Former President Donald Trump on Monday accused Michael Cohen of "lying" following a day of opening statements in his hush money trial in New York.
Outside the Manhattan courthouse, Trump questioned when authorities would examine all the "falsehoods" Cohen presented in the previous trial. "He got caught lying. Pure lying. And when are they going to look at that," the former president said.
The remarks came despite a gag order issued by Judge Juan Merchan last month that prohibits Trump from publicly disparaging witnesses, jurors, or any other parties involved in the trial.
In the gag order, Merchan said that the former president must refrain from "making or directing others to make public statements about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses regarding their potential involvement in this investigation or in this criminal proceeding."
Earlier this month, the gag order was expanded to also restrict Trump's criticisms of the family members of Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who played a key role in the hush money investigation.
It remains unclear whether Trump's recent comments violate Merchan's gag order. A hearing on the gag order is scheduled for Tuesday, during which Merchan is expected to determine whether the former president's recent social media posts breach the order.
On Monday, both prosecutors and Trump's legal team presented their opening statements as the trial started with the testimony of the first witness, a former publisher of the National Enquirer.
Trump faces allegations of unlawfully concealing a hush money payment orchestrated by Cohen to suppress an alleged affair prior to the 2016 presidential election.
He is facing 34 charges of falsifying business records linked to reimbursements to Cohen subsequent to his payment of $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in October 2016 for her silence on the alleged affair.
Cohen, who is expected to testify in the trial, pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges and received a three-year prison sentence. These charges were associated with the payments made to Daniels as part of a nondisclosure agreement, with Cohen asserting that he acted under the directive of a "candidate for federal office."
Last week, prosecutors asked Merchan to impose a $3,000 fine on Trump for breaching the gag order in three recent Truth Social posts.
Merchan, however, deferred an immediate ruling, instead scheduling a hearing for Tuesday to address the issue.
The contested posts targeted Cohen and Daniels, although Trump's legal team has said that the posts do not violate the order.
Attorney Todd Blanche maintained last week that Trump was merely "responding to salacious, repeated, vehement attacks by these witnesses."
