Leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump slammed a decision by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to reimpose a gag order in his ongoing election interference case.
Chutkan, who was appointed by Barack Obama, “literally” laughed in the face of Trump’s legal counsel before issuing the limited gag order earlier this month.
It was temporarily put on hold when the former President’s legal team filed an appeal.
Chutkan, however, reinstated it and denied Trump’s lawyers’ request for a long-term stay while the appeal is ongoing.
“As the court has explained, the First Amendment rights of participants in criminal proceedings must yield, when necessary, to the orderly administration of justice—a principle reflected in Supreme Court precedent, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Local Criminal Rules,” she wrote.
“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,” she added.
BREAKING: In case you missed it late last night while you were in bed, DC Judge Tanya S. Chutkan reinstated a gag order against Trump ahead of the 2024 election, where Trump is the leading GOP candidate.
Here are the 14 key things that you need to know:
1. Last night (Sunday… pic.twitter.com/HavZBbmcPT
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) October 30, 2023
RELATED: ACLU Agrees With Trump – Gag Order Is Unconstitutional Assault On The First Amendment
Trump Gag Order Is Back In Effect … And He’s Not Happy
Trump’s team has argued that by forcing the leading GOP contender for President to keep quiet publicly about a Special Counsel and his prosecution team – appointed by the Attorney General of his main political opponent – during a campaign is blatant “election interference.”
Chutkan initially implemented the gag order while pointing to Trump’s use of the word “thug” to describe Jack Smith.
Trump took to his Truth Social media platform late Sunday night to blast the decision.
“The Corrupt Biden Administration just took away my First Amendment Right To Free Speech,” he wrote. “NOT CONSTITUTIONAL!”
NEW: Judge Chutkan’s order lifting her temp hold on gag order on Trump, his attorneys, and unnamed “others” demonstrates how absurd it is.
Chutkan parses what Trump can and can’t say; repeatedly argues against 1A protections; claims her 3-page order will survive appeal.
If the… pic.twitter.com/y9uUYawQXn
— Julie Kelly ?? (@julie_kelly2) October 30, 2023
In a follow-up post early Monday morning, Trump continued to rip Chutkan as a “biased, Trump-hating judge.”
Aside from a gag order silencing the former President, she had initially requested a trial date set the day before Super Tuesday. Chutkan, Trump believes, is clearly incapable of separating her emotions from this case.
Trump argues that Chutkan should have recused herself due to her disdain for him and again declared the gag order illegal.
“It illegally and unconstitutionally takes away my First Amendment Right of Free Speech, in the middle of my campaign for President, where I am leading against BOTH Parties in the Polls,” he said.
“How can they tell the leading candidate that he, and only he, is seriously restricted from campaigning in a free and open manner?” Trump wondered. “It will not stand!”
Deranged Biden special counsel Jack Smith and obnoxiously partisan Obama DC Judge Tanya Chutkan are doubling down on their blatantly unconstitutional gag order on Trump.
Obvious election interference.
Obama-stacked DC Circuit probably won’t fix this.
So the Supreme Court must. https://t.co/MUZd3sYIeG
— ?? Mike Davis ?? (@mrddmia) October 30, 2023
RELATED: Trump Hints He’ll Violate Gag Order: ‘I Am Willing To Go To Jail’ To Save America
Even The ACLU Agrees With Trump
How legally questionable is the gag order on Trump? It’s so bad that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a group that had been a consistent thorn in the former’s side during his presidency, filed a court brief in defense of their nemesis.
“Trump retains a First Amendment right to speak, and the rest of us retain a right to hear what he has to say,” the brief reads.
It also seems to support claims from the former President’s supporters that the gag order amounts to “election interference.”
“Defendant’s ability to speak publicly about the substance of the prosecution, even including potential witnesses and testimony, is in many ways inextricable from the 2024 presidential campaign in which he is a declared candidate,” they wrote.
“Trump retains a First Amendment right to speak, and the rest of us retain a right to hear what he has to say.”
The ACLU filed a court document blasting Judge Tanya Chutkan’s gag order as unconstitutionally vague.
You know something is absurd when the Left loses the ACLU. pic.twitter.com/r05Cahu2h9
— Daniel Baldwin (@baldwin_daniel_) October 25, 2023
Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) called Chutkan’s decision “disgraceful” and something that “should be appealed” all the way to the Supreme Court.
Trump has hinted at a willingness to go to prison by sticking to his First Amendment rights and violating Judge Chutkan’s gag order.
“What they don’t understand is that I am willing to go to jail if that’s what it takes for our country to win and become a democracy again,” he said during a campaign speech in Clive, Iowa earlier this month.
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