Appeals court considers Trump gag order

Former President Donald Trump’s legal team on Monday argued against a gag order that a Washington, D.C., judge imposed last month. Federal prosecutors have argued that Trump’s comments could intimidate witnesses and undermine confidence in the justice system. Trump faces federal felony charges in Washington, D.C., accusing him of seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. The gag order aims to prevent Trump from maligning prosecutors and potential witnesses in the case. Trump’s attorneys argued the gag order would infringe on his constitutional right to free speech.

Is there any indication of how the judges will rule? The three-judge panel did not immediately rule or indicate when it would. They must uphold Trump’s First Amendment rights to speak freely as he campaigns for office while protecting the integrity of the criminal trial proceedings against the former president. Judge Patricia Millett talked about the need for balance in the case. It’s “a very difficult balance in this context," she said to a lawyer for the special counsel.

Dig deeper: Listen to Clara York’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about four of Trump’s co-defendants in Georgia pleading guilty while the former president maintains his innocence.