Trump’s Gag Order Partially Lifted Before Debate

Former President Donald Trump’s gag order in the hush money case has been partially lifted just before his upcoming debate with President Joe Biden. The judge overseeing the case has allowed Trump to publicly discuss witnesses and jurors, such as adult actress Stormy Daniels and his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who was involved in paying Daniels $130,000 in 2016 to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump.

However, Trump remains restricted from commenting on Manhattan District Attorney’s office staff and case lawyers. This change in the gag order is seen as a victory for Trump’s legal team, who argued that concerns about his comments were unfounded since the trial concluded on May 31. Prosecutors, on the other hand, had advocated for maintaining the gag order to safeguard the trial’s integrity through sentencing and potential post-trial motions.

Michael Cohen criticized Trump’s attempts to discredit him, stating that Trump’s strategy to avoid accountability has repeatedly failed. Throughout the trial, Trump violated the gag order multiple times, particularly targeting Cohen, Daniels, and even the judge’s family members.

Judge Juan Merchan had expanded the gag order to include public statements about his family after Trump made disparaging remarks about Merchan’s daughter, Loren, who works with a progressive political consulting firm. Despite Trump’s recent conviction on multiple counts, including falsification of business records, the gag order remained until this recent modification.

Trump faces a maximum sentence of 136 years, although as a first-time offender, it’s unlikely he will serve prison time.