Former President Donald Trump is on thin ice with the judge in his New York City criminal trial.
On Tuesday, Trump was rebuked by Judge Juan Merchan, who cited the former president’s courtroom behavior.
Trial transcripts outlined an exchange between Merchan and Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche, according to NBC News.
Merchan summoned Blanche to the bench after Trump allegedly reacted to testimony from porn actress Stormy Daniels.
The judge accused Trump of audibly cursing and shaking his head.
“I understand that your client is upset at this point, but he is cursing audibly, and he is shaking his head visually, and that’s contemptuous,” Merchan told Blanche.
The judge then accused Trump of intimidating the witness.
“It has the potential to intimidate the witness and the jury can see that,” he continued.
Merchan went on to claim that he only refrained from publicly admonishing Trump so as to not embarrass him.
Is Judge Juan Merchan treating Trump fairly?
“I am speaking to you here at the bench because I don’t want to embarrass him. You need to speak to him. I won’t tolerate that.”
Blanche agreed to talk to Trump about his courtroom conduct during the interaction.
Daniels’ testimony about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter in which she struck Trump with a magazine seemingly spurred Trump’s negative reaction.
BREAKING – SHOCKING – YOUR REACTION: Judge Juan Merchan claimed Trump might have violated his gag order by shaking his head inside the courtroom while Stormy Daniels was testifying. The judge claimed that by shaking his head and reportedly ‘audibly cursing’, Trump might have… pic.twitter.com/Ay0QwAT3rX
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) May 8, 2024
Trump has previously clashed with Merchan over the gag order imposed on him for this trial.
President Trump sounds off on Judge Merchan’s unconstitutional gag order in the NYC “hush money” trial:
“GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!” pic.twitter.com/dc5qf1ooIn
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 8, 2024
Trump has already been fined $10,000 for violating Merchan’s ruling on 10 separate occasions.
Trump is facing 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in the New York criminal trial, brought about by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
The George Soros-funded prosecutor is arguing that alleged payments made by Trump to Daniels amounted to illegal campaign expenditures.
