Days after a federal judge temporarily lifted a gag order, former President Donald Trump criticized special counsel Jack Smith on social media.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan granted President Trump a temporary stay on the gag order last week over her earlier ruling in the 2020 election conspiracy case, while Trump’s legal team is appealing the order, arguing it is unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, President Trump criticized Mr. Smith en Truth Social for being “unhinged” and said his team “leaked” a story to the New York Times about an Australian businessman, Anthony Pratt, claiming the former president told classified secrets. The former president denied those reports.
“With this in mind, there is NO WAY I can get a fair trial for an election interference allegation against Biden in Washington D.C. Obviously, in a timely manner, if this ridiculous case is allowed to move forward, which it is, according to the jurists, very doubtful, I will request a change of venue,” he also wrote on the social network.
Earlier this month, Judge Chutkan ordered President Trump not to make publications or statements about potential witnesses, Mr. Smith, his family or court staff, although he can make general statements about the Justice Department and Washington itself . Prosecutors argued that the former president’s social media posts could incite violence or taint the jury, while Trump’s lawyers argued that such an order would violate his right to free speech, especially since he is a leading candidate for the 2024 presidential elections.
“President Trump is the forty-fifth president of the United States and the leading candidate in the upcoming presidential election,” his defense attorneys wrote. “He has a commanding lead in the race for the Republican nomination and is ahead of President Biden.”
However, the federal judge rejected the former president’s arguments regarding the election, saying that “no other criminal defendant would be allowed to do so, and I am not going to allow it in this case.” She would impose sanctions if the partial gag order is violated, she said without elaborating.
Smith’s prosecutors, meanwhile, wanted broader restrictions directed at the former president, arguing that his social media comments directed at multiple people could undermine the proceedings. But the judge denied her attempt to restrict her comments about Washington people who may serve as jurors in the trial, and she also refused to restrict her statements critical of the federal government.
“He does not have the right to say and do exactly as he pleases. “Do you agree with that?” he asked Trump lawyer John Lauro during a court hearing on October 16, who responded “100 percent.”
“Nothing like this has ever happened in our country before,” President Trump said earlier this month of the order, saying Judge Chutkan was a “highly partisan Obama-appointed judge,” referring to her appointment by the former president. Barack Obama in 2014.
(L) Special Counsel Jack Smith. (Center) US District Judge Tanya Chutkan. (Right) Former President Donald Trump. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images; Administrative Office of the United States Courts via AP; Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
In the case, President Trump pleaded not guilty to the four-count indictment, which is one of four separate criminal cases against him as he seeks to become the Republican nominee for the White House in 2024. He is also currently facing trial. for civil fraud in New York City for his growing real estate business, and has also denied any wrongdoing in the case.
It was not the first time that a judge issued a gag order against the former president. New York Judge Arthur Engoron issued a partial gag order blocking personal criticism of courtroom staff after President Trump accused his chief secretary of having a cozy relationship with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (DN .AND.).
On Friday, a New York judge fined him $5,000 after a post about his secretary reportedly remained on his campaign website for several weeks, even though the former president had removed it from the posts. social networks. Her lawyers said it was an oversight.
The current criticism of Smith comes after the Trump campaign confirmed that the former president will hold a rally in Florida as counterprogramming to the third debate of the Republican presidential primaries.
The campaign said it will hold a rally the night of Nov. 8 at a stadium in Hialeah, Florida, about a half-hour drive from the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami-Dade County, where its rivals will meet. President Trump has repeatedly said that he sees no point in participating in the debate, given his commanding lead in the race.
NBC will host the November debate, in which candidates will be required to garner 4 percent of the vote in multiple polls and 70,000 unique donors to qualify.
The former president competed with the first Republican debate by posting a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. He spent the second debate in the key state of Michigan, where he tried to win over auto workers and blue-collar voters by criticizing President Joe Biden’s push for electric cars.
With information from the Associated Press.
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2023-10-24 03:23:26
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