Judge Chutkan cites Trump's 'grave threats' in official order gagging him

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan accused former President Donald Trump of making "grave threats" in an order that bars him from attacking special counsel Jack Smith, witnesses, and others in his federal election interference case.

In a court hearing on Monday, Chutkan first announced that she was imposing a limited gag order. She cited social media posts in which Trump suggested that public figures should be executed.

"Under binding Supreme Court precedent, this court 'must take such steps by rule and regulation that will protect [its] processes from prejudicial outside interferences,'" Chutkan wrote in her written order on Tuesday. "The First Amendment does not override that obligation."

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Chutkan noted that "careful jury selection" could remedy some of Smith's concerns about Trump's attempts to taint the jury pool. But she said that would not go far enough.

"In order to safeguard the integrity of these proceedings, it is necessary to impose certain restrictions on public statements by interested parties," the order noted. "Undisputed testimony cited by the government demonstrates that when Defendant has publicly attacked individuals, including on matters related to this case, those individuals are consequently threatened and harassed."

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The judge argued that Trump's statements "pose sufficiently grave threats to the integrity of these proceedings that cannot be addressed by alternative means, and it has tailored its order to meet the force of those threats."