Judge Skeptical About Request to Limit Trump Statements on F.B.I.

A federal judge expressed skepticism on Tuesday about a request from the Justice Department to limit former President Donald J. Trump’s public statements about the F.B.I.’s investigation into his handling of classified documents. Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who is presiding over the case, said the government’s request was based on a broad reading of a protective order and that the department had not presented evidence of “concrete, specific threats” that warranted limiting Trump’s speech. The Justice Department had argued that Trump’s public statements could influence potential witnesses or jurors and that his posts on Truth Social had encouraged his supporters to harass and threaten prosecutors. Judge Cannon suggested that the Justice Department could seek an order to limit Trump’s statements if they were more specific about the alleged threats. She also questioned whether the government’s request was an attempt to silence Trump’s political speech. The hearing came after Trump’s indictment last week on 40 counts related to the mishandling of classified documents. The case is being closely watched as it could have implications for the 2024 presidential election.

Summary

"Judge Cannon’s skepticism about the government’s request suggests that she may be unwilling to impose significant restrictions on Trump’s speech. The Justice Department will need to present more specific evidence of threats if it wants to secure an order limiting Trump’s public statements."