Trump's fraud-trial judge says he'll 'vigorously' enforce the gag order now that it's back

• The gag order against Donald Trump in his New York civil fraud trial is back.
• A New York appeals court reinstated the order on Thursday after it was temporarily lifted.

Donald Trump's limited gag order is back on at the former president's New York civil fraud trial.

A New York appeals court on Thursday reinstated the gag order on Trump that bars him and his lawyers from making public statements attacking the legal staff of the judge presiding over the trial.

The gag order was temporarily lifted two weeks ago as Trump appealed the order.

New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, the judge overseeing the ongoing, non-jury trial, noted the decision by the four-judge appeals panel just before the morning break in Thursday's fraud-trial testimony.

"I intend to enforce the gag orders rigorously and vigorously and I wanted to inform counsel of that," Engoron told Trump's defense team.

Trump's lead attorney, Christopher Kise, responded by saying, "It's a tragic day for the rule of law, but we are aware."

Trump and his lawyers are now barred, again, from attacking the judge's legal staff either verbally or on social media.

The reasoning behind the brief decision by the appellate panel was not explained in any detail.

The four judges said only that prior to reinstating the gag, they had reviewed and deliberated on the submissions and arguments made by lawyers for Trump and for the New York attorney general's office.

The gag was first put in place on October 3, just one day after opening statements. It was issued in response to Trump posting to Truth Social a photo of the judge's principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield.

The photo had been lifted from Greenfield's own social media. It showed Greenfield, a candidate for a judgeship at the time, standing next to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat frequently targeted by Trump and the right.

In the Truth Social post, Trump named the law clerk, linked to her social media account, and falsely called her "Schumer's girlfriend." Trump had also singled her out that day in remarks to reporters covering the trial.

Greenfield "is running this case against me," Trump had captioned the photo.

Engoron has twice found Trump in contempt of court for violating the gag order, fining him a total of $15,000.

The first time was on October 20, when the judge held Trump in contempt because a copy of the Truth Social post had remained on his campaign website.

The second time was on October 25, when he found that Trump called the clerk "very partisan" in gag-violating remarks to reporters outside the courtroom.