New York Judge Juan Merchan Calls Trump 'Possibly the Next President' Jane Rosenberg/Pool Photo via AP)

Judge Juan Merchan admitted in court Monday that former President Donald Trump could become “the next president” — a tacit acknowledgement not only of recent favorable polls, but that his business records trial is occurring in the middle of a presidential election with direct bearing on the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

“The last thing I want to consider is jail,” Merchan warned Trump about violating a gag order placed on him. “You are [the] former president and possibly the next president.”

Merchan said Monday he would consider jail time for Trump if he continued to violate a gag order he placed on him that bans him from speaking about prosecutors (other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg), their staff, other members of the court, Merchan's family members (including his daughter, who works on digital campaigns for Democrats), witnesses — including Michael Cohen, who has incessantly bashed Trump on social media — and jurors.

Merchan last week held Trump in contempt of court for violating the gag order nine times, fining him $1,000 for each violation. On Monday, he said Trump had violated the order a tenth time.

“It’s a political hoax,” Trump said before entering the courtroom. “It’s election interference. This is a ridiculous situation. Not fair. Not fair, but we will fight.”

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