'Third world behavior': Outrage as ex-Trump impeachment lawyer insists on extending ex-POTUS' gag order until hush money sentencing

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Robert Ray, the former impeachment lawyer for former president Donald Trump, has ignited debate by supporting the prosecutors' call to maintain the gag order on the latter until his sentencing next month in the hush money trial.

Ray's stance follows Trump's recent conviction on 34 counts related to falsifying business records regarding hush money paid to Stormy Daniels. Despite the guilty verdict, Trump has vowed to appeal, challenging the gag order that prohibits him from publicly discussing the case's participants and the presiding judge's family.

Robert Ray supports Trump's continued gag order amid safety concerns

"The case isn’t over until the sentencing is heard and sentence is imposed," Robert Ray remarked. 

“I have absolutely no problem, frankly, with the prosecutors’ real concern about safety. And look, there are wingnuts out there in the period of time between now and when the trial court’s role in this case ends. I don’t think it’s worth taking the chance that anybody could do harm to any of the court personnel, the judge’s staff, most importantly, the judge, and certainly the district attorney and his staff,” he added, reported CNN, according to The Hill.

Prosecutors, citing over 50 threats against connected officials, have pushed for the gag order's continuation, prioritizing the safety of witnesses. The New York Court of Appeals recently denied Trump's request to lift the order, asserting “no substantial constitutional question raised by the appeal.”

"My view is better safe than sorry," Ray affirmed. "And so, any gag order that would help lend itself to calming the temperature here and getting us safely through this proceeding, I think is the right course.”

Judge Juan Merchan previously held Trump in contempt for repeated violations of the gag order, imposing fines and threatening further penalties.

Trump continues to argue that the gag order infringes on his First Amendment rights. His sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just four days before the Republican National Convention, where he is anticipated to be named the GOP nominee for the White House.

Ex-Trump lawyer Robert Ray's support for gag order stirs controversy 

Robert Ray was brutally slammed online after he advocated extending the gag order on Donald Trump until his sentencing in the hush money trial.

A social media user asked, "Preserving whose democracy? What about our own first amendment that is being suppressed by these gag orders?"

One user tweeted, "O wow. This guy was a talking head for the Republicans on the frontline show "Democracy on Trial " about Jan 6, the hearings, fake electors and pressuring of officials. I would not have thought he would say this."

Another said, “You need to be muzzled because crazy people might do something” doesn’t sound very 1st Amendment of him."

Slamming the lawyer, one person claimed, "You are a wingnut if you support censorship," while another said, "Like yourself pud."

Another added, "I assume he's speaking about the far left "progressives". Progress to destruction...."

"This is third world behavior," one tweet read.

"There are definitely wing nuts out there," penned another individual. 

One person asked, "Is “wingnuts” an adequate excuse for shutting down the free speech of an ex-president?"

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.