Judge gags Trump in New York trial

Judge Arthur Engoron issued a gag order against Donald Trump after the former US president allegedly disparaged one of his law clerks. The measure technically applies to New York Attorney General Letitia James as well.

Trump “posted to a social media account a disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff,” Engoron said, warning that, “personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, not appropriate.”

In a since-deleted post on his Truth Social platform, the 45th president accused Engoron’s law clerk Allison Greenfield of being a “girlfriend” of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat. 

“How disgraceful!” Trump said. "This case should be dismissed immediately!!” 

James brought a civil case against Trump in a New York City court, alleging his family and the Trump Organization had committed fraud by inflating the value of their real estate assets to secure better loans. The former president and his attorneys have argued that all the loans in question had been fully repaid and that there was no injured party, calling the prosecution a politically motivated “witch hunt” designed to keep him from the 2024 presidential election.

Last month, Engoron made a summary judgment in favor of the prosecutors, declaring that Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida was worth $18 million rather than north of $1 billion as Trump Organization has argued. 

Trump is also facing local charges in New York over alleged hush money payments to a porn star, as well as federal charges over top-secret government documents and his alleged involvement in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. He is the first former president to face a federal indictment. He has dismissed all of the cases as politically motivated and intended to sabotage his 2024 presidential bid.

The 45th president continues to challenge the 2020 election, which officially went to Democrat Joe Biden with the historic record number of votes and the exact same Electoral College split as Trump’s 2016 victory over odds-on favorite Hillary Clinton.