Trump legal team asks Judge Merchan to lift gag order in wake of NY trial

Former President Donald Trump's attorneys have asked Judge Juan Merchan to lift a gag order on the former commander-in-chief following the conclusion of his criminal trial.

A New York jury found Trump guilty last week on 34 counts of falsifying business records as part of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's prosecution over a 2016 payment his then-attorney, Michael Cohen, made to Stormy Daniels. The gag order barred Trump from publicly attacking witnesses throughout the trial.

"We respectfully submit this pre-motion letter requesting that Your Honor terminate the gag order restricting President Trump’s extrajudicial statements," the letter to Merchan from attorney Todd Blanche, which Fox News obtained, read. "For the reasons set forth below, because the trial has concluded, the stated bases for the gag order no longer exist." 

"Now that the trial is concluded, the concerns articulated by the government and the Court do not justify continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights of President Trump—who remains the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election—and the American people," Blanche continued.

Merchan imposed the gag order at Bragg's request and later expanded it to prevent Trump from discussing his daughter, Loren Merchan, whose employment with the left-wing firm Authentic served as the basis for Trump's two recusal requests.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.