Judge Softens Gag Order on Trump Amidst Hush Money Scandal

A Manhattan judge adjusted Donald Trump's gag order, allowing him to publicly comment on witnesses and jurors in his hush money criminal trial. The decision comes ahead of Trump's debate with President Joe Biden. The gag order still restricts comments about court staff and prosecution team until Trump's sentencing on July 11.

In a significant development, a Manhattan judge on Tuesday modified the gag order imposed on former President Donald Trump, allowing him to comment publicly about witnesses and jurors involved in his hush money criminal trial.

The decision by Judge Juan M. Merchan permits Trump to speak out just days before his debate with President Joe Biden. However, the judge maintained restrictions on Trump and his lawyers from revealing the identities of jurors or their addresses, and upheld the ban on comments about court staffers, the prosecution team, and their families until the sentencing, scheduled for July 11.

Trump's lawyers had argued that the gag order contravened the former president's First Amendment rights. Despite the partial lifting of the order, Trump's campaign criticized it as an unconstitutional decision. Michael Cohen, a key witness in the trial, rebuffed Trump's criticisms, stating that Trump's tactics to discredit him had failed.

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