Former President Donald Trump labeled the recent gag order issued by Federal Judge Chutkan as a “witch hunt,” with his campaign strongly condemning it as “an utter abomination.”
Is repeatedly using the term “witch hunt’ a result of Trump’s limited vocabulary or a “shrewd” tactic from the former President?
Trump Takes to Social Media After Being Slapped With Gag Order
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Once more, Trump utilized his social media platform, Truth Social, to reiterate the familiar claims so frequently insinuated in the past.
“WILL APPEAL THE GAG ORDER RULING. WITCH HUNT!” he wrote in one post.
Trump posted later, calling the order terrible for democracy.
“A TERRIBLE THING HAPPENED TO DEMOCRACY TODAY – GAG ORDER!” he wrote.
Trump Posted “Witch Hunt” Around Once Every Three Days During His Presidency
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According to Guardian Columnist Jeffrey Frankel, throughout Trump’s former Presidency, he had, on average, employed the term “witch-hunt” in his posts approximately once every three days, and not solely concerning his impeachment trial.
Inquiries Into Mismanagement of COVID-19 a “Witch Hunt”
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Later that year, Trump persisted in employing the phrase to characterize allegations of mismanagement of his COVID-19 response, scrutiny of his tax returns, investigations into alleged criminal activities at the Trump Organization, and numerous other controversies.
Trump Uses the Term Increasingly When Under Legal Pressure
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According to a New York Times article, Trump’s utilization of the term saw a significant uptick following the FBI’s raid on the office and hotel room of his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen. This surge coincided with Mr. Cohen’s guilty plea in 2018, admitting to campaign finance violations and other charges. Trump took to social media, using the phrase “witch hunt” more than 110 times in just two months.
Limited Vocabulary or Shrewd Tactic?
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According to a columnist at The Nation Magazine, if Trump aims to persuade people of his innocence, adopting a phrase he had formerly employed to shield the guilty doesn’t appear to be a wise strategy. However, it’s actually “a shrewd tactic.”
The Reiteration Effect
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“The repetition itself can serve a powerful, reality-shifting function: A 2015 study on the ‘reiteration effect’ confirmed that when false information is repeated often enough, people come to believe it,” Alice Markham-Cantor wrote in the publication.
Trump’s Spokesperson Lashes Out Again at “Crooked Joe Biden.”
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A statement from his campaign also denounced the gag order, parroting Trump’s claims that Joe Biden is “crooked.”
“Today’s decision is an absolute abomination, and another partisan knife stuck in the heart of our Democracy by Crooked Joe Biden, who was granted the right to muzzle his political opponent, the leading candidate for the Presidency in 2024, and the most popular political leader in America, President Donald J. Trump,” said Trump’s spokesperson in response to the order.
Trump Wrote About Gag Order in Fundraising Campaign Email
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Trump also wrote in a fundraising email, “THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION CAN TRY AND GAG ME, BUT THEY CAN *NEVER* GAG THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!”
Partial Gag Order Permits Trump to Comment on Biden and the Justice Department
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In the Federal election case, Chutkan’s limited gag order clarified that there are several areas in which Trump can still express his views without breaching the order. The order doesn’t prevent the former President from criticizing the Biden Administration, the Justice Department, or the government in a broader sense.
Trump May Still Criticize “Campaign Platforms or Policies.”
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Trump retains the ability to maintain his innocence and argue that the case against him is politically driven. The filing specifies that he can also critique the “campaign platforms or policies” of his political rivals in the 2024 election, which includes figures like former Vice President Mike Pence, a potential witness in the case.
Trump May Still Even Criticize the Judge
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Surprisingly, Trump is still permitted to criticize the Judge. The gag order is in addition to Trump’s pre-trial release stipulations.
Gag Order on Top of Two Conditions of Pre-trial Release
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The conditions of Trump’s pre-trial release have already barred him from communicating about the case “with any individual known to the defendant to be a witness,” except through counsel.
Protective Order Issued to Prevent Trump From Sharing Sensitive Information
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Pre-trial conditions of release also come with a protective order prohibiting Trump from sharing any sensitive materials related to the case.
Trump Calls Gag Order “Unconstitutional”
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“Today, a judge put on a gag order. I’ll be the only politician in history that runs with a gag order where I’m not allowed to criticize people. Can you imagine this? Do you believe this?” Trump told a crowd in Iowa. “… it’s so unconstitutional.”
Trump Indicted More Times Than “Alphonse Capone”
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“I got indicted more than Alphonse Capone,” Trump said. “He was only indicted one time, I’ve been indicted four times,” Trump moaned.
In No Other Case Could You Call a Prosecutor a “Thug”
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“I can’t imagine any other criminal case where a defendant is allowed to call a prosecutor deranged or a thug,” Judge Chutkan said before issuing the order.
Gag Order Conditions Extend to Families of Counsel and Witnesses
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Chutkan clarified that the order extends to family members as well, following Trump’s mention of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s wife in a post. She justified the order as “necessary and narrowly tailored,” highlighting that Trump remains free to assert that he is facing unjust prosecution.
Will Appealing the Gag Order Be Successful?
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Trump has filed an appeal against the gag order imposed in the Federal criminal case aimed at overturning the 2020 election. This move comes as the ex-President encounters increasing limitations on his speech within the ongoing criminal and civil proceedings against him, owing to his frequent verbal attacks on prosecutors, judges, and other participants in the case.
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