Judge in Trump trial to hold hearing on gag order before witness testimony resumes
Share and Follow


Donald Trump’s social media posts about likely witnesses will be the first order of business Tuesday when court is back in session for the historic criminal trial of a former president.

The day is scheduled to begin with a hearing about whether Trump should be held in contempt over a series of posts on Truth Social that prosecutors argue violated a gag order New York state Judge Juan Merchan issued this month prohibiting him from publicly attacking witnesses and jurors. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office is also likely to cite comments Trump made to reporters Monday, when he repeatedly called Michael Cohen, an expected key witness, a liar.

The DA’s office is seeking the maximum $1,000 fine for each of the 10 posts it says violated the order, along with an order that Trump remove the posts from his social media platform. It also wants Merchan to warn Trump any future violations risk not just additional fines but also as long as 30 days in jail.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche contends his client hasn’t violated the April 1 order.

It’s not clear exactly when Merchan will rule on the prosecution’s motion; a decision could come as early as Tuesday.

After the hearing, the jury will be brought back into the courtroom for further testimony from David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, who was the first witness the DA’s office called Monday. During his opening statement, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said Pecker conspired with his longtime friend Trump and Cohen, who was then Trump’s lawyer, in a scheme to suppress scandalous stories about Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.

“They agreed that Pecker would help the defendant’s campaign by acting as eyes and ears for the campaign,” Colangelo said.

It was Pecker who alerted Cohen to the news that adult film star Stormy Daniels was about to come forward with a claim that she had had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, when he was married, Colangelo said. Trump has denied her claim.

Pecker’s testimony Monday was brief — he was on the stand for just about 20 minutes before court ended for the day. He’s expected to get into the details of his relationship with Trump and the alleged conspiracy when he returns to the stand at about 11 a.m. ET Tuesday.

Cohen ultimately paid Daniels $130,000 to get her to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Prosecutors allege that Trump falsely claimed his reimbursement to Cohen as legal payments. He’s charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, a low-level felony, and faces up to four years in prison if he’s convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

The contempt hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning will focus on prosecutors’ allegation in two court filings that Trump “willfully violated” the gag order with repeated posts on Truth Social. The cited posts include one that referred to Cohen and Daniels as “sleaze bags” and others that linked to a New York Post story calling Cohen a “serial perjurer.”

The partial gag order Merchan slapped on Trump this month bars him from making “public statements about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses concerning their potential participation in the investigation or in this criminal proceeding.”

Trump’s attorneys have argued that the posts didn’t violate the order because he was largely sharing posts from other people and news outlets. They also contend that the order allows Trump to defend himself from attacks, so he was within his rights to speak out because Cohen and Daniels have criticized him publicly. Merchan said last week that he doesn’t believe his order makes such an exception.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Who will launch nukes first amid WW3 fears, according to experts

Experts predict who will be the first to launch nuclear weapons in a possible World War III.

Scientists are increasingly worried about the possibility of a massive nuclear war…
Home Depot founder warns of 'scary' indicator in US markets

Home Depot’s founder alerts about a worrisome sign in the US markets

The co-founder of Home Depot has issued a dire warning about the…
Federal appeals court keeps California National Guard in Trump's hands

California National Guard remains under Trump’s control as decided by federal appeals court

A federal appeals court has ruled President Donald Trump “likely acted within…
Security footage shows dog's dramatic showdown with full-sized bear inside California home

Security footage shows dog’s dramatic showdown with full-sized bear inside California home

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Security cameras captured a…
'Jaws' 50th anniversary: How to watch the special anniversary screening

How to watch the special screening of ‘Jaws’ for its 50th anniversary

“Jaws” established — and still in many ways defines — the summer…
Elon Musk makes mistake while revealing second drug test to the world

“Elon Musk’s Slip-Up: Unveiling Second Drug Test Error Publicly”

Elon Musk has struck back at claims that he was regularly using…
Michelle Obama on being 'glad' she didn't have a son: 'He would've been a Barack Obama'

Michelle Obama is happy she didn’t have a son who would be just like Barack Obama.

Michelle Obama says she’s “so glad” she never had a son because…
Texas lawmakers ask Tesla to delay robotaxi rollout in Austin

Texas legislators request Tesla to postpone introduction of self-driving taxi service in Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A group of Texas lawmakers sent a letter to…