Trump accused of ‘intentionally’ violating silence order during disastrous contempt hearing: Furious judge warns he will put Donald under oath to explain ‘threatening’ messages and rips lawyer for ‘loss of all credibility’ and ‘foolish’ arguments

The judge in Donald Trump’s successful hush money trial threatened to put the former president under oath to explain “threatening” messages he posted on social media.

In a stunning rebuke, Judge Juan Merchan also castigated Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, saying he was “losing all credibility” with “foolish” arguments.

It came as the judge considered whether Trump would be in contempt of court for violating a gag order that prevents him from publicly criticizing witnesses and others involved in the case.

Judge Merchan ultimately reserved his decision after a hearing on the silence order that lasted almost two hours.

The law allows a judge to send Trump to jail for up to 30 days if he is found to have violated the gag order. Trump has said it would be a “great honor” to go to prison.

However, prosecutor Christopher Conroy told the court that “we are not yet seeking a prison sentence,” even though “the suspect appears to be seeking that.”

Instead, the prosecutor sought a $1,000 fine for each offensive social media post and an order telling Trump to remove it.

During the hearing, Trump watched as Conroy presented the court with copies of 10 statements on the Truth Social platform or the former president’s campaign website that he said violated the order.

Blanche argued that Trump believed he was not violating the order when he reposted comments made by other people.

In tense exchanges, Judge Merchan said he wanted to hear that this was in fact Trump’s position.

He said to Blanche: ‘How do I know this is his position? Do you testify under oath that that is his position?

“Does your client believe that when he reposted, he did not believe he was violating the gag order? I’d like to hear that. Or do you just want me to accept it because you say so?’

At trial, Trump is accused of falsifying company records to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The payment was intended to buy her silence about an alleged sexual encounter she said took place in 2006.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and also denies that such a meeting took place.

Judge Juan Merchan has imposed a silence order on him, which prevents him from publicly attacking witnesses, prosecutors and family members of court staff.

However, on his social media site, Trump has called Cohen and Daniels “two sleaze bags who, with their lies and misrepresentations, have cost our country dearly.”

Trump has also made public statements about the jury.

Prosecutors highlighted an April 17 Truth Social post in which Trump quoted Fox News commentator Jesse Watters.

Watters said that “undercover liberal activists are lying to the judge to get on the Trump jury.”

Conroy said the part about jurors lying to get on the jury was added by Trump.

Watters said that “undercover liberal activists are lying to the judge to get on the Trump jury.”

Waters was on air at 5.08pm and Trump’s post was at 5.36pm that day, the court heard.

Conroy said, “The next day was the day Juror 2 came in and said I don’t think I can be here anymore because of the things she had heard.

“We ended up losing the juror. What happened was what this order was intended to prevent. This defendant doesn’t care.”

said Blanche there was ‘absolutely not an intentional violation of the gag order’ in the 10 messages and that Trump had responded to political attacks against him.

Judge Merchan then became irritable as he went through the ten posts.

In both cases, the judge asked Blanche what specific attacks Trump was responding to.

At one point Blanche responded, “I don’t have a specific tweet,” and “Your Honor, says timing matters.” Why?’

Judge Merchan interjected: “I ask the questions. I keep asking you for a specific example over and over again, but I don’t get a specific example.”

The judge turned to a post at issue in which Trump called Cohen a “disgraced lawyer and criminal.”

Blanche said Trump expressed that he was “extremely frustrated with the two systems of justice in this courtroom.”

Judge Merchan responded, “Are there two systems of law in this courtroom?”

He then rejected suggestions that Trump’s posts did not violate the order because no immediate action was taken against him.

“The idea that because the people or the court don’t take action, the gag order is lifted,” Judge Merchan said, adding, “That’s just stupid.”

The judge added: ‘You have presented nothing.’

He said: Mr Blanche, you are losing all credibility with the court.’

Conroy, prosecuting, said: ‘The suspect has repeatedly breached this order and has not stopped.’

He said Trump’s attacks “pose a very real threat to the integrity of judicial proceedings because they intimidate the defendant’s direct targets.”

The prosecutor said Trump also violated the silence order for the 11th time the night before “on camera.”

That happened “here in this building, just outside those doors, in a pen setup from which he has conducted press conferences.”

He referred to comments in which Trump said Michael Cohen, who will be the key witness in the case, was “not very good” as a lawyer and accused him of being “caught lying.”

Conroy said: “The court must warn the suspect that this will not be tolerated and remind him that incarceration is an option.

“He has his day in court, but he is doing everything he can to undermine this process.”

During an earlier hearing, Judge Merchan had already scolded Trump for mumbling loudly enough to be heard by potential jurors and for gesturing animatedly in the courtroom.

“I don’t want jurors to be intimidated in this courtroom,” Judge Merchan told Trump during an earlier hearing.

On Tuesday, jurors will also hear testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.

Prosecutors say he participated in a “catch and kill” scheme to suppress unflattering stories about Trump and help him get elected.

The National Enquirer paid former Playboy magazine model Karen McDougal $150,000 for the rights to her story about a months-long affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007. It then did not publish the story. Trump has denied an affair with McDougal.