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New York Judge Juan Merchan slapped former President Donald Trump with a $9,000 contempt of court fine on Tuesday for repeatedly violating the gag order in his Manhattan hush money trial to publicly attack witnesses and jurors — and warned him that a stay on Rikers Island could be in his future if he continues on his current path.

This led some commenters on social media to praise the judge — but many others urged him to stop showing so much restraint on Trump, who has already been fined multiple times for similar violations in his civil trials.

"BREAKING: Judge Merchan fines Trump for violating gag order 9 times," wrote political influencer Ed Krassenstein on X. "Trump has officially been held in contempt of court. But I'm sure that MAGA will claim that it's because the judge is biased and because Trump is being politically targeted, right? When will Republicans ever just say, 'Trump made a mistake?'"

"The $9,000 Trump has to pay for violating his gag order is good but isn’t going to stop him," wrote political podcaster "JoJoFromJerz." "I don’t see how he makes it through this trial without spending some time in the pokey."

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MSNBC political analyst Tim O'Brien had a sober assessment. "Trump will see Justice Merchan’s $9,000 fine for violating the gag order as a reasonable cost for the ability to continue attacking the judge, court and rule of law," he wrote. "It won’t stop him."

"If any of us violated a gag order so many times, we would be in custody," wrote legal expert and commentator John Collins.

Georgia State University constitutional law professor Anthony Michael Kreis thinks this is an ominous sign for the former president.

"Judge Merchan makes plain by holding Donald Trump in contempt that the New York gag order is a blanket one covering any statements about witnesses, jurors, (or potential jurors earlier in the process)," he wrote.

"He has little room to run to the media: a danger zone for undisciplined Trump."

Donald Trump is likely going to be convicted in the hush money cover-up case he's currently facing, but the real punishment is being forced to be a criminal defendant, a former prosecutor said Sunday.

Legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti appeared on MSNBC's Alex Witt Reports, where he was asked about whether or not Trump will be held accountable for any potential wrongdoing.

"Big picture, Renato, do you think some sense of accountability is near for Donald Trump, given everything in his legal sphere that is going on?" the host asked.

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"I personally think some measure of accountability is here for Donald Trump," he responded, noting that the New York trial is likely the only one to take place before the upcoming election. "I do not think he wants to be sitting in a cold courtroom. I do not think he is enjoying this experience. I think he feels humiliated. He is being ordered around by a judge referring to him as Mr. Trump and telling him what to do. I think there is already some measure of accountability."

That being said, however, Mariotti also made a prediction about the case's conclusion.

"Do I think there is likely a conviction here? Yes, I do. Obviously that is not the only piece of this that I think has an impact on Donald trump."

Watch below or click here.

CNN's Erin Burnett and Paula Reid were stunned by the "incredibly effective" cross-examination by Trump lawyers of prosecution witness Keith Davidson.