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Former President Donald Trump signaled this week that he is willing to be locked up for violating Judge Juan Merchan’s restrictive gag order in remarks to reporters.

On Monday, Merchan, a known donor to Democratic candidates, cited new examples of Trump violating the order after he fined the 45th president $9,000 last week for similar violations. “Merchan warned Trump that continued violations of the order could result in incarceration—a threat he made again on Monday after fining him the maximum of $1,000 for the most recent violation,” NBC News reported.

“It appears that the $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent,” Merchan said during early proceedings on Monday.

“The last thing I want to do is to put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well. There are many reasons why incarceration is truly a last resort for you,” he continued, adding that taking that step would be “disruptive to the proceedings.”

However, Merchan warned Trump that “his continued willful violations of this court’s orders threaten the administration of justice and constitute a direct attack on the rule of law. I cannot allow that to continue.”

Merchan noted that the offending statement was posted to Trump’s Truth Social account and that it must be removed by 2:15 p.m. on Monday.

Later, Trump was critical of the gag order to reporters, vowing that he may have to be jailed over the issue.

“I tell you people, you ask me a question, a simple question, I’d like to give it, but I can’t talk about it because this judge has given me a gag order and said you’ll go to jail if you violate it,” he said.

“And frankly, you know what? Our Constitution is much more important than jail. It’s not even close. I’ll do that sacrifice any day,” he added.

The former president also noted that the trial is expected to last for several more weeks.

“So we just found out. The government said they want two to three more weeks,” he said, per The Epoch Times.. They want to keep me off the trail for two to three more weeks. Now, anybody in there would realize there’s no case; they don’t have a case.”

“This is just a political witch hunt, it’s election interference, and this is really, truly election interference,” he said, claiming that the case was only brought after he announced his campaign.

Trump also criticized the order late last week.

“This judge has taken away my constitutional right,” Trump said in the hallway outside court on Friday morning. “We’re filing, I think today, a constitutional motion. He added, “If somebody says something about me and I’m not allowed to respond, that’s never happened before.”

Meanwhile, the attorney who also acts as Trump’s spokeswoman criticized the Democrat-dominated justice system in New York City as “third world” and suggested that Merchan routinely infringes upon Trump’s constitutional rights to a fair trial.

Lawyer Alina Habba specifically addressed the nearly unprecedented gag order on Trump’s business records criminal trial in Manhattan, the first against a former president.

“The gag orders, the unconstitutionality. I mean, what is more Colombia? Russia? What is more third world?” Habba told Newsmax TV host Carl Higbie. “This is why we have people pouring into our country, running for freedom. And now we’re gonna be like that. You know, we are that. It’s disgusting.”

During a courtroom session last week, Merchan chastised Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, as he vigorously defended Trump against the gag order. Blanche contended that Trump’s responses to political attacks shouldn’t warrant punishment, but Merchan rebuked him, stating that he was “losing all credibility” on the matter.

“What happened in court today with the gag order and the anger that you’re seeing from these judges; it’s very concerning for me,” Habba said.

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