Special Counsel Makes Case for Curbing Trump's Rhetoric

DC judge to consider imposing limits on former president
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 15, 2023 4:50 PM CDT
Special Counsel Makes Case for Curbing Trump's Rhetoric
Donald Trump speaks at the South Dakota Republican Party Monumental Leaders rally on, Sept. 8 in Rapid City, South Dakota.   (AP Photo/Toby Brusseau)

Arguing that Donald Trump's attacks on the federal election interference case against him have led to the harassment of witnesses, special counsel Jack Smith has asked a judge to impost limits on the former president's rhetoric. The filing requests that Judge Tanya Chutkan curb Trump's public comments about potential witnesses, court personnel, and jurors, the Hill reports. The court made the prosecutor's allegations public on Friday, per CNN. The motion says Trump "has an established practice of issuing inflammatory public statements targeted at individuals or institutions that present an obstacle or challenge to him," including attacks on others' credibility.

And Trump realizes that those attacks prompt "others to perpetrate threats and harassment against his targets," prosecutors wrote. The motion listed some of the former president's recent social media posts, including slams of former Vice President Mike Pence, federal prosecutors, and Chutkan, who's presiding over the DC case, per CNBC. Trump has been spreading "disparaging and inflammatory public posts on Truth Social" almost daily since he was indicted, it says. The motion also lists the more general "If you come after me, I'm coming after you" message Trump posted last month.

Prosecutors accused Trump, through his statements, of trying to undermine the judicial system. They gave seven examples of people whose addresses were made public or who needed security after a mention by Trump. One former Philadelphia official has described threats to his family after Trump used his name in a tweet. Prosecutors propose that the judge bar him from making public statements concerning "the identity, testimony, or credibility of prospective witnesses." Trump would still be allowed to protest his innocence, per the Washington Post. (More election interference indictment stories.)

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