On Tuesday, the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money case in New York City issued a gag order on the Republican presidential frontrunner.
At the Manhattan District Attorney’s office’s request, Judge Juan M. Merchan imposed the order in the case after setting the trial date for April 15 and denying Trump’s request for a delay. Before the gag order announcement, Trump posted to Truth Social Tuesday that Merchan had a “serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome” and that his daughter, along with him, was involved in the political “witch hunt” against him.
The 34-count indictment, brought on by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, accuses Trump of falsifying business records related to a payment made to silence adult film actress Stormi Daniels. The payment was arranged by Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, shortly before the 2016 presidential election.
Trump has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
The gag order request accused Trump of having a “longstanding history of attacking witnesses, investigators, prosecutors, judges, and others involved in legal proceedings against him,” according to The New York Times.
Trump’s defense team argues that the gag order is against his First Amendment rights and makes him defenseless against his political enemies.
Judge Merchan’s gag order prevents Trump from commenting on the witnesses involved in the case. He is also prohibited from making remarks about the prosecutors, court workers and their families. Merchan said the gag order was necessary because of Trump’s history of making comments.
“The consequences of those statements included not only fear on the part of the individual targeted, but also the assignment of increased security resources to investigate threats and protect the individuals and family members thereof,” Merchan said, per ABC News. “Given that the eve of trial is upon us, it is without question that the immanency of the risk of harm is now paramount.”
Trump’s criminal case is one of four indictments he currently faces and is likely the only case to see trial before the 2024 presidential election in November.