It’s nothing new — we watched him fundraise off his mugshot. Trump likes to look like a martyr. He’s not the least bit shy about asking his supporters for money because he’s “being persecuted.”

But now we’ve reached epic proportions.

Because he’s currently embroiled in his first criminal trial, I guess he feels like this could be his last chance to rake in some cash from the dupes that still vote for him.

Trump sent out an email for his fundraising campaign (for his reelection campaign, if you believe the money isn’t going to pay his legal bills) Monday morning.

His current trial is over whether or not (he did, and we have the proof already) he covered up his finances during the 2016 election to better his chances at winning. At question is whether he paid “hush money” to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress, and Karen McDougal, a Playboy centerfold model, in order to cover up his affairs with them.

We already know we’re going to see testimony from his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, that supports the prosecution’s claims.

But in this case, there was a special circumstance: the judge, the Honorable Juan Merchan, issued a preemptive gag order, because of Trump’s proclivity for intimidating witnesses and participants.

We know he violates gag orders on the regular.

He was ordered, in his fraud case in New York, not to talk about the judge or any witnesses or the court staff. He did so daily. And tomorrow the trial will begin as to whether or not he’s violated the current gag order from judge Merchan.

The fundraising email he sent out, though, seemed absolutely desperate.

“Friend, in 24 hours, the hearing on my GAG ORDER will begin. I COULD BE THROWN IN JAIL AT THAT VERY MOMENT!” reads the begging email.

In full, the message reads:

“This is what the Hate-America Deep State has always dreamed of. I won’t be able to campaign. I will be muzzled and silent. And Democrats will have free rein [sic] to destroy our country. We need a HUGE outpouring of support before the day is over, because tomorrow, all hell could break loose for our MAGA Movement. Right now, at this very moment, I’m calling on EVERY Patriot reading this message to chip in and say, I STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP!

ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE IN 24 HOURS!

Friend, in 24 hours, the hearing on my GAG ORDER will begin.

I COULD BE THROWN IN JAIL AT THAT VERY MOMENT!

This is what the Hate-America Deep State has always dreamed of. STAND WITH TRUMP. I won’t be able to campaign. I will be muzzled and silent. And Democrats will have free rein [sic; again, it’s “reign”] to destroy our country. We need a HUGE outpouring of support before the day is over, because tomorrow, all hell could break loose for our MAGA Movement.

Right now, at this very moment, I’m calling on EVERY Patriot reading this message to chip in and say, I STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP! STAND WITH TRUMP! Crooked Joe Biden thinks that if I’m locked away, then supporters like YOU will abandon me.

BUT I KNOW THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!

Only your actions at this moment will show them just how big of a mistake they’ll make if they lock me away.

With you by my side, we will peacefully win back the White House at the ballot box and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

I love how he says “peacefully,” since he knows that the January 6th rioters are all either in or headed for prison.

But watching Trump continue to grift to pay his legal bills — not to run heartfelt ads or fund a soup kitchen in Ohio, but directly for him — is galling to me. It’s like watching Scar plot with the hyenas against Mufasa. It’s like seeing your little sister fall for a guy that’s no good for her.

It’s like watching Republicans give money to a guy who, two minutes before he decided to run as a Republican, was pro-choice, anti-gun, and friends with Hillary Clinton.

Get your head on straight.