Judge Arthur Engoron, who previously handed Trump a gag order for attacking a court clerk on social media, ordered the former president to quiet down after he expressed frustration and interrupted real estate appraiser Doug Larsonā€™s testimony by speaking loudly to his legal team.

New York State lawyer Kevin Wallace had complained to Engoron, saying that Trumpā€™s ā€œexhortationsā€ were distracting to those on the witnessā€™ side of the room, the Associated Press reported.

A few hours later, a reporter for Law 360 reported that an unnamed woman had ā€œwalked up to the front of the [public] gallery, approaching ā€˜the wellā€™ where Trump was seated.ā€ She was immediately confronted by law enforcement, who told her to return to her seat then later led her out of the courtroom.

In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for New York State courts said the woman was a court employee who had since been placed on administrative leave. She was ā€œyelling out to Mr. Trump indicating she wanted to assist him,ā€ the spokesperson said.