The New York judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal case in the state has expanded the gag order against the former president. That came after Trump made another social media post attacking the judge's daughter, who he accused of posting criticism of him online. 

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A court official would later claim that Loren Merchan was no longer in charge of the account in question, with The New York Times accusing Trump of spreading a hoax. 

That led to a scathing ruling from New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan stating that the "David vs. Goliath" roles normally assumed between a defendant and the judicial system no longer apply. He further wrote that anyone involved in the case "should worry not only for themselves but for their loved ones as well" as a result of Trump's attacks.

“The conventional ‘David vs. Goliath’ roles are no longer in play, as demonstrated by the singular power Defendant’s words have on countless others,” wrote Merchan in his four-page ruling. “The average observer, must now, after hearing Defendant’s recent attacks, draw the conclusion that if they become involved in these proceedings, even tangentially, they should worry not only for themselves, but for their loved ones as well. Such concerns will undoubtedly interfere with the fair administration of justice and constitutes a direct attack on the Rule of Law itself.”

As with most things in life, there's a difference between whether something is smart and whether it should be allowed. Is it smart for Trump to attack the judge's daughter, given how much say Merchan has over the proceedings? No, it's not. It's ill-advised and undisciplined. Most importantly, it offers no win and can only hurt the former president. 

With that said, does that mean he shouldn't have the right to criticize Loren Merchan? No, it doesn't. Merchan is not some random judge's daughter. She is a high-level political operative who fundraises for top Democrats. One of her clients is none other than Rep. Adam Schiff, who is running for U.S. Senate in California during the 2024 cycle. 

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Schiff has operated as a major force against Trump, from pushing the Russian collusion hoax to levying criticism regarding this latest Manhattan-based criminal trial. Is the idea really that a political operative who consults for Democrats who attack Trump is somehow off-limits? That she is not a public figure who has chosen to enter the arena? 

That's an overreach by the judge. If he doesn't want his daughter to be an issue, she's welcome to stop representing major Democrats who spend most of their days attacking Trump and calling him a criminal. She's not going to do that, though, and to gag the former president even harder for going after a political operative is ridiculous. I don't care who she's related to.