Former President Donald Trump seems to have already violated the partial gag order that was reinstated on Sunday by the federal judge overseeing his 2020 presidential election interference trial. In just a matter of hours, after the gag order banning him from slandering prosecutors, court staff, and witnesses, which had been previously lifted in response to an appeal by Trump’s lawyers, was back in place, Trump had already publicly attacked a key witness in the trial and the judge herself.
“The First Amendment rights of participants in criminal proceedings must yield, when necessary, to the orderly administration of justice,” the judge wrote in the order. “And contrary to Defendant’s argument, the right to a fair trial is not his alone, but belongs also to the government and the public.” Perfection.
Trump responded to the gag order Sunday evening on his own nut-job echo chamber, Truth Social. In reference to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, he wrote: “I have just learned that the very Biased, Trump Hating Judge in D.C., who should have RECUSED herself due to her blatant and open loathing of your favorite President, ME, has reimposed a GAG ORDER which will put me at a disadvantage against my prosecutorial and political opponents.”
Earlier that same day, he also let it rip on Bill Barr, his own former U.S. Attorney General, who is now a key witness in the election interference case, posting, “I called Bill Barr Dumb, Weak, Slow Moving, Lethargic, Gutless, and Lazy, a RINO WHO COULDN’T DO THE JOB. He just didn’t want to be Impeached, which the Radical Left Lunatics were preparing to do. I was tough on him in the White House, for good reason, so now this Moron says about me, to get even, ‘his verbal skills are limited.’ Well, that’s one I haven’t heard before. Tell that to the biggest political crowds in the history of politics, by far. Bill Barr is a LOSER.”
Former U.S. District Attorney Joyce Alene wrote on X, “Trump still has posts about Meadows & Bill Barr on Truth Social–a continuing violation of the reimposed gag order.” The Meadows she is referring to is former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who is also a potential key witness.
The gag order specifically bans Trump from targeting potential witnesses in his trial. Court staff is also included, which obviously includes the judge herself.
Judge Chutkan initially issued the ban on October 16, saying it was necessary to stop Trump from “launch[ing] a pretrial smear campaign,” according to Reuters. She froze the ban on the 20th to consider an appeal made by Trump’s lawyers but reissued the ban on the 29th.
(featured image: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Published: Oct 30, 2023 04:29 pm