Trump ignores gag order and attacks New York judge's daughter in rambling rant
Palm Beach, Florida - Despite having a gag order imposed in his hush money trial, Donald Trump continued taking shots at Judge Juan Merchan and his daughter on social media.
On Wednesday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to once again criticize Merchan, who is overseeing the trial in which he stands accused of illegally using campaign funds to cover up an alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels.
The ex-president also went after the judge's 34-year-old daughter, accusing her of working with "radical liberals" to take him down.
This time, Trump claimed Merchan's daughter "just posted a picture of me behind bars" on social media, which he argued "makes it completely impossible for me to get a fair trial".
But a spokesperson with the New York Office of Court Administration told The Daily Beast that the account Trump is referring to doesn't actually belong to Merchan's daughter, as she "deleted it approximately a year ago."
"It is not linked to her email address, nor has she posted under that screen name since she deleted the account," the spokesperson explained. "Rather, it represents the reconstitution, last April, and manipulation of an account she long ago abandoned."
Did Donald Trump just violate a gag order place on the case?
That didn't stop Trump from following up with another post, claiming, without evidence, that Merchan's daughter "makes money by working to 'Get Trump,'" which he says is "making her company, and her, richer and richer."
Trump's remarks came a day after Judge Merchan hit Trump with a gag order, which prohibits him from publicly attacking any potential witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, their family members, or prospective jurors.
It's unclear if his latest comments violated the order.
The hush money trial is scheduled to begin on April 15.
Cover photo: KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP