<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The judge presiding over Donald Trump's criminal trial&nbsp;fined him $1,000 on Monday (May 6), for breaching the gag order for the tenth time.</p>

<p>Justice Juan Merchan cautioned that he would contemplate incarcerating Trump for any subsequent infractions. Merchan noted that the nine fines of $1,000 each imposed previously did not appear to dissuade Trump from violating the gag order, which prohibits him from publicly discussing jurors, witnesses, and the families of the judge and prosecutors if such remarks try to interfere with the case.</p>

<p>Merchan stated that he saw jail time as "truly the last resort" for several reasons, including the trial's disruption, the political implications of imprisoning a leading presidential candidate before an election, and the exceptional security challenges of detaining a former president with ongoing Secret Service protection.</p>

<p>Nonetheless, he said that Trump's persistent and deliberate violations of the gag order amounted to a "direct attack on the rule of law."</p>

<p>“I do not want to impose a jail sanction and have done everything I can to avoid doing so. But I will if necessary,” Merchan said from the bench in the absence of the jury.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kristi-noem-trump-vp-contender-suggests-bidens-dog-should-be-killed-too-718481">Also read |&nbsp;Kristi Noem, Trump VP contender, suggests Biden’s dog Commander should be killed too</a></p>

<p>Under New York law, breaching a court-issued gag order can result in fines reaching $1,000 or imprisonment for a maximum of 30 days.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Merchan imposed a $1,000 fine on Monday for an April 22 broadcast interview in which the Republican former president said: "That jury was picked so fast - 95% Democrats. The area's mostly all Democrat."</p>

<h2><strong>What's the case against Trump?</strong></h2>

<p>New York prosecutors have accused Trump of lying about his business records to hide a $130,000 payment to a porn star named Stormy Daniels, who says she had sex with him in 2006. Trump says he didn't do it and denies having sex with Daniels.</p>

<p>Trump often complains that he can't talk to voters much because of a rule that stops him from talking about the case.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Donald Trump to announce his second-in-command in a few weeks: Reports</strong></p>

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<p>Before a meeting on Monday, Trump didn't talk about Cohen, his old lawyer who will likely speak in the trial. But he kept saying that New York prosecutors are teaming up with President Joe Biden to hurt his chances in politics. He also said the judge has a problem because his daughter works for Democrats. Trump's lawyers tried to get the judge off the case, but they didn't succeed.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The judge presiding over Donald Trump's criminal trial fined him $1,000 on Monday (May 6), for breaching the gag order for the tenth time. Justice Juan Merchan cautioned that he would contemplate incarcerating Trump for any subsequent infractions.

The judge presiding over Donald Trump's criminal trial fined him $1,000 on Monday (May 6), for breaching the gag order for the tenth time. Justice Juan Merchan cautioned that he would contemplate incarcerating Trump for any subsequent infractions. Merchan noted that the nine fines of $1,000 each imposed previously did not appear to dissuade Trump from violating the gag order, which prohibits him from publicly discussing jurors, witnesses, and the families of the judge and prosecutors if such remarks try to interfere with the case. Merchan stated that he saw jail time as "truly the last resort" for several reasons, including the trial's disruption, the political implications of imprisoning a leading presidential candidate before an election, and the exceptional security challenges of detaining a former president with ongoing Secret Service protection. Nonetheless, he said that Trump's persistent and deliberate violations of the gag order amounted to a "direct attack on the rule of law." “I do not want to impose a jail sanction and have done everything I can to avoid doing so. But I will if necessary,” Merchan said from the bench in the absence of the jury. Also read | Kristi Noem, Trump VP contender, suggests Biden’s dog Commander should be killed too Under New York law, breaching a court-issued gag order can result in fines reaching $1,000 or imprisonment for a maximum of 30 days. Merchan imposed a $1,000 fine on Monday for an April 22 broadcast interview in which the Republican former president said: "That jury was picked so fast - 95% Democrats. The area's mostly all Democrat." What's the case against Trump? New York prosecutors have accused Trump of lying about his business records to hide a $130,000 payment to a porn star named Stormy Daniels, who says she had sex with him in 2006. Trump says he didn't do it and denies having sex with Daniels. Trump often complains that he can't talk to voters much because of a rule that stops him from talking about the case. Also watch | Donald Trump to announce his second-in-command in a few weeks: Reports Before a meeting on Monday, Trump didn't talk about Cohen, his old lawyer who will likely speak in the trial. But he kept saying that New York prosecutors are teaming up with President Joe Biden to hurt his chances in politics. He also said the judge has a problem because his daughter works for Democrats. Trump's lawyers tried to get the judge off the case, but they didn't succeed. (With inputs from agencies)

Judge fines Trump $1,000 for 10th gag order breach, warns of jail time

<p>The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s historic criminal case fined the former United States president $9,000 after holding him in contempt of court for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others related to the ongoing trial.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Trump warned about jail time</strong></h2>

<p>The order by Justice Juan Merchan came as the proceedings in the trial resumed in Manhattan criminal court, on Tuesday (Apr 30). Earlier this month, prosecutors had alleged 10 violations of the gag order, but the judge found there were nine.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump, according to the Associated Press, has also been warned by the judge that if he violates the gag order again, he could be jailed. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-hush-money-trial-key-witness-reveals-alleged-catch-and-kill-scheme-to-buy-sex-stories-715080">Trump hush money trial: Key witness reveals alleged 'catch and kill' scheme to buy sex stories</a></strong></p>

<p>In his written order, Merchan said that Trump “is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment.”</p>

<p>He also noted that this fine may not be enough to serve as a deterrent for the former president, and lamented he did not have the authority to impose a higher penalty.</p>

<p>The judge has also ordered Trump to remove seven statements from his Truth Social account and two from his campaign website by 2:15 pm (local time).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Merchan said he would consider whether to impose additional fines at a hearing on Thursday (May 2). The former president has been fined $1,000 for each of nine online statements that the judge said violated the order.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last month, the judge imposed a gag order on Trump on the prosecutors’ request to block him from speaking about the witnesses.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The order was later expanded to include his own family members and those of the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat who brought the charges against the former president.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Proceedings on Tuesday</strong></h2>

<p>The court on Tuesday will reportedly begin with testimony from a banker who is said to be familiar with the former president’s accounts and the alleged scheme to pay hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels and falsifying business records to cover the payments.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Banker Gary Farro, who has not been accused of wrongdoing, reportedly&nbsp;helped Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen open accounts, including one that was used to pay hush money to Daniels.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-hush-money-trial-violation-of-gag-order-can-lead-to-fines-jail-time-say-new-york-prosecutors-711653">Trump’s hush money trial: Violation of gag order can lead to fines, jail time, say New York prosecutors</a></strong></p>

<p>The charges in the case stem from alleged accounting fraud and falsifying business records to cover up the $130,000 payment to Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. &nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>‘TRUMP 24’</strong></h2>

<p>Trump is the first former US president to face a criminal trial, which began on April 22 after the selection of the jury. But he is also the presumptive Republican candidate for the upcoming presidential election and campaigning when he is not in court.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Tuesday morning, around two dozen supporters rallied outside the courthouse chanting and waving banners that read “TRUMP 24,” reported Reuters.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The hush money case is one of the four criminal cases against Trump, but the only one which went to trial and will result in a verdict ahead of the November elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s historic criminal case fined the former United States president $9,000 after holding him in contempt of court for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others related to the ongoing trial.

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s historic criminal case fined the former United States president $9,000 after holding him in contempt of court for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others related to the ongoing trial. Trump warned about jail time The order by Justice Juan Merchan came as the proceedings in the trial resumed in Manhattan criminal court, on Tuesday (Apr 30). Earlier this month, prosecutors had alleged 10 violations of the gag order, but the judge found there were nine. Trump, according to the Associated Press, has also been warned by the judge that if he violates the gag order again, he could be jailed. Also Read | Trump hush money trial: Key witness reveals alleged 'catch and kill' scheme to buy sex stories In his written order, Merchan said that Trump “is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment.” He also noted that this fine may not be enough to serve as a deterrent for the former president, and lamented he did not have the authority to impose a higher penalty. The judge has also ordered Trump to remove seven statements from his Truth Social account and two from his campaign website by 2:15 pm (local time). Merchan said he would consider whether to impose additional fines at a hearing on Thursday (May 2). The former president has been fined $1,000 for each of nine online statements that the judge said violated the order. Last month, the judge imposed a gag order on Trump on the prosecutors’ request to block him from speaking about the witnesses. The order was later expanded to include his own family members and those of the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat who brought the charges against the former president. Proceedings on Tuesday The court on Tuesday will reportedly begin with testimony from a banker who is said to be familiar with the former president’s accounts and the alleged scheme to pay hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels and falsifying business records to cover the payments. Banker Gary Farro, who has not been accused of wrongdoing, reportedly helped Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen open accounts, including one that was used to pay hush money to Daniels. Also Read | Trump’s hush money trial: Violation of gag order can lead to fines, jail time, say New York prosecutors The charges in the case stem from alleged accounting fraud and falsifying business records to cover up the $130,000 payment to Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. ‘TRUMP 24’ Trump is the first former US president to face a criminal trial, which began on April 22 after the selection of the jury. But he is also the presumptive Republican candidate for the upcoming presidential election and campaigning when he is not in court. On Tuesday morning, around two dozen supporters rallied outside the courthouse chanting and waving banners that read “TRUMP 24,” reported Reuters. The hush money case is one of the four criminal cases against Trump, but the only one which went to trial and will result in a verdict ahead of the November elections. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump hush money trial: Former US president fined $9,000 for violating gag order

<p>Lawyers for Donald Trump were met with scepticism Monday (Nov 20) as they urged an appeals court to revoke a gag order in his election interference case -- although the judges appeared inclined to narrow the wording to safeguard his right to criticise his prosecution.</p>

<p>Judge Tanya Chutkan, overseeing the federal case against the former US president in Washington for an alleged criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election, restricted statements that "target" prosecutors, court personnel and witnesses.</p>

<p>The order sought to put an end to incendiary remarks against individuals by Trump -- who has repeatedly called chief prosecutor Jack Smith "deranged" and his colleagues "thugs" -- and to stop the former president publicly attacking potential witnesses.</p>

<p>Chutkan did recognise Trump's right to criticise his successor Joe Biden, whom the Republican frontrunner will likely face as he bids for a return to the White House in next year's presidential election.</p>

<p>But Trump argues that the gag order, currently temporarily lifted during his appeal, runs up against First Amendment protections guaranteeing free speech.</p>

<p>His lawyers say the restrictions on him in the trial, set to start in March, will have an undue influence on his 2024 campaign.</p>

<p>"There's a balance that has to be undertaken here, and it's a very difficult balance in this context," one of the three judges on the appeals panel said, summarising the stakes of the Washington hearing, which lasted more than two hours.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"And we certainly want to make sure that the criminal trial process and its integrity and its truth-finding function are protected. But we've got to use a scalpel here and not step into really sort of skewing the political arena."</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Donald Trump returns to the US-Mexico border, reaches Texas to promote hard-line immigration agenda</strong></p>

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<p>Trump's lawyer, John Sauer, argued that even the smallest restriction on his client's expression would be unconstitutional unless based on "extraordinarily compelling" evidence of damage to the integrity of the trial, and the risk of repeated harm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"There is near complete overlap between the issues in the case and the issues in the political campaign," he said.</p>

<h2><strong>'Cowards and weaklings'</strong></h2>

<p>The government argues that while there is no problem with Trump broadly criticising his case and the institutions involved in his prosecution, he should not be allowed to go after individuals.</p>

<p>Prosecutors say some of the Republican's statements about his trial "consist of ad hominem attacks using inflammatory language likely to arouse angry or violent feelings in the listener, rather than reasoned argument."</p>

<p>Prosecutor Cecil VanDevender highlighted a "very clear" pattern showing that incendiary personal attacks by Trump led to "threats, intimidation" against his targets by supporters of the ex-president.</p>

<p>The panel suggested that the distinction was sometimes tenuous, noting that the case -- one of four criminal prosecutions faced by Trump -- is sometimes referred to as the "Jack Smith" trial.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-trump-pledges-to-scrap-bidens-asia-trade-initiative-if-elected-660234"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;US: Donald Trump pledges to scrap Biden`s Asia trade initiative if elected</strong></a></p>

<p>The judges also drilled into the prosecution's position that Trump should be banned from assailing potential witnesses, pointing out that this could deny him the right to respond to public criticism by well-known opponents such as former Trump administration officials. &nbsp;</p>

<p>To clarify the restrictions, Chutkan cited a post that Trump made on his Truth Social website questioning whether his former chief of staff Mark Meadows took an immunity deal to testify against him, saying only "weaklings and cowards" would do so.</p>

<p>The judge said that sort of speech should be restricted.</p>

<p>The debate Monday also focused on the exact definition of the word "target" -- described as "vague" by the defense, in comments echoed by influential civil rights campaigners.</p>

<p>The timetable for a decision was not immediately clear but no ruling on the gag order was expected Monday.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Lawyers for Donald Trump were met with scepticism Monday (Nov 20) as they urged an appeals court to revoke a gag order in his election interference case -- although the judges appeared inclined to narrow the wording to safeguard his right to criticise his prosecution.

Lawyers for Donald Trump were met with scepticism Monday (Nov 20) as they urged an appeals court to revoke a gag order in his election interference case -- although the judges appeared inclined to narrow the wording to safeguard his right to criticise his prosecution. Judge Tanya Chutkan, overseeing the federal case against the former US president in Washington for an alleged criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election, restricted statements that "target" prosecutors, court personnel and witnesses. The order sought to put an end to incendiary remarks against individuals by Trump -- who has repeatedly called chief prosecutor Jack Smith "deranged" and his colleagues "thugs" -- and to stop the former president publicly attacking potential witnesses. Chutkan did recognise Trump's right to criticise his successor Joe Biden, whom the Republican frontrunner will likely face as he bids for a return to the White House in next year's presidential election. But Trump argues that the gag order, currently temporarily lifted during his appeal, runs up against First Amendment protections guaranteeing free speech. His lawyers say the restrictions on him in the trial, set to start in March, will have an undue influence on his 2024 campaign. "There's a balance that has to be undertaken here, and it's a very difficult balance in this context," one of the three judges on the appeals panel said, summarising the stakes of the Washington hearing, which lasted more than two hours. "And we certainly want to make sure that the criminal trial process and its integrity and its truth-finding function are protected. But we've got to use a scalpel here and not step into really sort of skewing the political arena." Watch: Donald Trump returns to the US-Mexico border, reaches Texas to promote hard-line immigration agenda × Trump's lawyer, John Sauer, argued that even the smallest restriction on his client's expression would be unconstitutional unless based on "extraordinarily compelling" evidence of damage to the integrity of the trial, and the risk of repeated harm. "There is near complete overlap between the issues in the case and the issues in the political campaign," he said. 'Cowards and weaklings' The government argues that while there is no problem with Trump broadly criticising his case and the institutions involved in his prosecution, he should not be allowed to go after individuals. Prosecutors say some of the Republican's statements about his trial "consist of ad hominem attacks using inflammatory language likely to arouse angry or violent feelings in the listener, rather than reasoned argument." Prosecutor Cecil VanDevender highlighted a "very clear" pattern showing that incendiary personal attacks by Trump led to "threats, intimidation" against his targets by supporters of the ex-president. The panel suggested that the distinction was sometimes tenuous, noting that the case -- one of four criminal prosecutions faced by Trump -- is sometimes referred to as the "Jack Smith" trial. Also read: US: Donald Trump pledges to scrap Biden`s Asia trade initiative if elected The judges also drilled into the prosecution's position that Trump should be banned from assailing potential witnesses, pointing out that this could deny him the right to respond to public criticism by well-known opponents such as former Trump administration officials. To clarify the restrictions, Chutkan cited a post that Trump made on his Truth Social website questioning whether his former chief of staff Mark Meadows took an immunity deal to testify against him, saying only "weaklings and cowards" would do so. The judge said that sort of speech should be restricted. The debate Monday also focused on the exact definition of the word "target" -- described as "vague" by the defense, in comments echoed by influential civil rights campaigners. The timetable for a decision was not immediately clear but no ruling on the gag order was expected Monday. (With inputs from agencies)

US: Judges signal narrowing wording in 2021 gag order to offer much-needed relief to Trump

<p>A judge fined former US President Donald Trump $5000 for violating the terms of a gag order after a post attacking a court clerk remained on his campaign website. The Republican frontrunner for the US presidency has also been warned about possible imprisonment.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-slapped-with-gag-order-in-2020-election-subversion-case-647735">Trump slapped with gag order in 2020 election subversion case</a></strong></p>

<p>On October 3, a&nbsp;partial gag order by a judge had restricted&nbsp;Trump from making statements that target prosecutors, potential witnesses, and the judge's staff in relation in a case. Trump was found in violation of the same October 3 gag order, it has been revealed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, this gag order is different from the one Trump is facing in a 2020 election subversion case.</p>

<p>"Donald Trump has received ample warning from this Court as to the possible repercussions of violating the gag order. He specifically acknowledged that he understood and would abide by it," Judge Arthur Engoron said in his order Friday.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Donald Trump: This is a witch-hunt by a radical lunatic</strong></p>

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<p>"Accordingly, issuing yet another warning is not longer appropriate; this Court is way behind the 'warning' stage," Judge Engoron reportedly said.</p>

<p>On October 3, Engoron had issued a partial gag order on all parties not to speak about any members of the court staff after Trump posted on Truth Social attacking Engoron’s clerk. The post claimed she was a "girlfriend" to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat. Trump had also posted apicture of the two of them together.</p>

<p>The post, following the October 3 gag order,&nbsp;was subsequently removed from Truth Social platform.</p>

<p>However,&nbsp;it was not erased from Donald Trump’s campaign website, DonaldJTrump.com.</p>

<p>Engoron on Friday (Oct 20)&nbsp;described it as a "blatant violation" of the gag order and indicated&nbsp;that the violations could result in "imprisonment."</p>

<p>"I learned that the subject post was never removed from the website," he said. "And, in fact, had been on that website for the past 17 days. I understand that it was removed late last night but only in response to an email."</p>

<p>Trump's lawyer Chris Kise said it was "inadvertent" that the post was able to live on the "back page" of Trump’s campaign website.</p>

<p>"Truly this appears to be inadvertent," Kise said, adding, "I certainly apologise on behalf of my clients."</p>

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A judge fined former US President Donald Trump $5000 for violating the terms of a gag order after a post attacking a court clerk remained on his campaign website.

A judge fined former US President Donald Trump $5000 for violating the terms of a gag order after a post attacking a court clerk remained on his campaign website. The Republican frontrunner for the US presidency has also been warned about possible imprisonment. Also read | Trump slapped with gag order in 2020 election subversion case On October 3, a partial gag order by a judge had restricted Trump from making statements that target prosecutors, potential witnesses, and the judge's staff in relation in a case. Trump was found in violation of the same October 3 gag order, it has been revealed. Notably, this gag order is different from the one Trump is facing in a 2020 election subversion case. "Donald Trump has received ample warning from this Court as to the possible repercussions of violating the gag order. He specifically acknowledged that he understood and would abide by it," Judge Arthur Engoron said in his order Friday. Also watch | Donald Trump: This is a witch-hunt by a radical lunatic × "Accordingly, issuing yet another warning is not longer appropriate; this Court is way behind the 'warning' stage," Judge Engoron reportedly said. On October 3, Engoron had issued a partial gag order on all parties not to speak about any members of the court staff after Trump posted on Truth Social attacking Engoron’s clerk. The post claimed she was a "girlfriend" to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat. Trump had also posted apicture of the two of them together. The post, following the October 3 gag order, was subsequently removed from Truth Social platform. However, it was not erased from Donald Trump’s campaign website, DonaldJTrump.com. Engoron on Friday (Oct 20) described it as a "blatant violation" of the gag order and indicated that the violations could result in "imprisonment." "I learned that the subject post was never removed from the website," he said. "And, in fact, had been on that website for the past 17 days. I understand that it was removed late last night but only in response to an email." Trump's lawyer Chris Kise said it was "inadvertent" that the post was able to live on the "back page" of Trump’s campaign website. "Truly this appears to be inadvertent," Kise said, adding, "I certainly apologise on behalf of my clients." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Donald Trump fined $5000 for violating gag order, warned of possible imprisonment

<p>A gag order by a US District Judge restricted former US President Donald Trump from making statements that target prosecutors, potential witnesses, and the judge's staff in relation to the 2020 election subversion case.</p>

<p>The gag order was imposed by the US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan.</p>

<h2><strong>What does it mean?</strong></h2>

<p>The order is a pivotal development in the federal case which accuses Trump of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.</p>

<p>The gag order also underscores the complexities of prosecuting a Republican presidential front-runner who has made attacking the case central to his campaign.</p>

<h2><strong>Why gag order against Donald Trump?</strong></h2>

<p>Special counsel Jack Smith's team had expressed concerns about Trump's statements that allegedly disparaged prosecutors, the judge, and potential witnesses.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-slapped-with-gag-order-after-rebuking-judges-clerk-in-social-media-post-642385">Trump slapped with gag order after rebuking Judge's clerk in social media post</a></strong></p>

<p>They argued that such comments risked diluting public confidence in the justice system and could intimidate witnesses and potential jurors.</p>

<h2><strong>What did Judge Chutkan say?</strong></h2>

<p>Chutkan clarified that Trump remains free to criticise the Justice Department generally and express his belief that the case is politically motivated.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She, however, added that the former president cannot engage in a "smear campaign" against prosecutors and court personnel, as no other criminal defendant would be permitted to do so.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;US: Trump civil fraud trial continues in New York</strong></p>

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<p>"No other criminal defendant would be allowed to do so, and I’m not going to allow it in this case," she said.</p>

<p>Responding to Trump's lawyers saying that the proposed order is a violation of First Amendment Rights,&nbsp;Judge Chutkan said: "You keep talking about censorship like the defendant has unfettered First Amendment rights. He doesn't," Chutkan said, according to the TIME magazine. "We are not talking about censorship here. We are talking restrictions to ensure there is a fair administration of justice on this case."</p>

<h2><strong>Trump's response</strong></h2>

<p>At the time of filing this report, Trump himself had not reacted to the development related to the gag order imposed on him.</p>

<p>Trump’s lawyer John Lauro accused prosecutors of "seeking to censor a political candidate in the middle of a campaign." But Judge Tanya reportedly interrupted by stating that Trump "does not have a right to say and do exactly as he pleases."</p>

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A gag order by a US District Judge restricted former US President Donald Trump from making statements that target prosecutors, potential witnesses, and the judge's staff in relation to the 2020 election subversion case.

A gag order by a US District Judge restricted former US President Donald Trump from making statements that target prosecutors, potential witnesses, and the judge's staff in relation to the 2020 election subversion case. The gag order was imposed by the US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan. What does it mean? The order is a pivotal development in the federal case which accuses Trump of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. The gag order also underscores the complexities of prosecuting a Republican presidential front-runner who has made attacking the case central to his campaign. Why gag order against Donald Trump? Special counsel Jack Smith's team had expressed concerns about Trump's statements that allegedly disparaged prosecutors, the judge, and potential witnesses. Also read | Trump slapped with gag order after rebuking Judge's clerk in social media post They argued that such comments risked diluting public confidence in the justice system and could intimidate witnesses and potential jurors. What did Judge Chutkan say? Chutkan clarified that Trump remains free to criticise the Justice Department generally and express his belief that the case is politically motivated. She, however, added that the former president cannot engage in a "smear campaign" against prosecutors and court personnel, as no other criminal defendant would be permitted to do so. Also watch | US: Trump civil fraud trial continues in New York × "No other criminal defendant would be allowed to do so, and I’m not going to allow it in this case," she said. Responding to Trump's lawyers saying that the proposed order is a violation of First Amendment Rights, Judge Chutkan said: "You keep talking about censorship like the defendant has unfettered First Amendment rights. He doesn't," Chutkan said, according to the TIME magazine. "We are not talking about censorship here. We are talking restrictions to ensure there is a fair administration of justice on this case." Trump's response At the time of filing this report, Trump himself had not reacted to the development related to the gag order imposed on him. Trump’s lawyer John Lauro accused prosecutors of "seeking to censor a political candidate in the middle of a campaign." But Judge Tanya reportedly interrupted by stating that Trump "does not have a right to say and do exactly as he pleases." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Trump slapped with gag order in 2020 election subversion case

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Trump slapped with gag order in 2020 election subversion case