Donald Trump Learns Punishment for Repeatedly Violating Gag Order in Manhattan Criminal Trial

Prosecutors asked the judge to intervene after Trump posted numerous attacks toward witnesses and jurors despite instructions to hold his tongue

Donald Trump must pay $9,000 for repeatedly violating his gag order, New York Judge Juan Merchan determined on Tuesday, April 30, finding him in contempt of the Manhattan criminal court.

The former president was also warned that he will receive an "incarceratory punishment" for future violations, according to reporters in the courtroom.

Prosecutors previously filed a motion that accused Trump of defying orders to refrain from publicly discussing witnesses and jurors in his hush money trial. Since the trial began, Trump has attacked Michael Cohen — his former personal attorney who is expected to be a star witness in the case — and posted about the jury on Truth Social. The prosecution identified several specific instances that they believed constituted a violation.

Earlier this month, Merchan agreed to discuss whether the former president should be penalized for his actions. The jury was not present for those discussions, and a decision on whether to find him in contempt was delayed.

Related: Ari Melber Previews What's at Stake in Donald Trump's Hush Money Trial — and How He'll Defend Himself (Exclusive)

Gag order violations can result in a warning, fines or incarceration up to 30 days. Prosecutors requested that Trump be fined $1,000 per violation and reminded that future violations could lead to additional fines and jail time. That's the route that Merchan ultimately took, fining him $1,000 each for nine separate violations.

“We think that it is important for the court to remind Mr. Trump that he is a criminal defendant,” prosecutor Chris Conroy argued. “And like all criminal defendants he’s subject to court supervision.”

Related: Donald Trump Spreads Misinformation About His Jury Selection Process to Cement 'Witch Hunt' Narrative

Trump's defense team denied that Trump's actions violated his gag order, asserting that the restrictions were vague and that the former president has been defending himself.

"It's not as if President Trump is going out and targeting individuals," defense attorney Todd Blanche said in response to the prosecution's motion. "He's responding to salacious, repeated attacks by these witnesses."

On April 23, Judge Merchan told Trump's defense that they were "losing all credibility" in the court by claiming that their client was being "very careful" to obey the gag order, NBC News reported.

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Trump, who is known to attack his opponents on social media and in public statements, has been subject to two other gag orders in recent months: a limited gag order in the New York Civil fraud case (which he was fined $15,000 for violating twice) and a gag order in his federal election interference case.

In the Manhattan criminal case — where he's being tried on 34 felony counts of falsified business records with a broader implication of election interference — prosecutors have argued that Trump's posts about Cohen and Stormy Daniels veer dangerously close to witness intimidation.

Related: Everyone Who Might Testify in Donald Trump's Criminal Trial, Including First Witness David Pecker

In Trump's first criminal case, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office is aiming to prove that Trump knowingly mislabeled payments to attorney Michael Cohen on financial records in an attempt to unlawfully influence the 2016 presidential election.

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Twelve jurors — who were chosen out of hundreds of candidates through rigorous vetting last week — will be tasked with determining Trump's fate after an estimated six weeks of arguments in the courtroom.

If convicted on any of the 34 counts, Trump faces potential prison time — though some legal experts believe he would be given a lesser sentence as a first-time offender. With or without incarceration, a jury conviction would poke holes in his long-running "witch hunt" narrative and risk hurting his support among uncertain Republican voters.

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