Judge modifies gag order on Trump, granted limited freedom to comment on witnesses, jury after conviction in New York hush money trial

A Manhattan judge modified the gag order imposed on former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, allowing him to publicly comment on witnesses and jurors in the hush money criminal trial that resulted in his felony conviction.
However, the judge maintained restrictions on Trump's comments about others connected to the case until his sentencing on July 11.
Judge Juan M Merchan's ruling, which comes just days before Trump's scheduled debate with President Joe Biden, permits the presumptive Republican nominee to criticize his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, porn actor Stormy Daniels, and other witnesses.
Trump was convicted in New York on May 30 of falsifying records to conceal a potential sex scandal, making him the first ex-president to be convicted of a crime.
In his five-page ruling, Merchan explained that the gag order was intended to "protect the integrity of the judicial proceedings" and that the protections for witnesses and jurors were no longer necessary now that the trial has concluded and the jury has been discharged.
Although the judge expressed a strong preference for continuing to bar Trump from commenting on jurors, whose names have not been made public, he acknowledged that he could not justify doing so. However, Merchan did maintain a separate order prohibiting Trump and his lawyers from disclosing the identities, home addresses, or work addresses of individual jurors.
Merchan also upheld the ban on Trump commenting about court staffers, the prosecution team, and their families until his sentencing. The judge emphasized that these individuals must "continue to perform their lawful duties free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm." This portion of the gag order does not prevent Trump from commenting on the judge himself or district attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office prosecuted the case.
Trump's campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, criticized the ruling as "another unlawful decision by a highly conflicted judge," arguing that it prevents Trump from speaking about the judge, whom he alleges had a conflict of interest, or repeating his unfounded claims that Biden directed the prosecution. Cheung stated that Trump and his lawyers would immediately challenge the portions of the gag order that remain in effect.