The former president’s endured multiple legal woes this year. The Left wants to try and use those legal issues to handicap him during the presidential election cycle.
And Donald Trump was left with his jaw on the floor after a judge did the unthinkable to him.
It’s no secret that Joe Biden and the Democrats have weaponized the Department of Justice (DOJ) to go after former President Donald Trump.
They are worried that he will run away with the election this November, so they want to try and limit him as much as possible, even if that means throwing him in jail over bogus charges.
But fortunately for Trump, he’s just received a bit of a break from the Left’s constant legal pounding of him.
Donald Trump Gag Order Partially Lifted
A judge on Tuesday adjusted the gag order imposed on Donald Trump, allowing the former president to publicly discuss witnesses and jurors involved in his hush money trial. This modification permits Trump to speak out on these individuals until his sentencing on July 11, while maintaining restrictions on others associated with the case.
Justice Juan Merchan’s ruling came just a few days before Trump debated with President Biden, granting the presumptive Republican nominee the freedom to criticize his former lawyer Michael Cohen, adult film actress Stormy Daniels, and other witnesses.
The former president was convicted on May 30 of falsifying records to conceal a possible s*x scandal, marking the first instance of a former U.S. president being convicted of a crime.
Trump’s legal team had requested the complete removal of the gag order, asserting that there was no longer a need for restrictions on Trump’s First Amendment rights following the trial’s conclusion. Trump has argued that the gag order hindered his ability to defend himself while Cohen and Daniels continued to publicly criticize him.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office had asked Justice Merchan to maintain the gag order’s prohibition on comments about jurors, court staff, and the prosecution team until Trump’s sentencing on July 11. However, they agreed to allow Trump to comment on witnesses now that the trial has concluded.
Trump was convicted on 34 counts relating to the falsifying of business records, which prosecutors claimed was an effort to cover up a hush money payment to Daniels shortly before the presidential election in 2016. Daniels alleges a s*xual encounter with Trump occurred a decade earlier, but the former president has denied that claim.
The convictions carry a potential prison sentence of up to four years, though prosecutors have not indicated whether they will look for incarceration. A fine or probation are other sentencing options.
Following his conviction, Trump voiced his frustration over the “nasty gag order” and tested its limits. He referred to Cohen, without naming him, as “a sleazebag” a day after the verdict. In a Newsmax interview, Trump criticized the jury and its composition, calling Manhattan “a very, very liberal Democrat area” and claiming he “never saw a glimmer of a smile from the jury.”
Believing the gag order would end with the verdict, Trump’s lawyers, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, wrote to Justice Merchan on June 4, requesting the order’s removal.
Prosecutors countered, urging Justice Merchan to keep the ban on comments about jurors and trial staff in place “at least through the sentencing hearing and the resolution of any post-trial motions.” They also stated that the judge had “an obligation to protect the integrity of these proceedings and the fair administration of justice.”
The gag order was originally issued on March 26, shortly before the trial began, after concerns were raised about Trump’s tendency to attack individuals involved in his cases. Justice Merchan later expanded the order to prohibit comments about his own family following social media posts by Trump targeting the judge’s daughter, a Democratic political consultant. The order did not restrict comments about Justice Merchan or District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who prosecuted the case.
As the trial was happening, Trump was held in contempt of court, fined $10,000 for violating the gag order, and warned of possible jail time for further violations.
In their request to lift the gag order, Trump’s lawyers argued that he should be allowed “unrestrained campaign advocacy” because of President Biden’s public comments about the verdict, as well as continued public criticism from Cohen and Daniels.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
