Judge Temporarily Lifts Gag Order on Trump in 2020 Election Interference Case

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan temporarily lifted her narrow gag order in Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case in Washington on Friday to give lawyers time to file more briefs on the matter.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has temporarily lifted her narrow gag order in Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case. The order, which was issued on Monday, barred Trump from making public statements targeting prosecutors, court staff, and potential witnesses.

Trump's Lawyers Argue for Lifting Gag Order

Trump's lawyers had quickly appealed the ruling to the D.C. Circuit Court, and in court papers filed on Friday, they argued that neither prosecutors nor the judge had "come close" to justifying the gag order. They added that the former president "has not unlawfully threatened or harassed anyone."

Judge Weighs Request for Longer Stay

In her Monday ruling, Judge Tanya Chutkan said Trump is allowed to criticize the Justice Department generally and assert his claims of innocence and his claims that the case is politically motivated. However, she said his statements smearing prosecutors and likely witnesses have crossed a line and could spur his supporters to threaten or harass his targets.

Trump Decries Order as Unconstitutional

Trump has decried the order as unconstitutional and has used it to amplify his claims that he is being politically persecuted. The former president has denied any wrongdoing in the case charging him with illegally scheming to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Second Gag Order in a Month

This is the second gag order imposed on Trump in the last month. Earlier this month, the judge overseeing Trump's civil fraud trial in New York issued a more limited gag order prohibiting personal attacks against court personnel following a social media post from Trump that maligned the judge's principal clerk.

Trump Fined for Violating Gag Order

Trump was fined $5,000 on Friday after his disparaging post lingered on his campaign website for weeks after the judge ordered it deleted. Judge Arthur Engoron avoided holding Trump in contempt for now but reserved the right to do so — and possibly even put the ex-president in jail — if he again violates the limited gag order.

The case is being closely watched as a test of the limits of free speech and the power of the courts to control the speech of public figures.