Trump’s legal team argues that silencing hush money agreement restricts campaign speech

Donald Trump’s lawyers are requesting the judge overseeing his recent criminal trial to lift a gag order now that he has been convicted, arguing that his opponents are using the restrictions on his speech as a political weapon.

In a recent court filing, defense attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove pointed out that President Joe Biden’s campaign had already referred to Trump as a “convicted felon” following the verdict on May 30.

They also noted that the gag order might hinder Trump’s ability to respond to attacks from Biden during their upcoming presidential debate on June 27, even though the order only restricts Trump’s public statements regarding individuals involved in the court proceedings and not the case itself in general.

Bove and Blanche wrote, “President Trump’s opponents and adversaries are leveraging the Gag Order as a political tool to criticize President Trump in relation to this case, knowing that his ability to provide a detailed response is severely limited.”

In May, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts related to falsifying business records in connection to hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump has denied the allegations and plans to appeal the verdict after his sentencing on July 11.

Before the trial began, Judge Juan Merchan issued the gag order in response to prosecutors’ concerns that Trump’s previous threatening statements could disrupt the proceedings.

During the trial, Trump was fined $1,000 for each of 10 violations of the gag order, such as calling Cohen a “serial liar” on social media and commenting on the political affiliation of the jury.

Prosecutors have requested the judge to maintain the gag order at least until Trump’s sentencing, stating that it is essential to “protect the integrity of these proceedings.” They are expected to provide a more detailed argument in the coming weeks.