Donald Trump has been restricted by a New York judge with a gag order, which prohibits him from making comments on possible witnesses during the criminal trial about hush money payments, which is due to commence next month.
Judge Juan Merchan has further outlined that the former president, 77, cannot pass remarks regarding attorneys, court personnel, prosecutors’ and lawyers’ family members with an intention to hinder the case. Moreover, Trump is not allowed to make any comments on any current or prospective jury member.
Donald Trump Makes 'Threatening, Inflammatory And Denigrating' Remarks About People In The Justice System, Judge Says
According to Merchan, Trump has a record of making "threatening, inflammatory, and demigrating" comments towards individuals within the justice system, including jurors, at all levels.
On March 26th, Merchan added: 'The uncontested record reflecting the Defendant’s prior extra-judicial statements establishes a sufficient risk to the administration of justice … and there exists no less restrictive means to prevent such risk."
The ruling has been enacted to restrain Trump from making any critical comments about Michael Cohen, his ex-attorney, or Stormy Daniels, the adult film star, who are anticipated to testify at the trial. Trump is also not restricted from discussing the New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is a public figure, or Merchan himself, by the order.
The gag order was issued amidst Trump's incessant criticism of the district attorney's case and the people involved in it. This comes in anticipation of the first-ever criminal trial of a former president. Trump specifically targeted Merchan, as well as his daughter and one of Bragg's prosecutors, in the hours preceding the order.
Jury selection for Trump's criminal trial will commence on April 15th, following a disagreement over delayed document production that caused Merchan to delay the initial start date.
Trump faces 34 charges of falsifying business records due to the reimbursements made to Cohen for hush money payments to Daniels before the 2016 election, in an effort to keep her from revealing the alleged affair with Trump.
Pleading not guilty, the former president has denied the affair. This marks a historic moment in the American political landscape.
Trump Campaign Spokesman Slams Judge Merchan's Gag Order
In his bid for the presidency in 2024, Trump and his legal team contend that his ability to address potential voters as the prominent Republican candidate should not be constrained.
In a recent statement, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said: "Judge Merchan’s unconstitutional Gag Order prevents President Trump — the leading candidate for President of the United States — from engaging in core political speech, which is entitled to the highest level of protection under the First Amendment."
Cheung went on: "American voters have a fundamental right to hear the uncensored voice of the leading candidate for the highest office in the land."
