Donald Trump has requested the lifting of a news blackout imposed on him during his criminal trial in New York, where he became the first former U.S. president to be convicted, according to court documents released on Tuesday. Judge Juan Merchan issued a limited gag order on Trump before the trial began, preventing the former president from publicly commenting on jurors, witnesses, prosecutors, and court staff. This order was later expanded to include families of the judge and the prosecutor.
Trump was fined $10,000 by a Manhattan court for violating the order on ten occasions, and he risked jail time for publicly breaching the gag order. Prior to the imposition of the gag order, the former president attacked potential witnesses and prosecutors through posts on his private platform, Truth Social.
Last week, jurors found Trump guilty in a case involving the falsification of business records to cover up a sex scandal during the final stages of his 2016 presidential campaign, with sentencing scheduled for July 11.
Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, requested in a letter to Judge Merchan on Monday to "terminate the gag order that restricts President Trump's statements outside of court." Blanche stated, "Now that the trial is over, the concerns expressed by the government and the court do not justify the continued restrictions on President Trump’s rights to free speech under the First Amendment, as he remains the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election." Blanche cited comments made by President Joe Biden, Trump's opponent, following the verdict as a reason to lift the gag order.
