Special counsel Jack Smith is seeking a gag order against former President Donald Trump, just days after a court decision that denied such a restriction. The move also came as the future of the other criminal trials against the former president appeared uncertain, especially regarding timing and the November election.
Smith requested that Judge Aileen issue a gag order against the former president.
The effort came after Trump wrote that FBI agents who searched his Mar-a-Lago home were “locked and ready” were “authorized to shoot me.” He said that the agents were prepared to “take me out & put my family in danger.”
Smith’s legal team wrote that Trump’s comments were “deceptive and inflammatory” and argued that they “expose the law enforcement professionals who are involved in this case to be unjustified and unacceptable risks: they invite the sort of threats and harassment that have occurred when other participants in legal proceedings against Trump have been targeted by his invective.”
Trump’s legal team called Smith’s request “a blatant violation of the First Amendment rights of President Trump and the American People, which would in effect allow President Trump’s political opponent to regulate his campaign communications to voters across the country.”
Earlier this week Cannon denied another effort by Smith’s legal team for a gag order against the former president.
The former president also spoke earlier this week about his conviction in a New York court. He criticized Trump Juan Merchan over a gag order restricting his ability to criticize the prosecution and court officials in the case.
The former president called Merchan “highly conflicted.” He also said that “no presidential candidate has been under a gag order before.” Trump said that he was threatened with “jail” in case he violated the gag order.
HIGHLY CONFLICTED JUDGE. NASTY GAG ORDER.
ELECTION INTERFERENCE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. pic.twitter.com/6Szu9uy3zD
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) May 31, 2024
The former president also cited “thousands” of dollars in fines against him for alleged violations of the gag order in the case. On Thursday a New York jury found Trump guilty of charges stemming from an alleged payment to former adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
