The gag order against former President Donald Trump in the current New York criminal trial will be the focus Tuesday, when the judge hears arguments on whether the former president should be held in contempt for violating the order.
Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan last month barred Trump from publicly commenting about witnesses and court staff involved with the trial. The order then was amended this month to include relatives after the presumptive Republican nominee lashed out at Loren Merchan, the judge's daughter and a Democrat political consultant.
The gag order does not prevent Trump from chiding Merchan or Manhattan Democrat District Attorney Alvin Bragg, The Hill reported.
Prosecutors from Bragg's office filed a motion last week to hold Trump in contempt for recent Truth Social posts that they contend violated Merchan's gag order.
The motion requested that "upon finding of criminal contempt" the court imposes sanctions on Trump by fining him $1,000 for each of his gag order violations or 30 days in jail, or both.
Bragg's team has said Trump violated the gag order at least 10 times, in his own statements and on social media, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Those statements and posts, prosecutors say, have targeted jurors and witnesses, including former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, a key prosecution witness.
Trump on Monday told supporters that if Merchan enforced the gag order he "could be thrown in jail" and "Democrats will have free rein to destroy our country," the Times said.
Merchan, though, might not rule immediately on the contempt claims, the Times added.
"The gag order has to come off," Trump told reporters Friday, The Hill reported. "People are allowed to speak about me, and I have a gag order, just to show you how much more unfair it is. They've taken away my constitutional rights to speak."
Trump is accused of falsifying records to pay an adult film actress before the 2016 election to remain quiet about an alleged affair.
After the gag-order hearing, the prosecution is expected to continue its questioning of David Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer.
The first criminal trial of a former American president began last week with jury selection. Opening arguments were given Monday.
Reuters contributed to this story.
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