Live updates: Donald Trump’s hush money trial

In last week’s hearing on gag order violations, Trump’s defense made two key arguments in his favor: (1) Reposts of other people’s words do not violate the gag order, and (2) the posts represent protected political speech in response to attacks.

Judge Juan Merchan rejected both arguments in his contempt ruling Tuesday.

First, he found that reposts are, in this case, endorsements. “There can be no doubt whatsoever, that Defendant’s intent and purpose when reposting, is to communicate to his audience that he endorses and adopts the posted statement as his own,” he wrote.

Second, Merchan acknowledged that the gag order does allow Trump to respond to political attacks, but said criticisms of key witnesses were not allowed.

“To allow such attacks upon protected witnesses with blanket assertions that they are all responses to ‘political attacks’ would be an exception that swallowed the rule. The Expanded Order does not contain such an exception,” he wrote.