US: Special Counsel seeks gag order on Trump who claims FBI agents were 'authorised to shoot me'

Special Counsel Jack Smith, in the ongoing legal saga surrounding Donald Trump's handling of classified documents, sought a gag order against the former US Presidentafter his brazenclaims regarding FBI actions during a search at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

The request made by prosecutors from the special counsel's office comes in response to Trump's repeated and unfounded criticisms of the FBI's protocol during the search operation conducted in August 2022.

Trump had claimed that he "nearly escaped death. Biden’s DOJ was locked and loaded for deadly force at Mar-a-Lago …” “They were authorized to shoot me!"

Trump'sallegationthat FBI agents were prepared to use deadly force against him and his family during the search were debunked by FBIAttorney General Merrick Garland.

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“That allegation is false, and it is extremely dangerous. The document that is being referred to in the allegation is the Justice Department’s standard policy, limiting the use of force,” Garland said.

Prosecutors argued that Trump's inflammatory remarks pose a threat to the integrity of the ongoing criminal case and the safety of law enforcement officers involved.

“The Government’s request is necessary because of several intentionally false and inflammatory statements recently made by Trump that distort the circumstances under which the Federal Bureau of Investigation planned and executed the search warrant at Mar-a-Lago,” prosecutorswrote.

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“Those statements create a grossly misleading impression about the intentions and conduct of federal law enforcement agents—falsely suggesting that they were complicit in a plot to assassinate him—and expose those agents, some of whom will be witnesses at trial, to the risk of threats, violence, and harassment," they added.

'Repeated mischaracterisation as an attempt to kill him'

The filing revealed that Trump has continued to amplify his accusations against the FBI via his Truth Social account, despite official clarifications and the release of paperwork detailing standard FBI search protocols.

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“Trump‘s repeated mischaracterisation as an attempt to kill him, his family, and Secret Service agents has endangered law enforcement officers involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case and threatened the integrity of these proceedings,” prosecutors wrote.

Gag orders restricting Trump's public commentary have been upheld in other legal proceedings, including his New York trial and the election interference case in Washington, DC, due to concerns about threats and harassment stemming from his remarks.

(With inputs from agencies)