Former President Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on the judge presiding over his hush money criminal trial. Trump's outburst comes after being warned that further violations of the gag order could result in imprisonment. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump expressed his frustration over his perceived infringement of his Constitutional Right to Free Speech.

Trump accused the judge of unfairly silencing him while allowing his adversaries, whom he described as "sleazebags, lowlifes, and grifters," to freely express themselves. He lamented the inability to defend himself against what he deemed as lies and false statements without the risk of being incarcerated. Trump further labeled the judge as "Corrupt and Highly Conflicted."

The ongoing Manhattan trial, which has now entered its third week, centers around allegations of Trump falsifying business records related to a payment made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The payment was allegedly intended to conceal an extramarital sexual encounter during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying records and vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Judge Juan Merchan, who announced the potential jail sentence, had already fined Trump $9,000 last week for nine previous violations of the gag order. Despite the fines, Merchan deemed them ineffective as a deterrent and revealed that jail sanctions would be considered moving forward. The judge maintained that Trump's statements amounted to a direct assault on the rule of law and a threat to the fair administration of justice.

The gag order, initially issued in March, prohibits Trump from making public statements pertaining to witnesses, jurors, and other trial participants. Notably, the order does not extend to Judge Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is leading the prosecution. However, Merchan expanded the order in April to include Trump's remarks about his own family and Bragg's family, following Trump's repeated attacks on the judge's daughter.

Amidst his criticism of the judge, Trump also claimed to be a target of a conspiracy aimed at derailing his bid to reclaim the White House in the upcoming elections against President Joe Biden. He referred to the situation as a "sophisticated hit job" orchestrated from Washington, D.C.

Trump did not stop at targeting Merchan alone, as he further accused other judges overseeing his civil fraud and defamation trials of being "corrupt." He framed the actions taken against him as an attack on the Republican Party and the nation as a whole, asserting the importance of upholding the First Amendment.

Newsweek has reached out to a Trump spokesperson for further comment on the matter but has yet to receive a response.

Update 5/8/24, 10:28 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background on the ongoing trial.