New York’s highest court rejects Trump’s gag order appeal

2X7HA23 Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for his hush money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 20, 2024 in New York City. Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney, will take the stand again to continue his cross examination by the defense in the former president's hush money trial. Cohen is the prosecution's final witness in the trial and are expected to rest their case this week. Cohen's $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels is tied to Trump's 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. Pool Photo by Dave Sanders/UPI

New York’s highest court has rejected a gag order appeal from President Donald Trump in the ongoing hush money case and battle for free speech. 

Newsmax reported that on Thursday, the New York State Court of Appeals dismissed Trump’s appeal of a gag order, claiming that “no substantial constitutional question is directly involved.” 

This gag order has been an ongoing battle for Trump since being found guilty of supposedly falsifying business records in May.

In June, the 45th president’s lawyers attempted to lift the gag order that was imposed on March 26, citing the gag order as unconstitutional. The gag order, which remains partially in effect, bars Trump from making public remarks about the prosecutors involved in the case. 

This latest appeal focused on the narrowed terms of the gag order, not the full set of restrictions. These narrowed terms came after New York Judge Juan Merchan lifted parts of the order.

RSBN reported that these lifted parts allow Trump to make public statements about witnesses and jurors from the May trial, but still infringe on Trump’s freedom of speech.  

According to The Associated Press, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said that the gag order restricted Trump’s “core political speech on matters of central importance at the height of his Presidential campaign.” Despite the rejection of the appeal, Cheung explained in a statement that Trump will continue to fight the gag order. 

Fox 4 News reported that Cheung said, “The Democrats are trying to unlawfully gag President Trump, the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election, because they know that he is dominating this election, will win on November 5th, and will Make America Great Again!” All seven of the judges on the New York Court of Appeals were appointed by Democratic governors. 

Trump took to social media to call out the ongoing gag order, writing, “I am proud to represent our Failing Nation in fighting the GREATEST POLITICAL WITCH HUNT IN HISTORY. REMOVE THE GAG ORDER SO THAT I CAN SHOW HOW CORRUPT OUR COURT SYSTEM IS.” 

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