Former President Donald Trump lashed out on Wednesday against Judge Juan Merchan and the "gag order" he imposed in the New York criminal case that Trump decried as "illegal," "un-American," and "unConstitutional," according to Breitbart.

In doing so, Trump likely violated that court-ordered limitation on his free speech while also exposing the futility and unfairness of the one-sided restriction.

Judge limits Trump's free speech rights

On Tuesday, New York Judge Merchan granted a request from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office to impose an "order restricting extrajudicial statements" from former President Trump ahead of the impending April 15 trial on alleged falsification of business records charges that stem from alleged "hush money" payments to silence some of Trump's accusers during the 2016 election.

The prosecution warned of the potential risks of harm to the targets of Trump's "threatening, inflammatory, denigrating" public commentary, which included "local and federal officials, court and court staff, prosecutors and staff assigned to the cases, and private individuals including grand jurors
performing their civic duty."

Trump's attorneys countered that the former president was already restrained by a prior "admonition" against violating the anonymity of prospective jurors and that, as a leading candidate for the White House, any further limitations on his speech would violate his own First Amendment rights.

Judge Merchan was "unpersuaded," however, and wrote that "given the nature and impact of the statements made against this Court and a family member thereof, the District Attorney and an Assistant District Attorney, the witnesses in this case, as well as the nature and impact of the extrajudicial statements made by Defendant in the D.C. Circuit case (which resulted in the D.C. Circuit issuing an order restricting his speech), and given that thc eve of trial is upon us, it is without question that the imminence of the risk of harm is now paramount."

As such, the judge ordered Trump to "refrain" from making any public statements about "known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses;" about "(1) counsel in the case other than the District Attorney, (2) members of the court's staff and the District Attorney's staff, or (3) the family members of any counsel or staff member;" and about "any prospective juror or any juror in this criminal proceeding."

Trump targets judge's activist daughter following gag order

In a series of Truth Social posts on Wednesday, former President Trump slammed that order from Judge Merchan even as he appeared to violate it by directly criticizing the judge's daughter, Loren Merchan, who is a leftist partisan activist and operative who aids numerous prominent Democrats, according to Breitbart.

"Judge Juan Merchan, who is suffering from an acute case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (whose daughter represents Crooked Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Adam 'Shifty' Schiff, and other Radical Liberals, has just posted a picture of me behind bars, her obvious goal, and makes it completely impossible for me to get a fair trial) has now issued another illegal, un-American, unConstitutional 'order,' as he continues to try and take away my Rights," Trump wrote.

He added, "This Judge, by issuing a vicious 'Gag Order,' is wrongfully attempting to deprive me of my First Amendment Right to speak out against the Weaponization of Law Enforcement, including the fact that Crooked Joe Biden, Merrick Garland, and their Hacks and Thugs are tracking and following me all across the Country, obsessively trying to persecute me, while everyone knows I have done nothing wrong!"

In a follow-up post, Trump said, "So, let me get this straight, the Judge’s daughter is allowed to post pictures of her 'dream' of putting me in jail, the Manhattan D.A. is able to say whatever lies about me he wants, the Judge can violate our Laws and Constitution at every turn, but I am not allowed to talk about the attacks against me, and the Lunatics trying to destroy my life, and prevent me from winning the 2024 Presidential Election, which I am dominating?"

"Maybe the Judge is such a hater because his daughter makes money by working to 'Get Trump,' and when he rules against me over and over again, he is making her company, and her, richer and richer. How can this be allowed?" he continued.

Judge Merchan should "recuse himself immediately" from the "sham" case

Trump concluded his tirade in a third post that stated, "The Judge has to recuse himself immediately, and right the wrong committed by not doing so last year."

"If the Biased and Conflicted Judge is allowed to stay on this Sham 'Case,' it will be another sad example of our Country becoming a Banana Republic, not the America we used to know and love. These are Election Interfering Witch Hunts. We will crush each one of these Hoaxes, and Make America Great Again!" he added.