Former president Donald Trump lashed out at U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan hours after receiving a gag order in the federal prosecution for interfering with the 2020 election.
Monday, during a campaign event in Adel, Iowa, the former president complained to the assembly of his supporters that her actions were “completely unconstitutional.”
“A magistrate dislikes me quite a bit. Trump asserted, “She has spent her entire existence disliking me,” before asking, “Do you know what a gag order is? You cannot remark negatively about your rival. This is all being done as a weapon because Joe Biden is losing the election and losing severely to all of us.”
Monday morning, Judge Chutkan partially granted the Justice Department’s request to restrict Trump’s ability to make public statements assaulting prosecutors, witnesses, and court staff involved in the case, as well as restrict his use of social media and public events to comment on the trial.
“Mr. Trump is facing criminal charges,” the judge announced. “He may not respond to every criticism leveled against him if doing so would influence potential witnesses. This is the bottom line.”
Earlier this month, the state of New York issued a distinct partial gag order in the civil fraud trial against the former president. After targeting a member of Judge Arthur Engoron’s staff, the judge issued a restraining order prohibiting the former president and all other trial participants from “posting, emailing, or speaking publicly about any member of my staff.”
A state judge issued a protective order prohibiting threats and intimidation in September, in the first significant lawsuit to block Trump from the 2024 Colorado presidential ballot. Trump, the first former president to be charged with state or federal offenses, was indicted in August for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his anti-democratic campaign, which culminated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. There are a total of four separate indictments against him.
