Trump and lawyers given a 'shot across the bow' from judge before hearing: legal expert

While speaking with her guests on Sunday afternoon, MSNBC host Jen Psaki singled out an admonishment made by Judge Juan Merchan in his sentencing ruling on Friday aimed at Donald Trump's lawyers and asked for an interpretation.

Sitting down with former FBI General Counsel Andrew Weissmann and ex-Solicitor General Neal Katyal, Psaki pointed to the filing and noted to her guests, "There were a number of messages, at least in my reading, in how Judge Merchan wrote this. It was scathing. He also calls out Trump's lawyers for using language in their filings he says has no place in legal pleadings."

"What does that tell you?" she asked.

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'You know, I mean, it's a shot across the bow not just for the lawyers, but I think more specifically for Donald Trump himself who had done any, made any number of public statements about the court, about the judge, about the process that I think the judge was worried about," Katyal replied.

"The judge went so far as to actually quote Chief Justice John Roberts' statement on New Year's Eve about attacks on the judiciary destroying –– trying to destroy its credibility and undermine the safety and security of judges, so I think that's definitely part of it," he added.

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