At the time of writing, Donald Trump has managed to spend a whole three hours without transgressing the gag order imposed by Judge Tanya Chutkan in a DC election interference case.
Following a heated hearing, Judge Chutkan announced a constrained gag order from the bench, with a written memorialization to follow. Trump is forbidden from launching verbal attacks against witnesses, prosecutors, and courtroom staff, but is allowed to disparage the potential jury pool in DC and the judge. This order was more limited than what was sought by prosecutors, who were unsuccessful in their bid for court supervision over any potential polls that could prejudice the jury.
Trump’s campaign reacted by releasing a statement expressing strong opposition to the judge’s order. Trump’s lawyer John Lauro mirrored this sentiment both in the court and in his motions against the gag order.
Judge Chutkan chided Lauro about the excessive rhetoric and noted that his intended audience seemed to reach beyond the court. He also made a peculiar promise that Trump would combat criminal activity in DC.
Judge Chutkan openly disagreed with Lauro’s suggestion that it is legitimate for Trump to attack Jack Smith’s wife or court personnel. She also strongly opposed the idea that it’s illegal censorship to regulate Trump’s speech simply because he is a political candidate.
She asserted that Trump is a criminal defendant facing four felony charges, and therefore is under the supervision of the criminal justice system and should not have the right to say and do specifically as he pleases.
Lauro then proposed delaying the trial until post-November 2024 to avoid political interference during the election campaign, but this suggestion was quickly rejected. The court stated the trial will not be adjusted according to the election cycle and the trial date will not be revisited.
For now, Trump has adhered to the terms of the order. However, he did share a post from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was at the hearing. It remains to be seen how long this compliance will last.
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