Judge admonishes Trump attorneys for lack of credibility in Truth Social defense during gag order hearing

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial in New York expressed skepticism towards the former president’s attorney’s defense against allegations of violating a gag order. Manhattan prosecutors have accused Trump of breaching the gag order through posts on his Truth Social platform targeting witnesses in the trial. Despite the defense arguing that Trump was responding to political attacks, the judge remained unconvinced.

During the trial, the judge warned Trump against intimidating jurors and expanded the gag order to include statements about the families of the judge and the District Attorney. Prosecutors are seeking contempt charges, a $10,000 fine, and the removal of offending posts, but are not yet asking for jail time.

Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection to a hush money scheme involving adult film star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors allege the case is about election interference and a wider scheme to block compromising stories about Trump before the 2016 election.

The gag orders in Trump’s criminal trial follow similar orders in his civil fraud case and federal election interference case. Prosecutors have warned that Trump’s social media presence could be used to intimidate and harass individuals involved in the cases.

Overall, the trial continues to unfold with tensions rising between the judge, prosecutors, and Trump’s defense team as the former president faces legal challenges on multiple fronts.