Trump will face hearing over alleged gag order violations in N.Y. criminal case
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Former President Trump arrives at Manhattan criminal court in New York City. Photo: Angela Weiss — Pool/Getty Images
The judge overseeing former President Trump's criminal trial set an April 23 hearing date over the prosecution's request that he be held in contempt for violating the gag order in the New York hush money case.
Why it matters: Trump has said that going to jail for violating the gag order would be his "great honor."
The big picture: The presumptive 2024 presidential nominee, who also faces gag orders related to his other legal woes, has often taken to social media to attack people involved in the cases.
The latest: Trump in an online post Monday evening slammed Judge Juan Merchan for denying his defense's request for him to attend the Supreme Court next week as it hears arguments about his claim that he should have presidential immunity from prosecution in his 2020 federal election case.
- He referred to Merchan in the Truth Social post as "the highly biased Judge in the Soros 'appointed' D.A. Alvin Bragg's Witch Hunt Case."
Zoom in: On Monday afternoon, Trump reshared a video of far-right activist Laura Loomer criticizing Merchan's wife's purported work with New York Attorney General Letitia James and former Trump attorney Michael Cohen's ties to people connected to Trump's political foes.
- Earlier Monday, he blasted the trial as "rigged" and posted "I want my VOICE back."
- On Sunday, he posted on Truth Social calling Merchan "a totally conflicted Judge" and calling the prosecutor "Corrupt."
Between the lines: It's unclear whether his posts violate the gag order barring Trump from attacking people associated with the case, including family members of prosecutors and court members.
- Trump repeatedly has attacked Merchan's daughter, who has done Democratic political consulting work, and suggested without evidence that Merchan was attending to her interests.
Catch up quick: Merchan issued a gag order against the former president in late March, prohibiting him from commenting on witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in the case, with the exception of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who is an elected official. He expanded it in April.
- Trump's attorneys earlier this month contested the DA's motion for expanding the gag order, arguing that Trump has not violated the gag order and expanding it "would exacerbate the existing and ongoing constitutional violations that the order is inflicting."
Go deeper: Trump appears to fall asleep in court on first day of N.Y. hush money trial
Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of Trump's Monday evening post.
