Former President Trump vowed to appeal the gag order reimposed late Sunday by a federal judge in his election interference case, calling the decision unconstitutional and politically motivated.
Trump went on a lengthy social media rant shortly after the decision was posted, calling U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan a “very Biased, Trump Hating Judge” and claiming the gag order will put him at a “disadvantage” in his legal battles and on the campaign trail. He again said the gag order violates his First Amendment rights, an argument his legal team has pressed.
“This order, according to many legal scholars, is unthinkable! It illegally and unconstitutionally takes away my First Amendment Right of Free Speech, in the middle of my campaign for President, where I am leading against BOTH Parties in the Polls,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“Few can believe this is happening, but I will appeal. How can they tell the leading candidate that he, and only he, is seriously restricted from campaigning in a free and open manner? It will not stand!” he added.
Chutkan, who is overseeing the federal election interference case, reinstated the gag order nine days after she temporarily lifted it to allow Trump and his lawyers to appeal the ruling. The order, which bars Trump from making certain public statements about witnesses and prosecutors, was initially implemented Oct. 16.
In a separate post late Sunday on Truth Social, the former president questioned the timing of the cases brought against him by the Justice Department, claiming the decision to file them during the presidential campaign season was to hurt his election bid.
“Why didn’t Crooked Joe Biden tell his Injustice Department to file the lawsuits and Indictments against me 3 years ago, instead of right in the middle of my campaign for President? You’re setting a BAD precedent for yourself, Joe. The same can happen to you,” he wrote.
“These Third World Biden Indictments, which should never have been filed, would have been tried and over with years ago. My SleazeBag Opponent shouldn’t be able to do this during my campaign, OR BEFORE THE ELECTION!” Trump added.
Prosecutors argued in a recent court filing that the court should reimpose the gag order “to prevent such harmful and prejudicial conduct.”
Trump pleaded not guilty to four felony accounts in the federal election interference case that accused him of engaging in multiple criminal conspiracies to stay in power after losing the presidential election in 2020.
Updated at 7:37 a.m.