Former President Donald Trump will now face certain restrictions on one of his signature pastimes: attacking his perceived enemies.
On Monday, federal judge Tanya Chutkan issued a partial gag order that prevents Trump from going after witnesses, prosecutors, and court personnel who are involved in the federal case examining his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The order follows a request from special prosecutor Jack Smith, who is leading investigations into Trump, and comes after Trump has previously denigrated Smith’s family and described him as “deranged.” Chutkan has not yet specified exactly how the order will be enforced, or what punishment Trump could face if he decides to violate it.
In general, however, disobeying a gag order is usually seen as what’s known as contempt of court — essentially, willfully disobeying a court order. In the past, those who’ve been found in contempt of court have faced detention or a fine.
As Chutkan explained, the ruling is aimed at ensuring that Trump doesn’t intimidate staff, and witnesses, and to make sure that his external statements don’t affect how the case is presented. Additionally, the order expresses worries that Trump’s statements could stoke violence and harassment toward the targets that he mentions.
“This is not about whether I like the language Mr. Trump uses,” Chutkan said when announcing the order. “This is about language that presents a danger to the administration of justice.”
Trump has responded by arguing that the court is attempting to restrict his freedom of speech and targeting him. “I’m a candidate that’s running for office and I’m not allowed to speak,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. He’s said his team intends to appeal the order.
Like most gag orders, Chutkan’s aims to strike a balance between barring Trump from intimidating participants in the case and curtailing his First Amendment rights to free speech. Additionally, it tries to ensure the…
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