Judge Juan Merchan placed Trump under a gag order after he posted a comment, “Certified Trump Hater,” on his daughter’s social media handle and after the request of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Under the gag order, he is barred from making any public statements against court staff, jurors, witnesses, and lawyers in the district attorney’s office—or their families. However, the district attorney is not covered under the gag order.
In response to the judgment, Trump’s campaign stated that the gag order limits and violates his free speech rights. However, Judge Juan mentioned in the order that he considered his free speech rights but concluded that “extrajudicial statements went far beyond defending himself against ‘attacks’ by ‘public figures.”
He further adds that “ statements were threatening, inflammatory, denigrating” and led to fear and increased security requirements for those targeted. Mr. Bragg had asked the court to issue a gag order in February, citing the former president’s “longstanding and singular history of attacking his opponents.”
This is not the first time that Mr. Trump has been placed under a Gag order; he was also placed under a gag order in earlier cases related to his real estate companies after he started commenting offensively on the clerk’s social media account.
What Is Hash Money Case?
Trump is charged with a case of falsifying the business transactions of $130,000 and allegedly paying the sum to an adult movie star, Stormy Daniels, before the 2016 general election. Daniel further added that she had an affair with him and agreed to sell the rights to her story in exchange for the payment, which was made by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former “fixer” and lawyer.
In response to this, Mr.Trump pleaded not guilty and called the whole case a Political move.
Trump’s Response To The Judge’s Orders
To the above judgments passed by Justice Merchan, Mr. Trump’s Attorney argued that “Mr Trump is a presumptive Republican nominee and a leading candidate in the 2024 election.” He further stated that it would be unlawful and would go against the Constitution to put him under such a Gag order.
He further added that the order had violated the free speech rights of Mr. Trump and also mentioned that the order requires “that the comments would have to be made with the intent to interfere” with the ongoing Hash Money Case materially, a trial of which will begin on April 15 this year.
