Trump may have already violated expanded gag order in hush money trial: report

The judge overseeing Donald Trump's New York hush money criminal trial took a recently imposed gag order that was leveled against the ex-president and expanded it Monday to include family members of jurors, witnesses and court officials.

But an expert said Tuesday that Trump might have already violated it.

The gag expansion came after Trump made comments about Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter. Being allowed to attack relatives could be used to intimidate people participating in the trial's proceedings, the judge said.

“The average observer must now, after hearing defendant’s recent attacks, draw the conclusion that if they become involved in these proceedings, even tangentially, they should worry not only for themselves, but for their loved ones as well,” Merchan wrote in his ruling. “Such concerns will undoubtedly interfere with the fair administration of justice and constitutes a direct attack on the Rule of Law itself.”

Also read: 'Goal is violence': Ex-GOP lawmaker reacts to 'not so veiled' Trump threat after gag order

“It is no longer just a mere possibility or a reasonable likelihood that there exists a threat to the integrity of the judicial proceedings. The threat is very real. Admonitions are not enough, nor is reliance on self-restraint,” Merchan added.

But according to the editor-in-chief of the liberal outlet Meidas Touch, Trump may have already overstepped the bounds of the order.

"Trump violates his gag order this morning by posting a clip of Brian Kilmeade repeating the same fake story about a fake social media account supposedly from the judge's daughter that led to the gag order being extended," Ron Filipkowski wrote on X.

“So, let me get this straight,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account last week. “The Judge’s daughter is allowed to post pictures of her ‘dream’ of putting me in jail, the Manhattan D.A. is able to say whatever lies about me he wants, the Judge can violate our Laws and Constitution at every turn, but I am not allowed to talk about the attacks against me, and the Lunatics trying to destroy my life, and prevent me from winning the 2024 Presidential Election, which I am dominating?

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