Donald Trump's Rants and Attacks Vs. Judge, Special Counsel Jack Smith Could Lead to Gag Orders
Former President and current Republican frontrunner Donald Trump recently went on a massive rant against Special Counsel Jack Smith and the judge presiding over his 2020 election interference case. This could lead him to more trouble.
In what many say is a threat to investigators, Donald Trump wrote an all-caps warning on Truth Social, writing, "IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I'M COMING AFTER YOU!" This may be directed to Jack Smith himself, who is investigating Trump for not just the 2020 elections, but also the classified documents scandal.
The former president went on a rant storm over the weekend, targeting potential star witness and former Vice President Mike Pence, who is also running against him in the 2024 GOP primaries.
"WOW, it's finally happened! Liddle' Mike Pence, a man who was about to be ousted as Governor Indiana until I came along and made him V.P., has gone to the Dark Side. ... He's delusional, and now he wants to show he's a tough guy. I once read a major magazine article on Mike. It said he was not a very good person," he ranted.
However, he went back to all-caps when targeting the judge presiding over his 2020 election interference case, Judge Tanya Chutkan, according to USA Today.
Trump wrote, "THERE IS NO WAY I CAN GET A FAIR TRIAL WITH THE JUDGE 'ASSIGNED' TO THE RIDICULOUS FREEDOM OF SPEECH/FAIR ELECTIONS CASE. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS, AND SO DOES SHE!"
This is in reference to the judge and her harsh decisions against January 6 rioters.
Trump then went back to attacking Jack Smith, writing, "DERANGED JACK SMITH AND OUR HIGHLY PARTISAN, AND VERY CORRUPT, DEPARTMENT OF INJUSTICE, COULD HAVE BROUGHT THIS BIDIN 'OPPONENT' CASE YEARS AGO, BUT CHOSE TO WAIT AND BRING IT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY ELECTION CAMPAIGN. NO WAY!!! I HOPE YOU ARE WATCHING AMERICA. OUR COUNTRY IS BEING DESTROYED."
These rants may bear some consequences for the former president as the judge may issue a gag order against him, as his "IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I'M COMING AFTER YOU!" threat prompted Smith to ask for a protective order. This would stop Trump from publicizing or spouting off on evidence shared with his defense team and spinning it to win in the court of public opinion.
READ MORE: Donald Trump vs. E. Jean Carroll: Ex-POTUS Gets Big Loss in Defamation Counterclaim
Donald Trump Lawyers Try To Stop Jack Smith's Protective Order Request
Meanwhile, the ex-POTUS's lawyers argued that Smith's proposal is infringing on their client's right to free speech. They tried to stop Smith's request, trying to get narrower limits on the protective order.
ABC News reported that the Trump attorneys argued that these narrower limits "would protect sensitive materials while ensuring Trump's right to free speech."
The Trump attorneys also argued that the protective order would be aimed at the "administration's primary political opponent, during an election season in which the administration, prominent party members, and media allies have campaigned on the indictment and proliferated its false allegations."
Judge Denies Donald Trump Lawyers' Request for More Time
Before their request on Monday, the Trump attorneys tried to delay their response to Smith's protective order request. However, the judge struck it down.
Smith argued in his request that Trump might intimidate witnesses by improperly disclosing confidential evidence that were given by the government, according to CNBC. As seen by his latest rants on social media, that may very well be possible, noted Smith.
Now, Judge Chutkan has called for a new hearing. The special counsel and the Trump legal team would have to argue for their dueling motions regarding the protective order. Both sides now have to agree on a date by Tuesday at 3 pm. The judge did say that she would prefer the hearing to happen before Friday.
READ MORE: Court Finds Donald Trump Liable For Sexual Abuse
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Trump lashes out at special counsel over new protective order - TODAY
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