June 24 (UPI) – A federal judge in Florida heard arguments Monday, without issuing a ruling, on whether to impose a limited gag order on former President Donald Trump in his confidential federal documents case while he campaigns for president.
Judge Aileen Cannon did not govern at the request of the government that would prevent Trump from making public statements “that pose a significant, imminent and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents participating in the investigation and prosecution of this case.”
Instead, Cannon admonished Justice Department prosecutor David Harbach for his tone and challenged him to produce evidence to justify the constitutionality of the proposed gag order.
“I don’t appreciate your tone,” Cannon told Harbach. “I expect decorum in this courtroom at all times,” to which Harbach apologized.
“Where in the attachments do you see a call for violence?” Cannon asked, after admonishing prosecutors for not presenting evidence showing a pattern of conduct from other Trump cases.
The statements stem from comments made by Trump about FBI agents who raided his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, in August 2022.
Special Counsel Jack Smith Requested Gag Order After Trump Campaign Launch a fundraising email said that, “Joe Biden It was locked and loaded, ready to take me out and put my family in danger.”
The search warrant language prohibits force unless the target poses an “imminent danger of death or serious physical harm,” which Smith said is a “routine practice.”
In a separate fundraising email, Trump said it was “revealed that Biden’s DOJ was authorized to use lethal force for their despicable attack at Mar-a-Lago” and “they are eager to do the unthinkable.”
Smith and the government argued in their motion that “these misleading and inflammatory allegations expose the law enforcement professionals who are involved in this case to unwarranted and unacceptable risks.”
Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche dismissed claims of danger to law enforcement, saying instead that setting a precedent for a defendant to have his bail modified for political speech is “dangerous.”
Trump argued that a gag order would violate his right to free speech, especially as he campaigns for president ahead of the November election.
Blanche also argued that the gag order is too vague, claiming that Trump’s statements are attacks against President Joe Biden and not against officials.
The former president has gag orders in three other cases, including his criminal conviction in New York and his election interference case.
Trump has declared himself innocent to 37 counts related to mishandling confidential documents and storing them at his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, after he left the White House.
Last month, Cannon postponed the trial indefinitely due to pending pretrial litigation, making it less likely the case would go to trial before Election Day.
