U.S. Court of Appeals Temporarily Pauses Gag Order on Former President Donald Trump

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has temporarily paused a gag order that prohibited former President Donald Trump from making statements about potential witnesses or disparaging comments about the prosecutors involved in the federal election interference case against him. The order, filed Friday, was a victory for Trump’s attorneys who had argued in a filing Thursday that the order imposed by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan of Washington, D.C., was “baseless” and not needed for the proper administration of justice.

The panel, comprised of Judges Patricia Millett, an Obama appointee, Cornelia Pillard, another Obama appointee and Bradley, will stay the gag order until after they hear oral argument on Trump’s request that the gag order be permanently removed.

The gag order was imposed ahead of Trump’s federal 2020 election interference trial in Washington, D.C. It prohibited Trump from making any statements about potential witnesses or disparaging comments about the prosecutors involved in the case.

Trump’s attorneys argued that the gag order was unconstitutional and violated the former president’s First Amendment rights. They also argued that the gag order was overly broad and would have a chilling effect on Trump’s ability to defend himself.

The appeals court panel will now hear oral arguments on the matter before deciding whether to permanently lift the gag order. Until then, the gag order will remain paused.