Judge bars Trump from 'smear campaign'
A federal judge on Monday barred Donald Trump from verbally attacking U.S. prosecutors, court staff and potential witnesses involved in a criminal case that accuses him of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss. - REUTERS
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00:00 A federal judge on Monday barred Donald Trump from verbally attacking those involved in
00:05 a criminal case that accuses him of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.
00:11 That includes U.S. prosecutors, court staff, and potential witnesses.
00:15 U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkin pointed to disparaging social media posts and said
00:20 she would not allow Trump to "launch a pretrial smear campaign" while speaking at a campaign
00:26 rally in Iowa. The former U.S. president, who has pleaded not guilty, vowed to appeal
00:32 the judge's order.
00:33 "Today a judge put on a gag order. I'll be the only politician in history that runs with
00:39 a gag order where I'm not allowed to criticize people."
00:41 The order bars the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and his
00:47 attorneys from personally targeting special counsel Jack Smith, prosecutors working with
00:52 him, and court staff. It also prevents Trump from discussing potential witnesses, as relates
00:58 to their testimony at trial.
01:01 But Chutkin said she would allow Trump to make critical statements about the U.S. Justice
01:05 Department and that denounce the prosecution as politically motivated.
01:10 Trump's trial is due to begin in five months.