Donald Trump has said he is “willing to go to jail” to protect democracy in the United States, after a sentence imposed a strict gag order on the former president ahead of the federal trial for his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. .
Trump made the comments at a 2024 campaign rally in Clive, Iowa, shortly after Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed restrictions on what the former president can say about his case before the March 2024 trial. He forbade attacks on prosecutors, potential witnesses, and court staff.
Leading the 2024 Republican presidential primary, Trump pleaded not guilty to four counts as part of Jack Smith’s special investigation into the events leading up to the Jan. 6 attack. He has claimed that this was a politically motivated attempt to save him. to defeat President Joe Biden in the next election.
The real estate mogul and his legal team also asserted that any gag order, a common step in criminal cases, would violate Trump’s First Amendment rights as part of his latest run for the White House, and the Trump campaign suggested Biden was behind the gag. order requests on a Monday.
Speaking to supporters in Iowa, Trump warned that the resolution to impose a strict gag order over the federal trial is an attempt to obstruct his chances of winning the 2024 election, and said he was willing to go to prison to protect democracy. That’s what’s needed. “
“I’m beating them very hard in the polls. They think the way to get me is to stop me from talking,” Trump said.
“They need to take away my voice and pass judgment on the silence ordered today. Did you hear that? As for the speech, what she did, I think, is completely unconstitutional. A judgment on ordered silence, a judgment on ordered silence, not like me either. A lot.
“All his life he has not loved me, and yet he has given an order to be silent. Do you know what a gag order is? You can’t talk about your opponent. But all of this is a weapon, because Joe Biden loses the election and loses. It’s very, very bad for all of us in the polls. He loses a lot.
“But what they don’t realize is that I’m willing to go to prison if that’s what it takes for our country to win and become a democracy again,” Trump added, drawing applause from the audience.
Trump’s office reached out via email for further comment.
In issuing the gag order Monday, Chutkan said Trump is free to protect himself and claim that the case is politically motivated, and even to criticize the Justice Department in general, but that the former president may not mount a “pretrial smear campaign” against his opposition. government personnel, their families, or potential witnesses.
“No other defendant would be allowed to do that, and I wouldn’t possibly allow them in this case,” Chutkan said.
Trump has attacked Chutkan and Smith in social media posts and statements, adding that he called the special counsel “deranged. “
At Monday’s hearing, Deputy Special Counsel Molly Gaston argued that Trump’s attacks on people involved in the case should not be considered part of his 2024 bid.
“He’s not doing a crusade, it’s his crusade to intimidate witnesses and taint the jury,” Gaston said.
Chutkan warned that he would impose “whatever sanctions may be necessary” if the gag order was violated. Those who violate the orders imposed by sentencing receive a fine or even a prison sentence.
However, the sentence is unlikely to jail a former president in such a case because of the potential political backlash.
“Typically, if the judge finds that the defendant has violated a coverage order, he will take everyone to court, file a genuine complaint against the defendant, and warn them of the seriousness of the situation,” said Joshua Ritter, an advocate for the offenders. lawyer, he said in the past to Newsweek.
“If the infraction is incredibly serious and it’s more about pushing the boundaries, it’s most likely going to end with that warning. “
In articles on Truth Social, Trump accused the federal case of being a “witch hunt” for him and said he would appeal the gag order.
“Something terrible happened to democracy today,” he added, referring to Chutkan’s decision.
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News journalist founded in London, UK. It focuses on U. S. politics, domestic politics, and the courts. He joined Newsweek in February 2018 after spending several years working at the International Business Times UK, where he focused on crime. policy and existing issues. Prior to that, he worked as a freelancer after graduating from the University of Sunderland in 2010. Languages: English.
You can reach Ewan by emailing e. palmer@newsweek. com.