Judge Tells Trump: Gag Order Doesn’t Prevent You From Testifying in Criminal Case

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial stated on Friday that despite a gag order preventing him from commenting on witnesses and jurors, Trump still has the right to testify in court on his own behalf.

Justice Juan Merchan emphasized, “I want to stress to Mr. Trump: you have an absolute right to testify at trial,” as the 11th day of Trump’s trial began.

Contrary to what Trump asserted after Thursday’s session, the gag order does not prohibit him from testifying.

Addressing reporters before entering the courtroom on Friday, Trump stated, “It won’t stop me from testifying,” and mentioned that his legal team would work to overturn the gag order, which restricts him from making public comments that could interfere with the case.

Earlier in the week, Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for violating the gag order and hinted at the possibility of further fines for additional infractions. The judge warned that Trump could face jail time if he does not comply.

Despite Trump’s legal team’s request on Thursday to vet his trial commentary before posting it online, the judge declined. Merchan advised, “When in doubt, steer clear,” leading Trump to express frustration.

Witnesses scheduled for Friday were expected to provide more information about a payment made to a porn star to suppress allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump before the 2016 election, which he ultimately won.

The jurors in the historic trial have yet to hear from key figures such as Stormy Daniels, the porn star who received $130,000 for keeping quiet about the alleged liaison, and Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, who arranged the payment shortly before the election.

Trump maintains his innocence and denies any sexual encounter with Daniels. His defense team argues that the payment was made to protect his family’s reputation and not to influence the election.

Throughout the trial, the jury has heard testimony from individuals like lawyer Keith Davidson and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, revealing details about the alleged payment and efforts to suppress damaging stories about Trump. Trump alleges that the trial is a political ploy by Democrats to undermine his reelection campaign.