The Daily Fuckup

Donald Trump’s lawyers came back to Judge Juan Merchan on June 12 with another bid to end the gag order in the Manhattan hush-money case, arguing the limits should not survive a conviction. The filing did not start the dispute. It followed an earlier push, made days after the May 30 verdict, to loosen or lift the restrictions that bar Trump from attacking certain people tied to the case. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/64f538c7aebcc6252cbbb40768ec2189?utm_source=openai))

Prosecutors want the order to stay put, at least for now. In their response, they said the restrictions should remain in place through sentencing on July 11, arguing the court still has work to do and still needs to protect the fairness and integrity of the proceedings. That leaves the judge with a familiar question: does a guilty verdict make the gag order unnecessary, or does the case remain active enough that the restraints still matter? ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/795452fdd31fda3fedc086bd6c0fc94d?utm_source=openai))

The issue is bigger than one defendant’s complaints about being muzzled. During the trial, Merchan said the order was needed to shield jurors, witnesses, and court staff from pressure and harassment, and he repeatedly enforced it with contempt findings and fines when Trump crossed the line. The June 12 filing tests whether those concerns still justify the same limits now that the jury has spoken but sentencing has not yet happened. ([nycourts.gov](https://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2024/2024_50639.htm?utm_source=openai))

For Trump, the fight also fits a larger pattern: resist the court order, challenge the premise behind it, and turn the ruling itself into a political argument. His team is trying to narrow the practical fallout from the conviction while keeping the broader claim alive that the prosecution was unfair. For Merchan, the timeline still controls. Until sentencing passes and the case reaches its next stage, he can decide the gag order still serves a purpose. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/64f538c7aebcc6252cbbb40768ec2189?utm_source=openai))