In a bizarre turn of events, former President Donald Trump has been editing the speeches of his political allies outside the courtroom during his ongoing hush-money trial. This violation of the gag order, which prevents him from making public statements related to the trial, was noticed by several journalists covering the proceedings.
One journalist reported that Trump was making notations on papers with a pen while Michael Cohen testified against him. Another observer noted that Trump seemed to be directing his allies on what to say in order to circumvent the gag order.
The hush-money trial, which began in March 2024, centers around allegations that Trump paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 during the 2016 election campaign to keep her from going public about an affair they had. Trump has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
The gag order in the case was put in place to prevent witnesses and their families from being intimidated or harassed by outside parties, especially given the high-profile nature of the trial and defendant. Trump has previously argued that the gag order is unfair and should be lifted.
Despite this, several Republican officials have attended the trial to voice their support for Trump. Some have even stated that they are doing so in lieu of Trump himself, who is prevented from making public statements due to the gag order.
The use of surrogates to speak on his behalf raises questions about whether Trump is directly instructing them to do so, which could potentially violate the gag order. Legal experts have warned that extending a gag order to uninvolved parties could raise free speech concerns.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
