Judge directs Michael Cohen to zip it on Trump, including his disparaging TikTok videos

Judge Juan Merchan directed New York prosecutors to tell Michael Cohen to stop making comments about the case and former President Trump but did not impose a gag order.

Judge Juan Merchan, center, told New York prosecutors to give Michael Cohen, right, a message "from the bench" to stop making comments about former President Trump and the criminal case.  (Getty Images)

A spokesperson for Trump's campaign called the judge's decision a "big win." 

The warning does not impose any legal consequences should Cohen not heed the judges' instructions.

Trump's legal team has appealed the gag order to the appellate division. 

Cohen is expected to be the star witness for Bragg and his team for his role in arranging a purported $130,000 payment in 2016 to adult actress Stormy Daniels to silence her story that she had a sexual encounter with Trump in the early 2000s. 

MICHAEL COHEN TO TESTIFY IN TRUMP TRIAL ON MONDAY

Michael Cohen, who is supposed to be a star witness in N.Y. v. Trump, might have "torpedoed" the case before taking the stand by ranting about it on TikTok, according to legal observers.  (Getty Images)

But Trump defense attorneys say the $35,000 payments were "not a payback," but instead legal payments or attorney's fees. 

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. 

Legal experts told Fox News Digital Cohen might have "torpedoed" the case before taking the stand by ranting about it on TikTok while fundraising.

"It is a major problem for prosecutors. It is not a problem for Cohen’s credibility because he has none. He is a convicted perjurer and fraudster whose current ‘defense’ of his fraud convictions is that he wasn’t telling the truth when he pled guilty," former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew McCarthy said. 

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"It’s a problem for prosecutors because they chose to build a case on a witness with a track record of bad conduct and deep bias and, not surprisingly, he can’t help himself but continue to act in character," McCarthy said. 

Defense attorney Jeremy Saland, who used to work in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, told ABC News Trump’s legal team can use Cohen’s actions to "tear down his credibility." 

"If I'm the prosecution, I'm on the phone right now saying, 'Stop what you are doing — right now,'" Saland told ABC News. 

Fox News Digital's Brian Flood and David Ruitz contributed to this report.

Brianna Herlihy is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

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