Donald Trump's hush money trial gag order challenge rejected, Internet says case will be 'tossed anyways'

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Donald Trump has lost yet another attempt to throw out a gag order in his hush money case in New York.

A panel of appeals court judges on Thursday, August 1, rejected the former president’s argument that the gag order should be entirely lifted after his conviction.

Appeals court sides with Judge Juan Merchan's former ruling on Donald Trump's hush money case

The five judges on the midlevel state appeals court sided with New York Justice Juan Merchan's ruling on Donald Trump's hush money case.

Merchan had allowed Trump to resume making public comments about key witnesses and the jury that convicted him but continued to bar him from attacking prosecutors overseeing the case.

Trump was convicted in May 2024 of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his ex-"fixer", Michael Cohen, made to former adult actress Stormy Daniels to silence her allegations of an affair with the then-presidential candidate after the 2016 election.

A gag order intended to stop Trump’s public attacks, which have fueled threats and harassment aimed at trial witnesses, judges, and prosecutors, should partially remain in place to allow Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and court staff “to perform their lawful duties free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm” until sentencing, the judges wrote according to the Independent.

Court finds Donald Trump's remaining hush money case gag order arguments 'unavailing'

The district attorney’s office successfully argued that harassing messages have “continued to pose a significant and imminent threat” even after the jury passed a 34-count guilty verdict on Donald Trump in May, according to the appeals court judges.

“We have considered petitioner’s remaining arguments and find them unavailing,” wrote the judicial authority.

The former president is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18, after his attorneys pressed for delays to make their case that the verdict should be thrown out under the terms of a landmark Supreme Court ruling that grants the president “immunity” from criminal prosecution for “official” actions performed in office.

Manhattan prosecutors have urged Judge Merchan to reject that argument.

What does partial gag order allow Donald Trump to speak against?

After the trial, Donald Trump again looked to lift his gag order, insisting the restrictions were no longer needed since the testimony had concluded.

Judge Merchan agreed to partially lift it, enabling Trump to again attack witnesses such as Cohen and Daniels, as well as the 12 New Yorkers who delivered the first criminal conviction of a former president.

But at prosecutors’ urging, the judge had refused the former president’s demand to lift the order entirely. The narrowed terms still prevent Trump from attacking line prosecutors as well as the families of Merchan and Bragg.

“President Trump continues to forcefully challenge Acting Justice Merchan’s decision to leave in place portions of the unconstitutional Gag Order, which is meant to prevent President Trump from speaking freely about Judge Merchan’s disqualifying conflicts and the overwhelming evidence further exposing the Harris – Biden Witch Hunt," Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement according to The Hill.

"The gag order is blatantly un-American as it continues to gag President Trump, the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election,” Cheung added.

Internet reacts to rejection of Donald Trump's gag order abolition appeal in hush money case

Most people on the internet responded in favor of Donald Trump, claiming that the gag order's extension constituted "election interference."

However, some supporters didn't take it seriously, arguing that since the former president was immune following the Supreme Court's ruling, and wanted the case should be dismissed.

One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote, "The case is already on its way to being tossed anyways," citing Supreme Court's presidential immunity rulings.

Another wrote, "Gag orders are election fraud. Democrats have to cheat to win."

"Democrats hate America. They hate free speech and they hate our constitution! They are criminals. MAGA," echoed another individual.

Not all comments were in support of Trump. One user remarked, "Right move, appeals court."

Another wrote, "More wonderful news." One more penned, "It's election interference!"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.