Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two were martyred in an initial toll of the Israeli drone strike that targeted the al-Asira neighborhood in the city of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli drone strike targeted the al-Asira neighborhood east of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are the greatest resistance. Know that 'Israel' will fall because it embodies aggression, crime, and occupation; victory is truly yours
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: The value of what you are doing despite your wounds is immense, and here you are, treading the path of the Master of Nation's Martyrs and the leaders
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are moving forward with insight deeper than sight itself. The enemy sought to eliminate your role in the battle, yet you remain steadfast and continue the fight
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors one year later: You are healing from your wounds and rising above them. You have successfully passed the test
Palestinian media: Reports of stabbing operation in occupied al-Quds.
Israeli media: Sirens blare in Arava in South, near Ramon Airport.
Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouli: Egypt is targeted in plans to redraw regional map
AEOI Chief Mohammad Eslami: Our presence in IAEA General Council and fact-checking helped in preventing unilateral rhetoric that aims to portray Iran as an unregulated country

Judge in Trump hush money case issues gag order

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 27 Mar 2024 08:13
4 Min Read

After Trump verbally attacked Judge Merchan and his daughter, the judge issued a gag order against Trump, making him the third judge to issue such an order against the former president.

  • x
  • Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on March 9, 2024, in Rome Ga.(AP)
    Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on March 9, 2024, in Rome, Georgia, United States. (AP)

Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over Donald Trump's trial for allegedly making pre-election hush money payments to an adult film actress, issued a partial gag order on Trump on March 26, making him the third judge so far in charge of Trump's case to issue such an order.
 
After Trump slammed the judge and his daughter in a series of posts on Truth Social, the New York judge issued an order for Trump to not publicly attack potential witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, their families, or prospective jurors.

The order

Merchan stressed in his order, issued on March 26, that Trump had a history of making public statements that were "threatening, inflammatory, denigrating." 
 
"The uncontested record reflecting the defendant's prior extrajudicial statements establishes a sufficient risk to the administration of justice," he added. 
 
Merchan further emphasized that "there exists no less restrictive means to prevent such risk" other than implementing a gag order. 

This came only one day following the date Merchan set for the start of the criminal trial of Trump, the first of its kind for a former US president, on April 15. 

What did Trump do before to trigger this? 

Related News

White House drafts order on political violence after Kirk killing

US removes Syria envoys as Kurds face pressure to join Damascus

On Truth Social, hours before the order issued by the judge, Trump labeled Merchan as a "true and certified Trump hater who suffers from a very serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome." 
 
"In other words, he hates me," Trump explained, "Judge Merchan should recuse himself, he cannot give me a fair trial." 
 
Expanding his attack to reach Merchan's daughter, Trump called her "a senior executive at a Super Liberal Democrat firm." 

Last month, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who initiated the hush money case against Trump, requested Merchan to issue a "narrowly tailored" gag order to "protect the integrity of this criminal proceeding." 
 
However, back then, Merchan said that Trump was free to make comments about the judge himself and Bragg, but not the other prosecutors involved.

Another limited gag order was previously issued against Trump by Judge Arthur Engoron, who oversaw a business fraud case in New York that led to a $454 million fine for Trump.
 
District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, who is presiding over the federal case against Trump on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, also issued such an order. 

Trump's spokesperson reacts

A Trump spokesperson, Steven Cheung, condemned the gag order as he stated "Judge Merchan's unconstitutional gag order prevents President Trump -- the leading candidate for President of the United States -- from engaging in core political speech."
 
"American voters have a fundamental right to hear the uncensored voice of the leading candidate for the highest office in the land," Cheung added. 

Previously on Trump in court

Prosecutors in Manhattan asserted on March 14 their willingness to postpone former US President Donald Trump's hush money trial for up to 30 days to review newly obtained records from federal authorities.

The proceedings, which were set to kick off with jury selection on March 25 in New York, would be the first of the four criminal charges as District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office revealed to the court their decision to postpone having received around 31,000 pages of records.

Trump’s lawyers asked for a 90-day delay or for the charges to be dropped, citing violations of the discovery process, during which the defense and prosecution share evidence. However, prosecutors argued that the suggested length of delay was unnecessary. 

The main focus is a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who claimed she had an affair with Trump. He has denied the relationship.

Michael Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer and fixer, is a major witness in the case. He pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges concerning offering Daniels $130,000 in hush money. 

  • United States
  • Trump gag order
  • Judge Juan Merchan
  • hush money
  • Donald Trump

Most Read

Why is Choose Love using a firm with British and US intelligence connections to run a pro-Palestine musical event? (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Together for Palestine: Troubling questions about the organisers of this huge event

  • Opinion
  • 17 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025
A screengrab from the ad played on Fox News. (X Screengrab)

Fox airs ad warning Trump not to let Netanyahu 'play' him on Gaza

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

  • Palestine
  • 14 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A Hezbollah supporter who lost his sight in a pager attack carried out by "Israel" on Sept. 17, 2024, covers his eyes with a red headband inscribed with the name "Hussein" during Ashoura, July 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'We Have Recovered': Lebanon marks 1st anniversary of Pager Attack

The Arab neighborhood of El Za'im, on the outskirts of east Occupied Al-Quds in the West Bank, near where Israeli government says housing units will be built as part of the E1 settlement project, Thursday, August 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Palestine

'Israel’s' deliberate policies drive West Bank economy toward collapse

Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Politics

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns over parent company curbing activism

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll
US & Canada

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS