Judge warns Trump not to incite violence — and leaves door open for gag order
New York Judge Juan Merchan warned former President Donald Trump to tamp down his violent rhetoric in preparation for a criminal fraud trial.
During an arraignment on Tuesday, Merchan reportedly declined to impose a gag order after the former president pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.
CNN correspondent Kara Scannell was in the courtroom and explained the judge's actions to anchor Anderson Cooper following the hearing.
"He also was addressed by the judge, who addressed to him some of the threatening statements that he made," Scannell recalled. "That was something that prosecutors have raised. They have asked the judge not to impose any kind of gag order, but just to raise the potential issues of Trump threatening social media posts."
The reporter said copies of Trump's social media posts were provided to counsel and the judge.
"The judge said that he was not going to impose any kind of gag order," she explained. "He said he wouldn't even if he was asked right now, but he did warn the former president, and also the prosecutors, to warn their witnesses to tamp down their rhetoric, to reduce what they're saying about the case, and the judge warned both sides, but particularly speaking to former President Trump, not to make any statements that would incite any violence or threat against any officials."