In a dramatic turn of events during the Manhattan hush-money trial, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan directed an angry outburst towards defense attorney Todd Blanche, representing former President Donald Trump. The judge criticized Blanche's lack of credibility and unsupported arguments, calling them irrelevant to the case.

The heated exchange occurred during a hearing to determine whether Trump had violated his gag order, which he had allegedly breached more than ten times in the last three weeks. Prosecutors are seeking a $10,000 fine for these violations and are also pushing for a warning about a potential jail term should Trump continue his attacks on jurors and witnesses.

Blanche represented Trump not only in the hush-money trial but also in the Florida classified-documents case and the Washington, DC, 2021 election-interference case. However, the defense attorney struggled to convince the court that Trump had not breached the gag order and argued that his client was being cautious with his statements.

Judge Merchan quickly dismissed Blanche's arguments, repeatedly asking for supporting case law which the attorney failed to provide. Blanche claimed that Trump's attacks were purely political and that prosecutors had delayed raising concerns about the violations. However, the judge refuted these claims, stating that the delay did not absolve Trump of his actions.

Blanche's argument that reposting attacks made by others should be exempt from the gag order earned further rebuke from Judge Merchan. The judge demanded to see case law supporting this argument and expressed frustration when none was presented. The judge questioned Blanche about the hypothetical scenario of someone attacking jurors with a placard, asking if Trump would be considered innocent if he were to join in. These intense exchanges further underscored the tensions in the courtroom.

Prosecutors are seeking the maximum penalty of $10,000 for Trump's repeated attacks on trial witnesses, Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen, through posts on his Truth Social platform and campaign website. Additionally, they warned that Trump could face jail time if he continues to violate the gag order. Prosecutors argued that beyond the impact on Cohen and Daniels, Trump's posts intimidate other witnesses involved in the trial.

After the morning hearing, jurors were called in to hear testimony from former National Enquirer executive David Pecker. Pecker described his longstanding relationship with Trump and how they collaborated on stories attacking Trump's enemies in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. The tabloid executive's testimony shed light on the alleged hush-money payments made to silence Daniels and the subsequent cover-up involving Cohen.

Merchan's decision regarding the fines and the jail warning for Trump's violations of the gag order is pending. The trial is expected to resume Thursday, with Pecker's testimony set to continue.

The tension between Judge Merchan and defense attorney Blanche highlights the high stakes and intense atmosphere surrounding the hush-money trial. As the proceedings unfold, the trial is bringing the spotlight back on Trump's alleged involvement in efforts to conceal damaging information during his presidential campaign.