– Prosecutors accuse Trump’s defense lawyers of intimidating witnesses and trial participants with his rhetoric
– Prosecutors request clarification of gag order to include Trump’s public statements about the judge’s family members
– Trump’s defense argues that the gag order does not apply to the judge’s family and asserts his right to appeal the order
Donald Trump’s defense lawyers and Manhattan hush-money prosecutors are in a heated battle over his gag order, with prosecutors accusing Trump of making dangerous and reprehensible attacks on the judge’s daughter. Despite warnings and last week’s gag order, Trump continued his disruptive rhetoric, prompting prosecutors to request clarification that the gag order also applies to public statements about the judge’s family members. The attacks on the judge’s daughter, a progressive political-consultant, included false claims and were deemed as intended to intimidate witnesses and trial participants.
Prosecutors argued that there is no constitutional right to target the family of the court and accused Trump of carrying out his promise to come after his perceived opponents. In response, Trump’s defense team defended his statements, stating that the gag order does not explicitly include family members of court staff and arguing that prosecutors are trying to restrict his constitutionally protected speech. The defense also suggested that they will continue to seek to remove the judge from the case due to his daughter’s financial interest in attacks on Trump.
The judge has yet to decide whether to revise or clarify the gag order. The judge’s daughter, who works for a progressive political consulting firm that has worked on campaigns for Trump’s rivals, did not provide immediate comment. The ongoing conflict underscores the intense legal and personal battle between Trump’s defense team and the Manhattan prosecutors as the case unfolds.