New York Judge Juan Merchan has imposed a $9,000 fine on former President Donald Trump for repeated violations of a gag order in the hush money trial.
The judge also mandated the removal of specific posts from Trump’s Truth Social platform and campaign website by a specified time.
Merchan’s ruling came after Trump was found to have breached the gag order nine times by criticizing expected trial witnesses on social media and his campaign page. Trump has been instructed to pay the fine by the week’s end, with the judge warning of potential incarceration if further violations occur.
During last week’s hearing, Trump’s defense argued that reposts of others’ words did not contravene the gag order and constituted protected political speech. However, Merchan rejected these arguments, stating that reposts effectively amounted to endorsements and that criticisms of key witnesses were not permitted under the gag order.
Prosecutors had requested Merchan to hold Trump in contempt for violating the gag order, pointing to several social media posts where Trump commented on witnesses and jurors, including Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. The judge’s ruling marks the first sanction against Trump for breaching the gag order in this case.
Despite the ruling, Trump remained impassive in court, with prosecutors flagging an additional four comments made by Trump since the initial hearing. Merchan has scheduled another hearing to address these comments later in the week.
