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  • “I have a message tonight for Merrick Garland and Jack Smith and Joe Biden — and the guys back there in the fake news media, you should listen up as well, this one is for you,” Ms. Lake said. “If you want to get to President Trump, you are going to have go through me, and you are going to have to go through 75 million Americans just like me. And I’m going to tell you, most of us are card-carrying members of the N.R.A.” The crowd cheered.

    Ms. Lake added: “That’s not a threat, that’s a public service announcement.”

    • This is dangerous, but it's tolerated, even encouraged, here. Contrast with Scotland, and the recent arrest of Nicola Sturgeon, Former First Minister, Scotland:

      Her (Nicola Sturgeon) arrest also means the case is now active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981.

      It means everyone has to be careful about what they say to avoid potentially prejudicing any future trial.

      This applies to politicians and members of the public on social media as well as broadcasters and newspapers and the rules around what can and cannot be said about this - or any other - case are interpreted much more strictly in Scotland than in some other parts of the world.

      Scotland is not the United States, for example, where pundits merrily speculate about the guilt or innocence of a suspect long before the case goes anywhere near a jury.

      Convictions for contempt of court can be punishable by up to two years in prison and/or an unlimited fine.

      If the US would pivot and provide safeguards such as this, freedom of speech is still protected, but the wild, inflammatory remarks like Lake, Trump and others make would be squashed.