Judge to Determine if Trump Breached Gag Order

The focus of the upcoming court hearing on Tuesday will be the gag order against former President Donald Trump in the current New York criminal trial. The judge will hear arguments on whether Trump should be held in contempt for violating the order.

Last month, Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan issued a ban prohibiting Trump from publicly commenting about witnesses and court staff involved in the trial. This order was later expanded this month to include relatives after Trump criticized Loren Merchan, the judge’s daughter and a Democrat political consultant.

The gag order, however, does not prevent Trump from criticizing Merchan or Manhattan Democrat District Attorney Alvin Bragg, as reported by The Hill.

Prosecutors from Bragg’s office recently filed a motion seeking to hold Trump in contempt for violating the gag order with his recent Truth Social posts. The motion requests possible sanctions of a $1,000 fine per violation or 30 days in jail or both upon a finding of criminal contempt.

According to The New York Times, Bragg’s team alleges that Trump violated the gag order at least 10 times through his statements and social media posts, targeting jurors and witnesses like former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.

In response, Trump warned supporters that the enforcement of the gag order could lead to him being jailed and Democrats having free rein to destroy the country.

After the gag-order hearing, the prosecution is expected to continue questioning David Pecker, former publisher of The National Enquirer. The trial began last week with jury selection and opened arguments on Monday.

Reuters contributed to this story.