Former President Donald Trump faces is set to appear in court for numerous allegations, several of which relate to the management of the 2020 presidential election.
Ahead of an impending trial, a recent ruling has limited what Trump can publicly discuss.
What Happened: On Monday, a federal judge announced a limited gag order has been placed on Trump related to his federal election interference case.
Judge Tanya Chutkan announced the ruling and said that the free speech of Trump is not above the free speech of other defendants just because he is running for president in the 2024 election.
Prior to the ruling, Trump’s defense team argued that a potential gag order would be a form of censorship, as shared by the Wall Street Journal.
“This is not about whether I like the language Mr. Trump uses,” Chutkan said. “This is about language that presents a danger to the administration of justice.”
Future court filings will share the details of the limited gag order and what Trump will be allowed to say. Among the expected restrictions will be a ban on Trump making threatening comments about Jack Smith, who is serving as special counsel on the case.
Related Link: Trump's Jam Packed Court Calendar, Will Legal Battles Derail 2024 White House Campaign?
The gag order could also limit comments Trump can make on the charges being politically motivated or coming from the Biden administration.
The decision comes after the prosecution argued that Trump’s attacks on social media could intimidate witnesses ahead of testimony.
“Mr. Trump can certainly claim he’s being unfairly prosecuted. But I cannot imagine any other criminal case in which a defendant is permitted to call the prosecutor deranged, or a thug, and I will not permit it here simply because the defendant is running a political campaign,” Chutkan added.
Why It’s Important: Monday’s decision comes as many argued that Chutkan was faced with the difficult task of balancing what Trump can say ahead of the trial and also not infringing on his First Amendment rights.
Trump took to his Truth Social network ahead of Monday’s decision to state that he was being “forcibly” silenced with a potential gag order.
Trump’s lawyer John Lauro also argued Monday in court that the Biden administration is behind the potential censoring of Trump due to politics.
“Mr. Trump is facing felony charges and he does not get to respond to every criticism of him if it impacts the criminal case,” Chutkan said. “That’s the bottom line.”
Chutkan also added that the trial’s date and timing will not be revisited and will “not yield to the election cycle.”
Read Next: Trump On Trial In New York Fraud Case: Why There's No Jury, Mar-a-Lago's $1B Valuation And More
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