New York Judge Juan Merchan warned former President Donald Trump to tamp down his violent rhetoric in preparation for a criminal fraud trial.
During an arraignment on Tuesday, Merchan reportedly declined to impose a gag order after the former president pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.
CNN correspondent Kara Scannell was in the courtroom and explained the judge’s actions to anchor Anderson Cooper following the hearing.
“He also was addressed by the judge, who addressed to him some of the threatening statements that he made,” Scannell recalled. “That was something that prosecutors have raised. They have asked the judge not to impose any kind of gag order, but just to raise the potential issues of Trump threatening social media posts.”
The reporter said copies of Trump’s social media posts were provided to counsel and the judge.
