Former President Donald Trump has been held in contempt of court and fined $1,000 for violating a gag order in his Manhattan criminal trial. The order aims to protect witnesses and jurors from undue influence or intimidation. During the hearing, New York Judge Juan Merchan warned Trump that continued violations could result in jail time—an unprecedented measure for a former president and the leading GOP nominee for the 2024 presidential election.
Judge Merchan emphasized that the $1,000 per violation fine wasn’t effective in deterring Trump’s repeated breaches of the gag order. This forced him to consider more severe consequences, including jail time. The judge noted that incarcerating a former president would be disruptive, given the need for additional security and personnel, but he underscored the seriousness of his judicial responsibility. “To take that step would be disruptive to these proceedings,” Merchan stated, but he acknowledged that he has “a job to do.”
As Merchan delivered his decision, Trump sat with his arms crossed. His son, Eric Trump, was also present in the courtroom. The judge’s order clarified that this was the 10th time Trump had been found in contempt across three separate motions, indicating that monetary fines alone weren’t sufficient to curb his violations. Merchan’s written order cited a specific instance in which Trump claimed the jury was “95% Democrats,” which prosecutors argued could create an atmosphere of threat or prejudice. This comment led to Trump’s $1,000 fine.
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Prosecutors had sought a $4,000 fine—$1,000 for each of four violations—along with a contempt of court ruling against Trump for his repeated breaches of the gag order. In the May 2 hearing, prosecutors presented evidence that Trump had made disparaging comments in various media outlets, including podcasts and local interviews. They noted that these remarks could intimidate witnesses, as in Trump’s statement about National Enquirer publisher David Pecker’s testimony, which he described as “nice.” Prosecutors argued that this could be seen as a signal to future witnesses that Trump is watching and could comment on their actions.
The gag order issued by Judge Merchan prohibits Trump from making public statements about potential jurors, court staff, or family members of court personnel. Last week, Trump was ordered to pay $9,000 for previous violations of the order and to remove several posts from his Truth Social account and campaign website that were found to breach the gag order. In that ruling, Merchan reiterated that continued violations could result in jail time.
Trump’s legal team, led by attorney Todd Blanche, has argued that Trump’s statements are part of his political speech as he campaigns for the presidency and that he has a right to defend himself. Blanche suggested that Trump can’t be expected to remain silent while running for president. However, Judge Merchan rejected Trump’s claim, stating that his statements did not constitute “core political speech.”
Despite challenges from Trump’s legal team, the gag order remains in place. Trump has tried to delay the trial while contesting the order, but an appeals court judge upheld it, keeping the restrictions in effect just days before jury selection began.
Trump, the presumptive 2024 GOP nominee, faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records with the intent to further other crimes ahead of the 2016 presidential election. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial has already seen testimony from key witnesses, including former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, First Republic Bank banker Gary Farro, Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff, and lawyer Keith Davidson. As the trial continues, Judge Merchan has made it clear that further violations of the gag order could lead to unprecedented consequences for a former president, including jail time.
