Judge Slaps Trump With Gag Order, Threatens Sanctions

For months, Donald Trump has employed increasingly violent and unhinged rhetoric against prosecutors and judges involved in his multiple indictments.

So, after a contentious hearing in a Washington D.C. courtroom, Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed a narrow gag order on Trump and warned that he will be sanctioned if he violates it. She also reaffirmed that Trump’s March 4th, 2024 trial date will not be delayed to accommodate his presidential campaign.

This development is the latest concerning Trump’s second federal indictment by Special Counsel Jack Smith—this one for Trump’s involvement with the insurrection on January 6th 2021 and his effort to steal the 2020 election from President Biden.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Smith and his wife, referring to Smith in particular as a politically-biased thug. Likewise, Trump has cast similar aspersions at Judge Chutkan, the presiding judge. In August, a Trump supporter was detained for threatening Chutkan’s life in a racist voicemail.

Beleaguered Trump attorney John Lauro had the unenviable burden of defending a notoriously incompetent and deranged client, claiming even Trump’s most ill-advised conduct was protected by free speech and necessary for his presidential campaign. Chutkan was unimpressed, reportedly saying: “Just because this defendant is running a political campaign doesn't give him the right to use any language he wants.”

Ultimately, Chutkan imposed a narrow gag order on Trump to prevent witness intimidation, jury pool pollution, threats posed to prosecutors and other court officers. Future violations, she warned, will be met with sanctions.