Judge denies Trump request to narrow gag order to respond to Stormy Daniels

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

05/09/24 4:39 PM ET


Former President Trump’s hush money judge rejected the former president’s request to narrow his gag order so he can speak publicly about porn actor Stormy Daniels now that she has completed her testimony in Trump’s ongoing criminal trial.

Trump’s gag order limits his attacks against witnesses, among others, forcing the former president to stop pummeling some of his frequent targets on social media or risk jail time.

On Thursday afternoon, hours after Daniels was excused, Trump attorney Todd Blanche argued that the witness had changed her version of events, referencing the defense’s lines of attack during cross examination. “He needs an opportunity to respond to the American people, and the reason for the gag order are over. She is no longer a witness,” Blanche said.

Merchan denied the motion from the bench, maintaining the restrictions that prevent Trump from criticizing the adult film star, one of prosecutors’ highest-profile witnesses. “That’s just not the track record,” Merchan said. “The reason why the gag order is in place to begin with is precisely because of the nature of these attacks – the vitriol.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4654627-judge-denies-trump-request-to-narrow-gag-order-to-respond-to-stormy-daniels/

[emulatorloo]

1. If he wants to speak about Stormy, he'll need to do it under oath in the court room.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Exactly. If he takes on oath, he can have his say.

[emulatorloo]

5. Under cross-examination.

He’ll never do this of course.

[bluestarone]

8. THIS. Needs to be Shouted from the higest mountain.

Come on CRY BABY. Get up there and testify!!

[Grins]

9. My first thought, too.

“Take the stand, Mr. Trump!”

He complained the gag orders prevented him from his 1st Amendment speaking rights...? Well, take the stand! And then answer rebuttal questions from the prosecution.

[sheshe2]

11. This right here.

[BlueKota]

24. He doesn't understand why that rule applies to him!

He's not one of the little people after all.

[Irish_Dem]

2. Trump has a right to attack witnesses the minute they are done testifying?

This man never stops working a con job.

[ShazzieB]

12. He THINKS he should have that right.

He THINKS he should have the right to attack any and everyone, for any or no reason, as much as he likes, at any time of the day or night.

He THINKS a lot of things, most of them b.s.

[Irish_Dem]

13. The judge may have to clarify that point to dimwit.

The witnesses are witnesses for the entire trial.

[C_U_L8R]

4. Trump can respond by testifying

Does he not know how this thing works?

[onetexan]

6. Ha! the con is dying to vilify Stormy over her spilling the beans on him

[Chainfire]

7. He wants a chance to do what he does best....Lie.

He will probably bust the gag order over this and I hope it gets him the honor of being locked up. He has a legitimate route to air his grievances, just take the stand, coward.

[Demobrat]

10. She's done testifying

and I didn’t like what she said, so I should be allowed to sic my goons on her.

Yeah, no.

[NBachers]

14. I see we all are of a like-mind here - take the stand and make your point.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

15. If traitortrump is allowed to attack Daniels in public, it can have a chilling effect on other witnesses.

[Demobrat]

16. If he was allowed to attack her in public

he would be putting her life in danger. Not that it is not already, but that would be equivalent to calling out the flying monkeys. The judge and everyone else in the world knows that.

[dlk]

17. This must burn Trump

He has to keep his woman-hater ego in check.

[Traurigkeit]

20. TSF Fears Women That is where the hate comes from

[Think. Again.]

30. Yes, he fears women, wonder where that came from?

[byronius]

18. Wriggle, little man.

[Marcuse]

19. He wants to exercise his First Amendment right to lie - preferably not under oath.

[catrose]

21. Stormy has suffered enough at his hands and other body parts.

[sinkingfeeling]

22. If he wants to respond, testify in court.

[Jersey Devil]

23. There's no Constitutional right to try your case in public

Every defendant has the right to remain silent from which no adverse inferences can be made by the jury, or to tell his story to the jury under oath. But there is no right to try to convince the public of your innocense. Trump's motion to do away with the gag order as to Stormy Daniels is complete nonsense. If Trump wants to deny it ever happened (sex with Daniels) he is going to have to do it in court under oath and subject to cross examination.

[Ocelot II]

26. And the other point, which the judge also mentioned, is that there are other witnesses

who haven't testified yet, and could easily anticipate that they'll get the same treatment if he's allowed to trash Daniels in public. Of course Michael Cohen is expecting it, but there might be other, much less famous witnesses who could be intimidated in advance of their testimony.

[republianmushroom]

25. The judge telling it as it is.

[WhiteTara]

27. that's the purpose of the trial.

He can respond in court.

[captain queeg]

28. This shows that trump is well aware of what the gag order states.

He keeps treading a thin line but he knows we’re the line is.

[keithbvadu2]

29. I was going to say: on the stand, under oath... Good to see I'm not alone in thinking that.

It's those doggone perjury traps.

[Think. Again.]

31. Write a book big shot.