Now that Judge Juan Merchan has taken Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg seriously and expanded the gag order on former President Donald Trump’s hush-money case, his 2024 presidential campaign is all out of sorts, complaining that the gag order prevents “core political speech.” Undoubtedly, it won’t be long before Trump violates the gag order since he’s done that just about every time he’s been gagged (we wish) but this gives his campaign more time to paint him as a victim.
Merchan, a New York State Supreme Court Justice, broadened the gag order to include prohibitions on Trump commenting about the families of the justice and Bragg, who requested the move last Friday in a letter sent to Merchan, Newsweek reports. Trump had denounced Merchan’s daughter in a pair of social media posts, attacking her as a “super liberal” operative for Democrats.
In the original limited gag order that he issued against the former president on Tuesday, Merchan didn’t include himself, Bragg, or their family members. Todd Blanche, an attorney for Trump opposed Bragg’s request to “clarify” the gag order on Friday. He argued it would not be “appropriate” to expand the order because Bragg’s letter only cited two instances of Trump attacking Merchan’s daughter.
I think the judge was wise in expanding the gag order. We already know that Trump’s increasingly violent rhetoric on Truth Social could very well whip up his supporters into another January 6. He perpetually paints himself as a victim and his supporters swallow that hook, line, and sinker.
Merchan’s ruling on Monday also warned Trump that he would “forfeit any statutory right he may have to access juror names if he engages in any conduct that threatens the safety and integrity of the jury or the jury selection process.” This was something Bragg’s office had requested in a filing earlier Monday.
I’m going to also say I think it’s wrong for Trump to have access to the names of the jury. If I were a juror in this case you can bet I’d be scared.
And Trump’s campaign is busy venting its spleen, in the form of ever-faithful spokesperson Steven Cheung, who complained that the expansion of the order was an attack on free speech that limits Trump’s ability to “speak out” against “unconstitutional tyranny,” (cough-cough). Even though it’s usually him committing “unconstitutional tyranny,” (see January 6, 2021.) Cheung even claimed, evidence-free, that Bragg was following orders from President Joe Biden.
“judge merchan’s unconstitutional gag order prevents president trump—the leading candidate for president of the united states—from engaging in core political speech, which is entitled to the highest level of protection under the first amendment,” cheung said in a statement.
So how is prohibiting Trump from verbally attacking people preventing “core political speech?”
Since I didn’t know what this term meant, I looked it up:
“Core political speech consists of conduct and words that are intended to directly rally public support for a particular issue, position, or candidate.”
That’s according to USLegal.com.
So it sounds like Trump & co. don’t have to worry about their “core political speech.” They just have to avoid the verbal assaults. Which it doesn’t sound like they are in any mood to do, as evinced by further comments by Cheung.
“Manhattan DA alvin bragg, at the direction of crooked joe biden, chose to indict president trump in the middle of campaign season in a politically motivated attempt to derail his candidacy, and the first amendment allows president trump to speak out against this unconstitutional tyranny,” he said.
That is a whole other level of stupid, and frankly, it’s making my eyes burn. I’m not going to include any more of Cheung’s ridiculous comments. The expansion to this gag order was quite obviously necessary although it doesn’t completely dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s. The expanded order limits Trump’s ability to publicly disparage Merchan and Bragg’s families but there are no explicit restrictions to prevent him from attacking the judge and the district attorney.
I’m sure Trump will be doing just that in an upcoming Truth Social not-so-fine whine.
I can hardly wait.
I would think that “core political speech” would involve going after his political opponents, but that’s just me. If he was as strong or tough as he claims, he wouldn’t be such a whiny baby.
I certainly hope Judge Merchan enforces this order with force.
Trump cannot control the liquid manure that flows out of his stupid mouth … Every time he goes to make an attack on his growing list of non-supporters, he continues to deepen his financial debts and time in prison … The big clocks all over the world, like BIG BEN in London, are showing the rest of the world, Trump’s descending freedom and intense monetary attack on his criminal responsibility in forms of interest during his delay tactics, one giant, “TIK TOK”, every second he fools around wallowing in the Pig Sty …
He’s totally inept and criminally stupid, all his, “DEALS”, he’s made with shady types in the mobs and international Dictators, will surely put Him and his own family in danger of, permanent, “GAG”, arrangements … He is too stupid to realize how easy it is to find operators and, “adjusters”, while he is finally in prison …
His mind must be hanging on to what little is left of his current dose of drugs before they haul his butt to prison … 🙂
We Americans do not have free, unfettered, speech. If you think we do I suggest you go into a theater while a movie is showing and yell “FIRE” when there is no fire. You will get a very thorough lesson in what is Free Speech sanctioned by the U.S. Constitution and what is not sanctioned by that document.
We are not allowed to threaten others using our words. If however it is found that we really do have unfettered speech LOOK OUT former guy, magats senators/reps., corrupt s.c. idiots, etc. We will blanket whatever the f*ck is necessary to make your lives as miserable and dangerous as you idiots make everyone else’s lives.
I do believe however this is covered as Free Speech: donald, former guy, I hope someone buggers you up the butt with a long, steel d*ldo…sideways. You ought to be in prison soon so this might become a reality.
Traitor Tot should never been granted bail or pre-trial release, as he has he means to flee the country. Also, if you or I violated as many gag orders as he has, we would be sitting in jail! WHY IS THIS CAREER CRIMINAL GETTING ANY SPECIAL TREATMENT?!?! THROW HIS A$$ IN JAIL NOW!!!!
He wasn’t forbidden to attack the judge or the prosecutor, who are the ones running the show by, you know, daring to do their jobs. But their families have nothing to do with the trial. They didn’t ask to related to those two. And Barron didn’t ask to be sired by the whineist crybaby in the country, and he expects his offspring not to be attacked (Well,Melanoma does;I doubt Fat Donnie cares. I an not certain he could pick the kid our of a line-up), but us unwilling to reciprocate when it comes to non-supporters family members.
Old mob tactics. “Ya got a pretty daughter there. Maybe you’d like her to.stay pretty.”