Former US President Donald Trump has been held in contempt of court for violating a gag order for the 10^th time in his hush-money trial in New York.

Justice Juan Merchan issued his most serious warning yet to Mr Trump, saying he may face jail for further violations.

This is the second gag order ruling of the trial.

Earlier in the proceedings, the judge sided with the prosecution and fined Mr Trump $1,000 each for nine violations.

Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a payment to a porn actress to keep quiet about an alleged affair. He has denied all wrongdoing.

On Monday, the third week of testimony in the first-ever criminal trial of a former president, Justice Merchan said it appeared the gag-order fines were not serving as a deterrent.

“Therefore going forward this court will have to consider a jail sanction,” he said.

“It is important that you understand that the last thing I want to do is put you in jail.”

Justice Merchan acknowledged that incarcerating Mr Trump would be very disruptive to the proceedings.

But he called the gag order violations “a direct attack on the rule of law” that he cannot abide.

“At the end of the day I have a job to do and that job is to protect the dignity of the judicial system,” he said.

Sitting with a stern expression at the defence table, Mr Trump showed little reaction to the threat of jail.

Prosecutors argued last week that Mr Trump’s social media posts, where he suggested the jury is unfair because the area is “95% Democrat”, violated the order.

The former president, a Republican, has repeatedly argued he cannot get a fair trial in overwhelmingly Democratic Manhattan.

On Monday, in addition to the threat of jail time, Mr Trump was ordered to pay another $1,000 fine by the end of the day on Friday.

He also has to take down the offending social media post by 14:15 ET (18:15 GMT) on Monday.

In Justice Merchan’s written ruling, he said Mr Trump was held in contempt because he made public statements about the jury and how it was selected.

He wrote: “In doing so, the defendant not only called into question the integrity, and therefore the legitimacy of these proceedings, but again raised the specter of fear for the safety of the jurors and of their loved ones.”

Justice Merchan added: “Defendant is hereby put on notice that if appropriate and warranted, future violations of its lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration.”

Prosecutors said last week they were “not yet seeking jail” for Mr Trump’s alleged gag order violations.

Defence lawyer Todd Blanche had defended Mr Trump, arguing last Thursday that the gag order was unfair.

“Everybody can say whatever they want” about the trial, except for his client, Mr Blanche said.

“They’re not defendants in this case,” Justice Merchan responded. “They’re not subjected to the gag order.”

He pointed out that Mr Trump is allowed to speak. However, as a defendant “there are some things you can’t talk about”, added the judge.

Mr Blanche said Mr Trump should be able to respond to gibes about the trial from President Joe Biden, his Democratic opponent in November’s White House election.

The judge countered that there was nothing in the gag order that would prevent Mr Trump from doing so. (BBC)

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