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News Article :-
A federal judge is considering whether to issue a gag order against former President Donald Trump in a hearing in Washington, DC, Monday.
Following the two federal indictments against the former president, Trump has lashed out against prosecutors, potential witnesses and the judge overseeing the election subversion case in Washington. Prosecutors with special counsel Jack Smith’s office say these comments are enough to warrant a narrow restriction on Trump’s speech around the case.
District Judge Tanya Chutkan, often the target of Trump’s attacks, has previously warned the former president that comments he or his attorneys make could threaten the case.
“Mr. Trump is a criminal defendant. He is facing four felony charges. He is under the supervision of the criminal justice system and he must follow his conditions of release,” Chutkan said Monday.
“He does not have the right to say and do exactly what he pleases. Do you agree with that?” she asked Trump attorney John Lauro, who responded: “100%.”
Trump’s attorneys have attacked the proposed order as fundamentally antithetical to his First Amendment rights and suggested the order is simply a way for President Joe Biden and the Justice Department to hurt Trump’s ability to campaign.
Lauro accused the special counsel’s office of trying to “to prevent President Trump from speaking out about the issues of the day,” adding, “Every single issue that relates to this case also has political issues.”
In social media posts, Trump has attacked Chutkan as a “biased, Trump Hating Judge” and called Smith “deranged” and a “thug” as well as attacked individual members of his team.
Chutkan responded to Lauro: “I understand that you have a message you want to get out. I do not need to hear any campaign rhetoric in my court.”
She added that the trial date set for early March won’t change: “This trial will not yield to the election cycle, and we will not revisit the trial date.”
Special counsel says limits are needed to prevent witness intimidation
Prosecutors say Trump’s attacks against potential witnesses – including former Vice President Mike Pence and former Attorney General Bill Barr – could result in witness intimidation by his followers.
“The defendant’s relentless public posts marshaling anger and mistrust in the justice system, the Court, and prosecutors have already influenced the public,” prosecutors wrote in a filing last month. “For instance, on August 5, 2023, an individual was arrested because she called the Court’s chambers and made racist death threats to the Court that were tied to the Court’s role in presiding over the defendant’s case.”
They told the judge Monday their goal is not to stop Trump from campaigning.
“We have no interest in stopping the defendant from running for office or defending his reputation, nor does our proposed order do that,” said pr
