Trump hit with gag order in New York hush money case after slamming judge

• Judge Juan Merchan imposed a limited gag order on Donald Trump in his criminal hush money case in New York.
• The decision followed Trump calling once again for the judge's recusal from the case, while referencing the judge's daughter's work for a Democratic political group.
• The fusillade against Merchan came one day after the judge scheduled the trial to start April 15, rejecting a bid by Trump's attorneys to delay it further.

A judge on Tuesday imposed a limited gag order on Donald Trump ahead of his criminal hush money trial in New York.

Trump's statements about various figures involved in the case "were threatening, inflammatory [and] denigrating," Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan said in a court order.

"Such inflammatory statements undoubtedly risk impeding the orderly administration of this Court," Merchan ruled.

The gag order bars Trump from making public statements about likely witnesses and jurors in the case.

He must also refrain from speaking about lawyers in the case, court staff, employees in the Manhattan District Attorney's office and their family members if those statements are made with the "intent to materially interfere" with the case.

Merchan's order still allows Trump to speak out about Alvin Bragg, the district attorney prosecuting the former president on charges of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The gag order does not specifically bar Trump from criticizing the judge.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung in a statement to NBC News said the gag order prevents the presumptive Republican presidential nominee "from engaging in core political speech, which is entitled to the highest level of protection under the First Amendment."

Mercha