Federal judge places narrow gag order on Trump

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Monday imposed an order on former President Donald Trump that bars him from making statements targeting prosecutors, witnesses, or courtroom personnel. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith’s team had asked for a gag order, saying Trump’s comments could intimidate witnesses or contaminate the jury pool. The order does not bar Trump from criticizing the U.S. Justice Department or claiming that the prosecution is politically motivated.

What does Trump have to say? The Trump campaign on Monday criticized the gag order, calling it “another partisan knife stuck in the heart of our Democracy.” The former president’s lawyers have said the gag order would limit his First Amendment right to freedom of speech and said it would curtail Trump’s ability to campaign for the White House effectively. His lawyers also called the gag order a “desperate attempt at censorship.”

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew about the second Republican presidential candidate debate last month.