Judge suggests she will issue 'restrictions' on Trump speech with gag order
October 16, 2023
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan suggested on Monday that she would restrict former President Donald Trump's speech after he issued threatening social media posts to prosecutors and witnesses.
In a hearing in Washington, D.C., Chutkan heard arguments from prosecutors from special counsel Jack Smith's office, who asked for a gag order to prevent Trump from making disparaging statements regarding his trial for election interference.
Chutkan broke Trump's targets into five categories: the jury pool, the Biden administration and DOJ, the Special Counsel's office, judges, and potential witnesses.
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"We're in here today because of the statements he's made not just before the government made its motion but after – as recently as last night," the judge said, according to reports from the courtroom. "I'm not confident that without some kind of restrictions, we won't be in here all the time."
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With that, Chutkan called a recess. She was expected to return later in the day, but it was unclear when a ruling would be issued.