In a recent outburst against Manhattan trial judge Juan Merchan, former President Donald Trump directed his anger towards Merchan's daughter, Loren Merchan, who works as a Democratic political consultant. Trump's tirade came in response to a gag order imposed by Judge Merchan, which prohibits Trump from commenting on witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, or their family members if it interferes with the ongoing hush money case.

Loren Merchan, formerly an executive at the progressive political consulting firm Authentic Campaigns, has been involved in numerous campaigns for prominent Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and President Joe Biden, who is reportedly Trump's 2024 rival. According to reports, Loren's social media account once featured an illustration portraying an imprisoned Trump as its profile picture. The account has since been made private and the profile picture changed.

Trump took to Truth Social, his recently launched social media platform, to express his frustration. He questioned the legality of Loren Merchan's actions, criticizing her for allegedly profiting from working against him and suggesting a conflict of interest on the part of Judge Merchan.

Judge Merchan's gag order, the third faced by Trump in recent months, specifically prohibits him from attacking witnesses and their families but does not prevent criticism of Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. However, Merchan noted that Trump's attacks on his daughter played a role in his decision to issue the gag order. Despite calls by Trump's legal team for Merchan to step down from the case due to his daughter's profession, the judge sought guidance from the state's judicial ethics advisory committee and chose to remain.

The hush money case against Trump involves 34 counts in New York, accusing him of illegally falsifying business records in connection to payments made to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who then paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep silent about an alleged affair prior to the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trial date has been set for April 15.

Trump's ongoing battles with gag orders in multiple legal cases highlight the continued tension between him and the judiciary. The former president's latest remarks regarding Loren Merchan have added another layer of controversy to an already contentious legal battle, with both sides fiercely arguing their positions as the trial approaches.