one point during the proceeding today in his courtroom. This story appears online in a RawStory article by Carl Gibson entitled “Trump reportedly ‘fuming’ after Judge Merchan made him sit ‘like a man addressing his dog.'”

So Chump got a stark reminder that he’s an “ordinary” citizen who is now embroiled in a criminal case in which he is a criminal defendant. This incident was reported by The Daily Beast’s Jose Pagliery who relayed that during today’s jury selection, Merchan had to tell Trump to sit down after he abruptly stood up before the judge finished his sentence. The trial judge had just gotten through more than an hour of back-and-forth arguments with both the prosecution and the defense about a contempt hearing scheduled for next week, where Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is alleging that Trump has repeatedly violated the court’s gag order.

This is what Merchan told the restless defendant who stood up for no sane reason other to show his contempt for the proceedings, “Sir, can you please have a seat?” in a very firm voice. Pagliery wrote, “His long black robes dangled from beneath his right hand as he waved it down, like a man addressing his dog.”

Pagliery, who was present during the hearing, wrote that Trump then “went and plopped straight back down into his maroon leather chair at the defense table – and remained for another minute, fuming as the judge gathered his paperwork and strolled toward his chambers.” Don’t you love how this judge doesn’t take Dump’s usual bullshit?

Merchan’s contempt hearing will be held early next week. Bragg is asking for the maximum allowable fine of $1,000 for each specific violation of the gag order meant to prevent Dump from attacking witnesses, court staff, and their families. (The amount that is permitted under New York law is appallingly low in Drumpf’s case, by the way.) They also want Chump to be ordered to delete posts to his Truth Social platform attacking witnesses like Michael Cohen – Drumpf’s longtime former personal lawyer and fixer – and adult film star and producer Stormy Daniels.

Manhattan prosecutors have also asked for Merchan to consider incarcerating Dump for violating the gag order if he continues his obnoxious behavior. That I’d love to see, but I don’t know how practical this would be, given his Secret Service detail.

Now the former insurrectionist’s first of four trials will officially start on Monday, which will prove to be a blockbuster of a trial. The case is expected to take anywhere from four to six weeks, with prosecutors itchy to convict Dump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Just seeing this despicable person sitting in a Manhattan courtroom could have the salutary effect of turning off potential voters who are still not decided on whom to vote for in the general election. His juvenile hijinks alone should turn off many decent folk who are still not – shockingly – aware of his horrible personality.

For your information, this will be my last blog until next Tuesday or Wednesday since we are driving to Silver Spring, Maryland, tomorrow to visit Elliot’s daughter “Emily” and her husband “Allan” and staying through Monday morning. After that, we will head toward Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where we will partake of “Harold’s,” my longtime friend, first seder for Passover. We will return to New York on Tuesday, and that evening, we head to our friend “Patricia” for the second night of Passover. So I might return to this same space on Wednesday instead, depending on how long we stay over at Patricia’s place on Tuesday or how tired I am from driving most of the day. Actually, I am more of a passenger than a driver during these road trips, as Elliot prefers to take the wheel more regularly.

In advance then, I wish those who celebrate a very sweet and peaceful Passover. Let’s hope a lasting peace eventually settles over the Middle East during the coming months.

Stay safe and be well.