Former President Trump is still under the corrupt Judge Merchan’s gag order despite the trial having concluded earlier this month.

Now we learn that the New York Court of Appeals has refused to hear Trump’s challenge to the gag order.

Here’s more from NBC News:

The New York Court of Appeals on Tuesday declined to hear former President Donald Trump’s appeal of the gag order in the hush money case in which he was convicted last month.

The court said it was dismissing the appeal “upon the ground that no substantial constitutional question is directly involved.”

That means the gag order imposed on Trump by state Judge Juan Merchan is still in effect. A court spokesman did not immediately return NBC News’ request for more information on the decision.

Trump first asked the appeals court in mid-May, before he was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, to eliminate the gag order that has restricted Trump from making comments about members of the jury, witnesses, court staff and prosecutors.

Trump repeatedly railed against the gag order throughout the trial, which lasted about a month and a half. The former president was found to have violated the order mutiple times, which led to Merchan fining Trump $10,000 and threatening to put him in jail if it happened again.

In early June, Trump attorney Todd Blanche sent a letter to Merchan requesting that he terminate the gag order, arguing that “because the trial has concluded, the stated bases for the gag order no longer exist.” The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted the case, opposed the request by Trump’s legal team.

It’s outrageous that Merchan hasn’t lifted his gag order at this point. It was outrageous to begin with, but the trial concluded weeks ago now and there’s just no point in keeping Trump silent, especially in an election year when he’s running for the highest office in the land.

The New York Appeals Court saying there’s no substantial constitutional question is absurd. Trump’s First Amendment rights are absolutely substantial and they are being continually violated by this unconstitutional gag order and it demands remedy.