Election Conspiracy Case: Judge Places Partial Gag Order on Trump, Will Consider Sanctions 'as May Be Necessary'

Former president Donald Trump has been prohibited from verbally attacking prosecutors, witnesses, and court staff involved in his 2020 election conspiracy case, RadarOnline.com has learned.

A federal judge issued a gag order on the embattled GOP frontrunner, limiting what he can say about special counsel Jack Smith and others.

The order, however, did not ban disparaging comments about Washington, DC.

"Mr. Trump may still vigorously seek public support as a presidential candidate, debate policies and people related to that candidacy, criticize the current administration and assert his belief that this prosecution is politically motivated," U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan said on Monday.

Chutkan continued, "But those critical first amendment freedoms do not allow him to launch a pre-trial smear campaign against participating government staff, their families and foreseeable witnesses."

She stated any violation of her orders, including reverting back to his accusations that Smith is "deranged" and the lawyers working under him are "thugs," could result in sanctions. Chutkan noted that these types of claims can taint the proceedings.

"When you start to use a word like 'thug' to describe a prosecutor doing their job, that wouldn't be allowed by any other criminal defendant," Chutkan said. "Just because the defendant is running a political campaign does not allow him to do whatever he wants."

"If the message Mr. Trump wants to express is 'my prosecution is politically motivated,'" he can do so without using 'highly charged language,'" she doubled down.

Trump, who faces four felony charges related to his effort to subvert the 2020 election, was not present at the hearing ahead of his trial set for March 2024 amid his campaign efforts and other ongoing cases. The judge said she will not be delaying the trial date.

During the hearing, Trump attorney John Lauro tried to fight the partial gag order sought by Smith's office. "What does somebody do in the face of oppression in a system that now approaches totalitarianism … ? In President Trump's mind, that's what he is facing right now," Lauro explained.

Trump agreed in his own statement. "WILL APPEAL THE GAG ORDER RULING. WITCH HUNT!" the 2024 hopeful posted via his Truth Social platform. "A TERRIBLE THING HAPPENED TO DEMOCRACY TODAY — GAG ORDER!"

After today's hearing, a Trump spokesperson slammed the gag order as "an absolute abomination and another partisan knife stuck in the heart of our Democracy by Crooked Joe Biden."

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Meanwhile, Molly Gaston of the special counsel's office said Trump "can criticize President Biden to his heart's content" since he has nothing to do with the case.