'That's actually false': Legal expert blows up Trump's latest gag order claim

Former President Donald Trump claims his gag order forcing him to stay mum on various individuals surrounding his historic criminal hush money trial is unprecedented.

In a Truth Social post, Trump moaned about the gag order that Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan imposed and then strengthened barring him from criticizing witnesses, jurors, court staff, and the families of the prosecutor and judge.

"The Gag Order imposed on me, a political candidate running for the highest office in the land, is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL," Trump wrote. "Nothing like this has ever happened before."

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"The Conflicted Judge’s friends and party members can say whatever they want about me, but I am not allowed to respond. The Trial is Rigged and should never have been allowed to take place on a charge that virtually every legal scholar and expert say is bogus, THERE IS NO CRIME. This is a Political Witch Hunt - ELECTION INTERFERENCE!"

But Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who once served as Chief of the Trial Division, and Chief Assistant District Attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office where Trump is being tried, appeared on CNN to denounce the 45th president on this score as being flat out wrong.

She suggested that the gag order is drawn up almost identically to a federal gag order imposed on him in the Jan. 6 election subversion case, an order that was backed in December by the D.C. Court of Appeals.

Agnifilo stated that Merchan's gag order "mirrors" that.

"So for him to say it's never been done, it's unconstitutional — that's actually false," said Agnifilo. "It's actually the law of the land, according to the federal courts and so it absolutely is fine. It's constitutional. It's necessary."

She went on to show solidarity with Merchan for not letting the trial spiral into a circus.

"He's the judge has to keep control of his courtroom," said Agnifilo. "He has to make sure that witnesses aren't intimidated, and in particular, the jurors, and I think what's really concerning, is that he comments on the jurors — and it's very difficult to get people, just average people to serve on jury duty if they have to worry about something like that."

A ruling is expected by Merchan on whether Trump violated the gag order after a contempt hearing cited 10 posts on his social media account and campaign website serving as proof for prosecutors to show a “deliberate flouting” of the court’s prohibition.

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