On the second day of his bank fraud trial in New York, former President Donald Trump faced a sharp rebuke from Justice Arthur F. Engoron. The judge ordered Trump to cease his personal attacks against court staff, making it clear that such behavior would not be tolerated.
The incident unfolded at 3 p.m. following an extended lunch break. Justice Engoron disclosed that he had previously cautioned Trump’s attorney against engaging in aggressive and libelous attacks on the justice system, only to discover that Trump had now directed his ire at the judge’s law clerk.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump took to his Truth Social media platform to share a post from a MAGA-aligned Twitter user, which questioned the association between Judge Engoron’s Principal Law Clerk, Allison R. Greenfield, and Senator Chuck Schumer. Trump also linked to Greenfield’s personal Instagram page, drawing the attention of his substantial following.
Greenfield had become a target due to her consistent rejection of Trump’s legal team’s delay tactics and unfounded arguments in court. In his now-deleted post, Trump inaccurately referred to her as “Schumer’s girlfriend” and complained that she was “running this case against me.”
Judge Engoron, typically affable, adopted a stern tone in response. He stated unequivocally, “Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, inappropriate, and I will not tolerate them under any circumstances.”
Trump deleted the post on Tuesday, but the judge clarified that this only occurred after he had personally ordered Trump to do so. This action marked a rare exercise of power against the former president, who has faced little repercussion from other judges overseeing multiple criminal cases along the eastern seaboard.
Furthermore, Judge Engoron disclosed that he had an “off the record” conversation with one of Trump’s defense lawyers in which he explicitly warned against such conduct. In a firm declaration, he imposed a gag order prohibiting all parties from making public statements, posts, or emails about any members of his staff, with a clear warning of serious sanctions for non-compliance.