The Daily Fuckup

Judge Juan M. Merchan did not throw out Donald Trump’s post-verdict gag order on June 25, 2024. He trimmed it.

In a written ruling, Merchan granted Trump’s request in part and narrowed the restraints that had been imposed during the criminal trial. The revised order lifted the bar on comments about jurors and reduced the scope of the witness restriction, but it kept Trump from publicly attacking court staff, prosecutors and their family members before sentencing on July 11, 2024.

The change mattered because it left Trump with more room to speak about the case while still preserving part of the court’s protection around the people handling it. The earlier order had been broader. The June 25 decision made clear that the judge was willing to relax it after the verdict, but not wipe it away entirely.

For Trump, that meant a partial opening, not a clean release. He could talk more freely about the trial, but the court still kept some speech limits in place until sentencing. The ruling was narrower than the original gag order, yet it still drew a line around the courtroom personnel and others tied to the prosecution.