House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., blasted Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday for fining former President Trump 10 times for gag order violations during an ongoing presidential campaign.

Merchan is presiding over Trump's hush money case in New York.

"The judge, who is a well-known Democrat, is pursuing an indefensible gag order on President Trump. Now, just think about that. Think about the magnitude of that. He's trying to override President Trump's constitutional right to defend himself against the constant smears of his political opponents, in an election year," Johnson said during a news conference on Tuesday after a House GOP conference meeting.

"You cannot call yourself a serious judge and threaten a presidential candidate with jail time when he defends his reputation in public in the middle of a campaign. And I think everybody of good conscience understands that," he added.