Trump warned no-nonsense judge means to enforce gag order: 'Has to stay within this line'

If Donald Trump can't help himself and continues chastising anybody from witnesses, court staff, or even jurors in his hush money trial, he will be headed to jail for contempt, an expert warned Tuesday night.

Former federal prosecutor and law professor Ryan Goodman sees drastic measures being employed should the former president fail to respect the New York judge's gag order, put in place earlier in the day.

"Now we have a gag order that says, 'If he goes after those witnesses, et cetera, there could be consequences and, at a certain point, he could be held in contempt, and that could mean jail time because there's nothing else that the court revealed to use in order to deter him, and he seems undeterrable otherwise."

Judge Juan Merchan issued the gag order to stop Trump from taking aim publicly at anybody directly involved in the case. It cites his history of “threatening, inflammatory, denigrating” remarks about people tied to previous cases.

Jury selection is slated to begin on April 15.

“Given that the eve of trial is upon us, it is without question that the imminency of the risk of harm is now paramount,” Merchan wrote in a four-page decision approving New York DA Alvin Bragg's office request that was considered to be a “narrowly tailored” gag order.

The former president's attorney argued that the order strips Trump of being able to exercise his First Amendment rights.

“President Trump’s political opponents have, and will continue to, attack him based on this case,” Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles responded in their court filing. “The voters have the right to listen to President Trump’s unfettered responses to those attacks — not just one side of that debate.”

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While jury members and witnesses like his former fixer Michael Cohen and adult movie star Stormy Daniels might be off-limits, the judge — who Trump earlier in the day called a "certified Trump Hater” with a family full of “Trump haters” — and prosecutor Bragg remain fair game.

Goodman believes there is almost zero chance a Trump appeal could reverse the ruling.

"I don't think the order is going anywhere, so I don't think Trump could even think really about appealing it successfully," he said. "And he really has to stay within this line. If he doesn't, then I think there could be serious consequences."

When asked if that meant jail, he answered yes.

Watch the video below or at this link.