Donald Trump and Joe Biden are scheduled to debate at the end of the month, and Trump's legal issues will surely be a topic of discussion.
So, Donald Trump's defense team has filed a motion to have Trump's gag order lifted prior to the debate so Trump can respond to any comments made by Biden or the moderators regarding his case.
Talking Points…
- Trump's gag order
- Request to have the order lifted
- Analysis
Donald Trump and Judge Merchan have been jousting from the outset of this trial. Their animosity did not quite reach the level that Trump had against Judge Engeron, but it was pretty close. Whenever Trump could, he attacked Merchan, and eventually, Merchan slapped Trump with a gag order, preventing him from attacking members of the court, witnesses, and prosecutors.
This was devastating for Trump because he was unable to respond to the daily happenings in court. Numerous members of Congress and other Trump allies and family members held press conferences after each day to attack the court and prosecutors since Trump could not do that.
The debate will be a different story because you know Joe Biden wants to use the "convicted felon" line during the debate, but if the gag order is not lifted, Trump is easy pickings for Biden and moderators who want to take a shot. They can basically say whatever they want on the subject, and you know they will, but if Trump responds, he could wind up in jail for contempt.
Now that the trial is over and sentencing is not scheduled until July, and with the debate on the horizon, Trump really needs to get that gag order lifted to avoid getting creamed during the debate. So, Trump's attorneys submitted a filing to have the order lifted. In part, it states:
"We respectfully submit this pre-motion letter requesting that Your Honor terminate the gag order restricting President Trump's extrajudicial statements. For the reasons set forth below, because the trial has concluded, the stated bases for the gag order no longer exist.
"Now that the trial is concluded, the concerns articulated by the government and the Court do not justify continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights of President Trump—who remains the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election—and the American people."
Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung also commented on the gag order, stating:
"As made clear by President Trump and his legal team, the wrongful gag order was a big part of how the Manhattan sham trial was rigged and should be lifted immediately."
With Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen regularly attacking Trump after the trial, I really don't see how Merchan can justify keeping the gag order in place. At the very least, Merchan should allow him to unleash during the debate, then put the gag order back in place until after sentencing. If Merchan does not agree to lift the gag order for the debates, this is just setting Trump up for a massive defeat when he faces off against Biden later this month. But if Trump is able to swing freely, well, the fireworks are going to fly well before July 4.
