7 jurors chosen on 2nd day of Donald Trump's hush money trial

They’re asking Merchan to impose $3,000 in sanctions for a set of Truth Social posts that appeared to violate a gag order prohibiting comments about anticipated witnesses and other trial participants, issue a “stark warning” to Trump, and make him delete the posts.

Prosecutors for Bragg said there could be “no question” Trump violated the gag order in the posts over the weekend denigrating Daniels and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, expected to be critical witnesses, and did so on purpose.

In a signed order, the judge instructed Trump and his lawyers to appear before him on April 25 to address the matter or risk his immediate arrest and imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the former president arrived at the lower Manhattan courthouse at 9:30 a.m. after journeying downtown from Trump Tower, decrying the case to reporters as a “disgrace” — and taking a swipe at President Joe Biden.

“I was paying a lawyer and marked it down (as a) legal expense. An accountant I didn’t know marked it down as a legal expense,” Trump said. “That’s exactly what it was. And you get indicted over that? I should be right now in Pennsylvania and Florida, in many other states — North Carolina, Georgia — campaigning. This is all coming from the Biden White House because the guy can’t put two sentences together. He can’t campaign.”

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsification of business records, alleging that during his first year in the White House, in 2017, he illegally reimbursed his then-lawyer Michael Cohen for a hush-money scheme to hide sex scandals from the 2016 electorate.

Cohen, Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal are among the witnesses from the salacious hush money saga expected to take the stand at the trial.

The Manhattan charges are among 88 Trump is battling inside state and federal courtrooms across four states.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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