Judge Juan Merchan ruled on Tuesday morning ahead of the second week of the trial that Trump needed to pay $9,000, $1,000 for each gag order violation.
The nine posts that the judge in Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s falsified business records case ordered Trump to take down on Tuesday have been deleted.
Judge Juan Merchan ruled on Tuesday morning ahead of the second week of the trial that Trump needed to pay $9,000, $1,000 for each gag order violation. An additional hearing on more alleged gag order violations will take place on Thursday.
The order reads that the defendant, Trump, "is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarcertatory punishment, and is hereby ORDERED, that the Defendant pay $1,000 fine for each of the nine violations of this Court's lawful order by the close of business on Friday, May 3, 2024."
Trump was given a 2:15 pm deadline to remove the posts, seven of which were on his Truth Social account and two of which were on his campaign website.
Loading this lets X set cookies and collect data.
View on XMerchan ruled that one of the posts cited by the prosecution did not violate the gag order, according to Business Insider. The post was a repost by Trump of a Michael Avenatti post on Truth Social.
Avenatti wrote in the post, "We can't be hypocrites when it comes to the 1st Amendment. It is outrageous that Cohen and Daniels can do countless TV interviews, post on social, & make $$ on bogus documentaries — all by talking shit about Trump — but he's gagged and threatened with jail if he responds."
Trump wrote in response, "Thank you to Michael Avenatti — for revealing the truth about two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly!"
The posts removed include Truth Social posts noting a 2018 statement from Stormy Daniels denying her relationship with Trump, saying that Michael Cohen is a "disgraced attorney and felon" who has been "prosecuted for lying," Trump quoting a headline from a New York Post article written by legal scholar Jonathan Turley, and a post of a Jesse Watters clip with Trump saying that "They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury."
The campaign website posts were two reposts of the Turley article.
Libby’s Desk
Commentary and must-reads from Libby’s desk, straight to your inbox.
TPM Newsletter
The Post Millennial’s top stories, delivered to your inbox.
