Donald Trump is again threatened with prison after the judge found him in contempt for the tenth time for violating the gag order

Judge Juan Merchan again found Donald Trump in contempt for violating a gag order during his Stormy Daniels trial — imposing a new fine and threatening to jail him if he finds the violations continue.

Merchan has criticized Trump “Continued and deliberate” violations, barring comment on witnesses and others, could threaten the “due administration of justice,” he said.

‘I can’t let this continue. As much as I don’t want to impose a prison sentence, I will do so if it is necessary and appropriate,” he said in court at the start of the twelfth day of Trump’s trial.

The judge fined Trump $1,000 for the violation, adding to additional findings after an earlier hearing that resulted in fines totaling $9,000.

“It appears that the $1,000 fines do not serve as a deterrent and therefore this court will have to consider a prison sentence in the future,” he said.

The judge said Trump’s repeated comments constitute a “direct attack” on the trial and should not be allowed to continue.

“Defendant is hereby notified that, if appropriate and justified, future violations of his lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration.”

Trump stared blankly into space as he received the judge’s lecture.

But the billionaire avoided some additional fines on Monday. The judge ruled that three previous public statements by prosecutors did not meet the reasonable doubt threshold.

Trump was back in court for day 12 of his criminal trial in the Stormy Daniels case

“Defendant is hereby notified that, if appropriate and justified, future violations of his lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration,” said Merchan, who had already fined Trump $9,000.

The court’s admonition came just minutes after Trump delivered another of his remarks from the courthouse, complaining about the judge’s silence order and repeatedly calling him “conflicted.”

“The judge is totally conflicted — is totally conflicted, and you should take a look at that,” Trump told reporters. He was referring to his own repeated attacks on the judge over his daughter’s work for an online law firm with prominent Democratic clients.

“And I’m not supposed to talk about it,” Trump said, with attorney Todd Blanche at his side. ‘But I can say that the judge has a conflict like no one has ever had before. Look at it,” he said.

“He has taken away my constitutional right to speak,” Trump said angrily.

Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying financial records in the case, which featured tearful testimony Friday from his former aide Hope Hicks. He has pleaded not guilty.

Even as the judge threatened jail, he said he was reluctant to do so — even pointing to the logistics of jailing a former president under constant Secret Service protection.

“It’s important to understand that the last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are a former president of the United States and possibly a future president,” the judge told him.

“There are a lot of reasons why this is really the last resort,” he revealed. He then referred to concerns about people’who should carry out that sanction.’

That includes “court officers, corrections officers and Secret Service details.” But he acknowledged jailing Trump ‘would disrupt these proceedings.’

“Ultimately, I have a job to do – part of that job is to protect the dignity of the justice system,” he said.

The statement that led to the fine and contempt came April 22 during the trial of Just the News No Noise, a program that aired online on the conservative Real America’s Voice network. He complained about the judge and the location in Manhattan where the jury is being selected.

Trump said the judge is “expediting the process like crazy.” No one has ever seen something like this happen. That jury was chosen so quickly – 95 percent Democrats. The area is largely democratic. You consider it a purely democratic area. I can tell you it is a very unfair situation.”