The Daily Fuckup

A federal judge in Washington put Donald Trump back under a limited gag order on October 29, 2023, after prosecutors said he used the brief pause in the restriction to post about Mark Meadows, his former White House chief of staff and a likely witness in the election-interference case. Judge Tanya Chutkan had temporarily stayed the order on October 20 while she considered Trump’s request to keep it on hold during his appeal. ([courthousenews.com](https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/chutkan-reimposed-gag-order.pdf))

In her written ruling, Chutkan said Trump’s post about Meadows would almost certainly violate the order because it singled out a foreseeable witness, described possible testimony as a lie and could be read as an attempt to influence or deter that witness from participating. She contrasted that post with broader attacks on the Justice Department and the prosecution, which she said were still allowed because they did not aim at specific people tied to the case. ([courthousenews.com](https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/chutkan-reimposed-gag-order.pdf))

The order remains narrow. It bars Trump from public comments about likely witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and other participants in the case, but it does not stop him from criticizing the government, the charges or special counsel Jack Smith’s office in general terms. Chutkan also denied the government’s request to make compliance with the gag order a condition of Trump’s release while he awaits trial, saying that step was not needed to enforce the ruling at this point. ([courthousenews.com](https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/chutkan-reimposed-gag-order.pdf))

Trump’s lawyers said they would seek emergency relief from the appeals court, and Trump called the restriction unconstitutional on social media after the ruling. The decision adds to a growing list of court-imposed limits on his public attacks in cases against him, including a New York civil-fraud proceeding in which he was fined for violating a separate gag order. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/trump-capitol-riot-jack-smith-gag-order-1357b62d5800b73746241db424875a4f))