UPDATE: A spokesperson for President Donald Trump has responded.
Today’s decision is an absolute abomination and another partisan knife stuck in the heart of our Democracy by Crooked Joe Biden, who was granted the right to muzzle his political opponent, the leading candidate for the Presidency in 2024, and the most popular political leader in America, President Donald J. Trump. President Trump will continue to fight for our Constitution, the American people’s right to support him, and to keep our country free of the chains of weaponized and targeted law enforcement.
***Original post***
After a hearing with prosecutors and Trump attorneys Monday morning, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan handed down a gag order to President Donald Trump in Special Counsel Jack Smith's January 6 case against him.
The order forbids Trump to make public comments about Smith, his DOJ prosecutors, federal court staff, Judge Chutkan herself and any potential witnesses in the case.
“Mr. Trump is facing criminal charges. He does not get to respond to every criticism of him if his response would affect potential witnesses. That’s the bottom line here,” Chutkan said.
The order was requested by Smith in September and classified by DOJ as "limited."
"The defendant’s past conduct, including conduct that has taken place after and as a direct result of the indictment in this case, amply demonstrates the need for this order," the Special Counsel request states.
But Smith's request, which is now granted, raised red flags among legal scholars and those interested in restoring public trust in the justice system.
...So after fighting to try Trump in the middle of the presidential election, Smith is seeking to curtail him from discussing one of the most important issues in the campaign. No one would argue with a bar on disparaging witnesses. However, some of the witnesses and parties are…
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) September 15, 2023
...Trump is running on the weaponization of the Justice Department and the criminal justice system. Many Americans agree with his criticism. Smith could curtail much of that debate by pushing this trial before the election.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) September 15, 2023
There is no gag order on DOJ prosecutors who regularly leak derogatory information to the press. The trial in the case is set for March 2024.