Trump Gets a New Gag Order- And Something More To Complain About

William FurneyOct 20, 2023

Minute Read

Donald Trump has been slapped with another gag order by a judge trying to keep him quiet so the former president doesn’t lash out on social media at anyone involved in his 2020 election case.

Election Interference Case

In a federal case that carries a maximum 20 years in jail if found guilty, Trump is charged with trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election that he lost to Joe Biden. He is also charged with attempting to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. Rioting broke out at the US Capitol in January 2021 after Trump called on his supporters to protest there at the election outcome, and five people died in the violence.

No Tolerance for Trump Attacks

In making a partial gag order on Monday, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan said she had never seen anything like Trump’s behavior toward people involved in the case.

“Mr Trump can certainly claim he’s being unfairly prosecuted, but I cannot imagine any other case where a defendant is allowed to call the prosecution ‘deranged,’ a ‘thug’ or anything else,” she said, referencing attacks on social media that Trump made against special counsel Jack Smith, who brought the case.

No Presidential Run ‘Carte Blanche’

The judge also said that just because Trump is seeking the presidency again, for the 2024 election, that didn’t mean he could do or say anything he wanted.

“His political campaign does not give him carte blanche to vilify public servants for simply doing their job,” she said.

Has Trump Broken Gag Order Already?

A day after Judge Chutkan issued her gag order, Trump was on his Truth Social messaging platform lambasting the decision to quiet him.

“WILL APPEAL THE GAG ORDER RULING. WITCH HUNT!” he wrote, adding in another all-caps post: “A TERRIBLE THING HAPPENED TO DEMOCRACY TODAY – GAG ORDER!”

Trump Campaign Reaction

Trump’s presidential campaign also criticized the election interference case gag order.

“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,” a spokesperson in a statement.

Continuing Trump Fury

In an email from his campaign sent to potential donors, Trump again suggested Democrats were trying to silence him — his chief reasoning for why he is being tried in the case.

“THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION CAN TRY AND GAG ME, BUT THEY CAN *NEVER* GAG THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!”

‘So Unconstitutional’

At a campaign rally in Iowa, Trump declared that the gag order was unAmerican.

“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?” he said to supporters. “I’m not allowed to criticize people. So we’ll see. We’ll appeal it. And we’ll see. But it’s so unconstitutional.”

‘More Indictments than Capone’

Trump also complained to the Iowa crowd that he had been hit with more indictments than infamous mobster Al Capone.

“I got indicted more than Alphonse Capone. If he didn’t like you, you looked at him a little bit askance, he blew your brains out,” he said. “He was only indicted one time. I’ve been indicted four times.”

First Gag Order

Before Monday’s partial gag order ruling, Trump had already been given such an order, by a judge at a civil fraud trial in New York, after he attacked a senior clerk at the court on social media.

Exaggerated Property Worth

The case centers on the Trump Organization’s valuation of its many properties, and the court has already ruled that Trump, his adult sons and senior company executives inflated the size and value of their holdings to get favorable loans, insurance and other financing.

Trump Woes ‘an Advantage’

For all his legal problems, Trump maintains a vast lead over his Republican rivals looking for the party’s nomination for the 2024 election, and frequently attempts to turn issues like indictments and unfavorable court rulings to his advantage.

Far Ahead of the Pack

He has suggested disgruntled Democrats who don’t want him back in the White House are behind it all, and his followers often agree and support him even more. Polls consistently put Trump about 50 percentage points ahead of others in the Republican hopeful field, making him the clear favorite for the nomination.