Trump baselessly claims fraud trial against him is a ‘scam and a sham’
Donald Trump has vowed to fight a gag order in the federal criminal case charging him with his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
On Monday, the judge overseeing the case imposed a partial gag order muzzling some of what the former president can say about his upcoming trial.
Special Counsel Jack Smith asked for Mr Trump to be placed under a gag order because of his “continued use of social media as a weapon of intimidation in court proceedings”.
US District Judge Tanya Chutkan agreed, ruling that Mr Trump and others in the case cannot make, post or share statements targeting Mr Smith, the court, court staff, and witnesses in the case. The former president also can’t refer to Mr Smith as a “thug” or “deranged”.
Mr Trump told supporters at a rally in Iowa on Monday night: “We’ll appeal it. And we’ll see. But it’s so unconstitutional.”
This comes as the former president is expected to make a return to New York on Tuesday to appear at his civil fraud trial.
He is also scheduled to appear for a deposition as part of lawsuits from two former FBI employees who sent negative texts about him.
