The Trump campaign has been seething lately over a “gag order” in a federal court case, with the president lashing out in criticism of the federal judge and lawyers involved. Meanwhile, his campaign has been relishing the order, as it prevents any further evidence related to the case from being used in the election campaign.
The initial order was set last month when a federal judge in Washington ruled that the Trump campaign and the president’s business constituents must not publicly discuss the case at hand. The judge feared the public comments could influence the outcome of the case, which involves allegations of misuse of campaign funds. President Trump, irked by the perceived attack on his freedom of speech, made his displeasure known on Twitter, calling the judge’s decision “terrible and unprecedented” and challenging it in court.
The order effectively places a gag order on the key participants in the case—and their respective teams—from adherents being able to use any evidence or documents related to the case in their election campaigning. It has worked to the advantage of the Trump campaign, who believe that evidence could paint the president and his team in a negative light and damage their current successful electoral standing.
The Trump v. Mazars USA LLP court filing has seen a barrage of legal documents, with the latest order being to limit any public discussions. An attorney for the president’s lawyers stated, “It would be impossible for the President to obtain a fair trial or hearing if his lawyers were subjected to public questioning or comment.”
The president seeking to have the order removed has so far been unsuccessful. He nonetheless has his campaign staff exploiting the gag order to block any negative opposition use of the case’s legal documents while touting his success as the election nears.
This counts as a unique victory for Trump’s campaign and can be seen as a solid advantage for them. The ability of a federal judge to limit the dissemination of information to the public by a person in power could be seen as both a blessing and a curse for the president’s team. While the restriction of evidence from use in an election campaign seems beneficial to Trump’s cause, it also shows people the power of the courts to limit not only their freedom of speech but any extra information that can be used against them.
As the votes get counted, only time will tell if Trump’s seething over the gag order will be remembered or forgotten.
Trump Boils with Frustration at Federal Gag Order, While His Campaign Delights in It
