On Friday, a federal appeals court paused an Oct. 17 gag order placed against former President Donald Trump in his 2020 election case by district Judge Tanya Chutkan, who had forced Trump into silence regarding the court proceedings.
The appeals court also ordered that the trial be expedited, with oral arguments scheduled for Nov. 20.
“The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the emergency motion for a stay pending appeal and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of that motion,” the appeals court wrote.
Chutkan’s gag order, issued at the request of Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith, had prevented Trump from making any criticism of Smith or his staff, or anyone associated with the court, including witnesses in the trial
Trump asked the appeals court Thursday to override Chutkan’s order, calling it a “sweeping, viewpoint-based prior restraint on the core political speech of a major Presidential candidate.”
Trump is supported by a majority of Republicans and, at this point, appears poised to become the Republican Party’s nominee for president in 2024.
