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Donald Trump Has To Report For Jury Duty in NYC

by Melanie Schmitz

The phrase "judged by a jury of your peers" might seem less appealing to the person on the stand in the State Supreme Court in Manhattan when Donald Trump reports for jury duty on Monday. According to an executive at the Trump Group on Saturday, the billionaire business mogul was summoned to report to the Foley Square courthouse, a request that he means to make good on, despite previously receiving fines (which were later waived) for ignoring his civic obligations. But before Trump walks into a courtroom, he should probably watch what he's saying.

Despite an emboldened campaign (just take a look at recent GOP poll numbers) that continues to chug along no matter what seems to pop out of Trump's mouth, the 2016 candidate's representatives said he was "happy to comply" with the judicial summons, even if it meant interrupting campaigning.

"Despite the time that Mr. Trump is required to fulfill this civic obligation, the campaign will continue to go on," said Michael Cohen, who also serves as Trump's special counsel, in a statement on Saturday.

If Trump's handlers were hoping to keep him in check during his possible jury stint, they might want to take a look at some of the things he's said in recent history and coach him to say the exact opposite — or at least be prepared to bail him out.

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Judge Bashing

Following the landmark gay marriage SCOTUS ruling in June, Trump confused followers when he began tweeting about the Court's previous Obamacare ruling from one day earlier. Trump made sure his followers knew he was not pleased with the country's appointed judges in a series of angry messages.

Sorry, Donald — now that you're running for president, it might not be the best time to bash those judges who have supreme authority over the law of the land, no matter what their courtroom looks like. You're better off keeping those lips zipped next week.

Mexico Is "Sending People" With "Lots Of Problems"

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During his now-notorious campaign announcement on June 16, Trump indicated that the southern U.S. border needed a wall to keep out undocumented workers from Mexico, many of whom, Trump insisted, were rapists and drug users. He added:

[Mexico] is sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us. They’re bringing drugs.They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. ... The Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States.

That's nice and all, Mr. Trump, but considering that the U.S. Census Bureau has indicated Hispanics and Latinos make up around 25 percent of the population in Manhattan and that Mexicans alone number around 42,000, you might want to keep your opinions to yourself on Monday (or, if you're hoping they'll dismiss you, then by all means go for it).

Don't Talk To Him Like That

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Trump refuted a CNN Money story this week that claimed Trump had exchanged tense words with Fox News chairman Roger Ailes. According to the story, an anonymous source said Ailes had threatened Trump with "war" if he didn't walk back on his various sexist comments about Megyn Kelly. But Trump told Newsmax host Steve Malzberg, "Roger knows that's not the way to talk to me, because if people talk to me that way, you know what happens."

At this point, the only thing Trump's advisers should be doing is crossing their fingers and praying that the braggart billionaire doesn't talk to a judge that way. They're used to calling the shots, you know.

"Get A Real Mayor"

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Trump managed to get out a few jabs in at Boston Mayor Marty Walsh during a campaign stop in New Hampshire Friday night, calling Walsh a "clown," among other things. Walsh's crime? Dousing himself in ice water for the ALS ice bucket charity challenge and daring Trump to do the same. Speaking to the raucous crowd of supporters, Trump said:

He's a clown, Marty Walsh. This guy Marty Walsh. He spends all this time and effort and money on an Olympic bid, and then he goes out and he's talking about ice bucket challenges. Get a real mayor.

Classy. Careful Trump — poking fun at people's elected officials might be entertaining now, but say something like that in front of your fellow New York jurors next week, and you might find yourself doused in ice water regardless.

Megyn Kelly's Blood

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Trump was not pleased with Megyn Kelly's moderation at this month's first GOP primary debate, which he later clarified in a series of nasty tweets aimed at the Fox News anchor. After impressing absolutely no one with his name calling (Trump said Kelly was a "loser" and insinuated that she was a "bimbo"), Trump, during a telephone interview with CNN's Don Lemon, seemed to attribute Kelly's perceived anger to her period, saying, "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever."

And Trump isn't backing down on the anti-feminist rhetoric — and that hurts him, given that as little as 20 percent of women in a recent July 30 Quinnipiac poll said they would support him at the voting booth. Words like that aren't just grossly inappropriate in a courtroom setting — they're grossly inappropriate everywhere, in every sense of the word. And given the swell of minority female judges and court officials appointed in the state of New York over the past few years, there's a fair chance one of them will think so, too. Tread carefully, Trump, or you might find yourself charged with contempt.