Found in contempt and fined $9,000 for violating gag order 9 times

Judge Juan Merchan found Trump in contempt of court for violating the gag order nine times during his criminal trial, fining him $1,000 per violation for a total of $9,000. The violations involved social media posts attacking witnesses and jurors. Merchan warned Trump that 'going forward, this Court will have to consider a jail sanction' if violations continued. Prosecutors had documented ten violations where Trump posted on Truth Social and his campaign website attacking Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels as liars, and making inflammatory statements about the jury. PBS reported Trump 'was held in contempt Tuesday for violating a gag order by posting on social media about his hush money trial.' The contempt finding marked an extraordinary moment - a sitting defendant and former president being sanctioned for attempting to intimidate witnesses and jurors in his own criminal trial. Trump showed no remorse and continued attacking the trial as a 'witch hunt.'

"Going forward, this Court will have to consider a jail sanction." — Judge Merchan's warning to Trump in contempt order, April 30, 2024