Prosecutors in former President Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial alleged that he violated a gag order set by Judge Juan Merchan by making “threatening, inflammatory, denigrating” statements towards public servants. The order was intended to restrict Trump from commenting on potential witnesses, jurors, court staff, and others involved in the case. Despite the gag order, Trump continued to post on his social media platform Truth Social and speak publicly about the trial. Prosecutors are calling for a $1,000 fine for each of the 10 alleged violations and for the posts to be deleted from all platforms.
The trial in New York involves 34 felony counts against Trump for falsifying business records related to payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and both prosecutors and defense attorneys have given their opening statements. The first witness, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, continued his testimony on Tuesday. Trump’s attorney argued that his client did not willfully violate the gag order and should be allowed to respond to political attacks made by witnesses or others involved in the case.
Despite Trump’s attorney claiming that his client did not see the reposting of inflammatory content as a violation of the gag order, Judge Merchan was unconvinced. Merchan repeatedly asked for specific examples of the attacks Trump was responding to, but Trump’s attorney could not provide clear evidence. The judge grew increasingly frustrated with Blanche’s attempts to justify Trump’s actions, highlighting how Trump had to actively engage with social media platforms to repost potentially inflammatory content. Merchan emphasized that he would be the one to determine whether Trump was in contempt of the gag order.
Prosecutors used 10 posts made by Trump to illustrate their argument that he willfully and flagrantly violated the gag order, calling for a fine and the removal of the posts from all platforms. Trump’s attorney maintained that his client had not knowingly violated the order and should be allowed to respond to political attacks made by potential witnesses. Judge Merchan challenged Blanche’s assertions, pointing out the specific actions Trump took to share content that may have violated the gag order. The judge ultimately has the authority to decide whether Trump will face contempt charges for his actions.
Despite the ongoing legal battle over the gag order, Trump’s trial in New York continues with witness testimonies and legal arguments. The case, involving allegations of falsifying business records related to hush money payments, has garnered significant attention. The judge’s determination on whether Trump violated the gag order and how to proceed with potential consequences will impact the trajectory of the trial and the former president’s legal standing. As the proceedings unfold, the outcome of the case remains uncertain, with both sides presenting their arguments and evidence before the court.
