Donald Trump, never one to miss an opportunity to push the limits of the law, has crossed a line. Days after DC Judge Tanya Chutkan issued an order stating that Trump was not to engage in “inflammatory statements” about people involved in his various criminal trials, Trump has once again done just that.

So how is this time different than the myriad of other times Trump has spouted off?

Well, Trump must have already heard that prosecutors in Georgia had text evidence that his campaign team and lawyers were involved in the voting machine breach in the state.

Trump decided that this was the perfect opportunity for a little witness tampering. And what makes it different this time is that Judge Chutkan’s order was already in place before he posted his message to Truth Social.

The message was not subtle:

“I am reading reports that failed former Lt. Governor of Georgia, Jeff Duncan, will be testifying before the Fulton County Grand Jury. He shouldn’t. I barely know him but he was, right from the beginning of this Witch Hunt, a nasty disaster for those looking into the Election Fraud that took place in Georgia. He refused having a Special Session to find out what went on, became very unpopular with Republicans (I refused to endorse him!), and fought the TRUTH all the way. A loser, he went to FNCNN!”

It was absolutely blatant witness intimidation.

The fact that Trump said he knew that Geoff Duncan (the correct spelling, by the way) was going to testify and then literally, explicitly said “He shouldn’t” is a crime on its face. And compounding the nastiness of Trump’s threat is the fact that Judge Chutkan entered the protective order specifically to keep Trump from tainting the jury pool.

That appears to be his objective, however.

Legal experts took no time in weighing in, tweeting the things that even us non-lawyers were thinking:

Donald Trump is now attacking a witness in the Fulton County case against him. It’s witness tampering and witness intimidation. This guy is going to put himself in a jail cell. pic.twitter.com/WTTKcdruhg

— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) August 14, 2023

This is witness tampering & obstruction of justice. Trump indicates he knows a witness is about to testify before the grand jury, & he states – unequivocally and directly – “he shouldn’t.” He just told the witness ‘he SHOULD NOT TESTIFY.’ I expect we’ll see these crimes charged. pic.twitter.com/koFRofRBiR

— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) August 14, 2023

He is now taunting grand jury witnesses in Georgia. Just begging for trouble from whatever judge gets assigned that case if, as expected, Willis indicts him tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/vwh7sBBJES

— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) August 14, 2023

So again, imagine an accused gang leader posting this on social media after public reports about a witness to be called before the grand jury? Would such a defendant be jailed or charged with witness tampering? In the alternative Trump is actively seeking to poison the jury pool. https://t.co/vxrmt5DZZd

— Sherrilyn Ifill (@SIfill_) August 14, 2023

Trump has no respect for the law because he thinks he’s above it. He always has. But this time around, he may get a taste of his own medicine when it comes to openly violating both the law and a judge’s order.

Update: Andrew Weissman says Trump could maybe not even get BAIL in the Georgia case:

Weissmann: let me give you the exact words because this is the provision that the court has to find to release someone on bail in Georgia which is that the defendant poses no risk of intimidating witnesses, or otherwise obstructing the administration of justice. pic.twitter.com/UbAxKZTGN7

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 14, 2023