What to know about Donald Trump’s gag orders in D.C. and New York
Gag imposed: Judge Tanya S. Chutkan issued the limited gag order from her courtroom on Oct. 16, but it was suspended pending the outcome of an appeal. On Dec. 8, the federal appeals court for D.C. upheld Chutkan’s ruling, putting most of the gag order back into effect.
Reason for gag: Chutkan said Trump’s public attacks on people who are “involved in the judicial process” made a gag order necessary. She wrote in her order: “To safeguard the integrity of these proceedings, it is necessary to impose certain restrictions on public statements by interested parties.”
How it limits Trump’s speech: Chutkan’s original order prohibited the former president from disparaging prosecutors, witnesses and court personnel involved in his trial, which includes four charges related to trying to block Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory. The trial is on hold while the Supreme Court considers Trump’s argument that he should be immune from prosecution for acts that he took during his presidency.
A three-judge appeals court panel, which heard arguments on the gag order on Nov. 20, ruled that while the order bars Trump from disparaging individual lawyers, witnesses and court personnel, the gag does not apply to Special Counsel Jack Smith.