The Daily Fuckup

Manhattan prosecutors asked a New York judge on Feb. 26, 2024, to curb Donald Trump’s outside-the-courtroom comments in the hush-money case. In a motion filed days earlier, on Feb. 22, the district attorney’s office said Trump’s public attacks had already put witnesses, lawyers, court staff and jurors at risk, and it asked for a trial-order limiting what he could say or direct others to say about those people.

The filing was aimed at the case charging Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors told Judge Juan Merchan the proposed restrictions were needed to protect the trial’s fairness and to stop statements that could interfere with witnesses, counsel, members of the court and prosecution staff, and jurors. On the juror issue, the motion sought a bar on remarks about prospective or sworn jurors. On staff and family members, it asked for limits only when statements were intended to materially interfere with work, or when such interference was likely.

The court later granted a gag order on March 26, 2024. The February filing was the request, not the ruling, and it came with trial still scheduled to begin April 15.

In a separate request filed the same day, prosecutors also asked to use the Access Hollywood recording as trial evidence. The tape, made public years earlier, was one of the other pieces of evidence prosecutors wanted available when the case reached a jury.

Trump has used rallies, social media and other public appearances to lash out at prosecutors, judges and people tied to his criminal cases. Prosecutors argued the court should act before trial to draw a line around those comments. Trump’s lawyers have said he should be free to answer criticism and defend himself publicly.