Hi everyone it's 4 o'clock in New York for an ex-president facing 88 felony counts just weeks away from becoming the first ever

ex president to be tried on criminal charges. A lesson today from a judge with

a steely spine that words do indeed have consequences.

Donald Trump is, as of about an hour ago, now under a gag order in the criminal case brought

by the Manhattan DA alleging a cover-up of hush money payments.

New York Judge Juan Barring Trump from attacking or directing others to attack

potential witnesses jurors prosecutors and court staff.

The ex-president is allowed to make statements about district attorney, Alvin Bragg.

In his ruling, the judge saying that the need to protect the integrity of the process from a defendant with one of the biggest

platforms in the world as trial neared pushed him to issue this order.

Quote, given that the eve of trial is upon us, it is without question that the imminency of the risk of harm is paramount.

The ruling was issued just hours after Trump made two statements that would arguably have violated the gag order.

Times reports this, quote, in a rambling and angry post on his social media site Tuesday,

Trump made an ominous reference to Michael Cohen, claiming without explanation that his former fixer was, quote, death.

He also referred to one of Mr. Bragg's prosecutors in pejorative terms.

The statements merely proving the point Judge Mershaw makes in his ruling

that Donald Trump's rhetoric is not just Trump exercising his First Amendment

rights and responding to allegations and attacks from political opponents, as his lawyers claim.

And we should point out, he's not running against any of the prosecutors who have charged

him.

Judge Mershon says that Trump's statements, quote,

went far beyond defending himself against attacks by public figures.

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