A federal judge ruled Monday that former President Donald Trump cannot make statements critical of prosecutors, court staff or their families — or discuss possible witnesses or testimony in the election meddling case against him.
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan insisted that her partial gag order did not prevent Trump, 77, from attacking the Justice Department or expressing his belief that the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith was politically motivated.
“You keep talking about censorship like the defendant has unfettered First Amendment rights. He didn’t,” Chutkan told Trump attorney John Lauro at one point during the morning hearing.
“We are not talking about censorship here,” the judge added. “We are talking about sanctions to ensure there is a fair administration of justice in this case.”
Trump was not present during the hearing in Washington, but he dismissed the order Monday afternoon as “unconstitutional” and vowed to appeal the decision.
“Today a judge made a gag order. I will be the only politician in history to run a gag order where I am not allowed to criticize people. Can you imagine this?” exclaimed Trump during a campaign event in Iowa
“Do you believe this? I’m not allowed to criticize people, so we’ll see. We will appeal it and we will see but it is very unconstitutional.”
His presidential campaign was also quick to condemn the half-joke order.
Former President Donald Trump faces four criminal charges.REUTERS
“Today’s decision is an absolute abomination and another partisan knife driven into the heart of our Democracy by Crooked Joe Biden, who was given the right to silence his political opponent, the leading candidate for the presidency in 2024,” a spokesman said in a letter not signed. statement.
“President Trump will continue to fight for our Constitution, the right of the American people to uphold it, and keep our country free from the chains of armed and targeted law enforcement.”
During the trial, Trump fumed from the sidelines on social media.
Jack Smith is leading two pending DOJ criminal cases against Donald Trump.AP
“The TRUMP GAG ORDER that the CORRUPT Biden Administration is trying to get is unconstitutional,” he wrote on Truth Social.
If the former president violates the order, Chutkan said, he will impose “such sanctions as may be necessary,” but declined to provide specifics. Such penalties could include fines or prison terms, but that also risks blowing up fierce politics.
Trump has sporadically lashed out at judges and special counsel on Truth Social, posting in August: “IF YOU TAKE ME OUT, I WILL TAKE YOU OUT!”
The former president has insulted Tanya Chutkan as a judge who “hates Trump”.AP
That prompted Smith’s team to pursue a protective order barring Trump from sharing evidence in the case. Prosecutors later won a modified version of their request from Chutkan.
Trump’s lawyers have fought against Smith’s bid to joke, citing the ongoing campaign in which Trump is the Republican front-runner.
“[This] nothing more than a clear attempt by the Biden Administration to illegally silence his most prominent political opponent, who is now ahead of the election,” the former president’s legal team said in a filing last month.
Prosecutor Molly Gaston argued in response that Trump’s lawyers were seeking “special treatment, asserting that because he is a political candidate, he should be free to publicly intimidate witnesses and defame the Court.”
In court on Monday, Chutkan read aloud a series of statements from Trump, repeatedly raising concerns that his remarks could incite violence.
“If you call certain people thugs enough, doesn’t that suggest, Mr. Lauro, that someone should take them off the streets?” he asked at one point.
Among the attendees were Trump allies and Rep. far right Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who is openly thinking about being the Republican running mate next year.
“The DC courts have now become the Ministry of Truth,” Greene posted on X in response to the Chutkan decision.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene stated she attended the hearing in her capacity as a member of the Oversight Committee. AFP via Getty Images
Trump’s trial in the case is scheduled for March 4, 2024, just one day before the Super Tuesday presidential primary contest. His team unsuccessfully tried to move the start date back.
The former president pleaded not guilty to all four charges in the 2020 election case on August 3.
He also faces a 34-count indictment from Manhattan for allegedly concealing secret payments, a 40-count indictment from Smith for allegedly concealing a portion of national security documents, and 13 counts for alleged election subversion in Georgia.
Trump attorneys Todd Blanche (left) and Emil Bove (center) arrive for a DC court hearing.Getty Images
Trump has pleaded not guilty in all of the cases and has denounced them as election meddling and a “witch hunt.”
Concerns about Trump’s rhetoric are not limited to the case of the 2020 election.
In the ongoing New York civil fraud case, presiding Judge Arthur Engoron recently ordered Trump to throw out a post about a court clerk who referred to the woman as “[Chuck] Schumer’s girlfriend.”
Trump has a strong hold on the 2024 GOP primary, leading in every national poll.
He is the first current or former US president to be criminally indicted.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
