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The federal judge overseeing the election subversion case against former President Donald Trump has issued a gag order, preventing him from making public statements about witnesses, court staff, and the prosecutors trying the case.
Judge Tanya Chutkan said that Trump's "presidential candidacy does not give him carte blanche to vilify public servants who are simply doing their jobs."
"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, referring to social media posts made by Trump. "Just because the defendant is running a political campaign does not allow him to do whatever he wants."
If Trump violates the gag order, he could face sanctions from the court.
This is the second time a judge has imposed a gag order on Trump. Earlier in the month, the judge overseeing the New York civil fraud trial issued a gag order in response to a post in which Trump accused a clerk of Judge Arthur Engoron of being in a relationship with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
"Consider this statement an order forbidding all parties from posting, emailing, or speaking publicly about any members of my staff," Engoron said. "Failure to abide by this will result in serious sanctions."