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Special counsel Jack Smith requests judge impose gag order on Trump to prevent him from attacking people in the case in public and on social media
Good morning, US politics blog readers. That Donald Trump is a big talker is well known, but his penchant for hurling insults at those who cross him is now a legal issue. Jack Smith, the special counsel who has brought charges against him for trying to overturn the 2020 election, has requested that federal judge Tanya Chutkan impose a gag order on Trump to prevent him from attacking people involved in the case, including the witnesses he likes to malign in public appearances and Truth Socials posts. A hearing on that motion will begin at 10am eastern time today in Washington DC, and if Chutkan agrees, it would mark the first instance that Trump has faced legal consequences for his notoriously big mouth.
But it would also open up a host of other questions for the former president, who is right now the frontrunner in the GOP primary. What would happen if Trump violates the gag order? Would Chutkan order him to jail, as she theoretically could? How would it impact his ability to campaign? Chutkan could rule today, or later on, and we’ll cover the hearing as it happens on this blog.
Joe Biden postponed a scheduled trip to Colorado “to participate in national security meetings,” the White House just announced, as Israel’s expected invasion of Gaza looms.
House Republicans continue squabbling over who should replace Kevin McCarthy as speaker, with no resolution in sight ahead of a nomination vote scheduled for Tuesday.
Trump is, meanwhile, campaigning in Iowa, the first state to vote in the GOP’s nominating process.
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