The Daily Fuckup

Justice Arthur Engoron tightened the rules around Donald Trump’s New York civil fraud trial on Oct. 3, 2023, after Trump posted online about the judge’s principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield. Engoron issued a limited gag order, told the parties not to smear court personnel, and ordered the post deleted. He warned that violations could bring serious sanctions.

The judge’s action came during the second day of the bench trial, after Trump used Truth Social to criticize Greenfield and include a photo of her with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Courtroom discussion followed, and by the time Engoron announced the order, Trump had already taken the post down.

The order was narrow. It did not bar Trump from speaking publicly about the case in general, and it was not a contempt ruling or an immediate punishment. It targeted attacks on court staff and made clear that the court would treat future violations as a separate problem.

The dispute over Greenfield briefly pulled attention away from the fraud claims at the center of the case, which accuse Trump and his company of misstating asset values to obtain better loans and business terms. But the judge’s response set a boundary: the trial would continue, and the staff working on it were off limits for personal attacks.