Fox News legal pundit Jonathan Turley complained after news broke Tuesday that Donald Trump's gag order had been partially lifted in his New York hush-money case.
Host Sandra Smith immediately brought in Turley to comment after Justice Juan Merchan allowed Trump to talk about witnesses and the jury. However, Turley focused on the people Trump was not allowed to attack.
"One of the things that that President Trump has wanted to talk about is the fact that you had people like [Matthew] Colangelo who came from the Biden Justice Department to effectively lead aspects of this prosecution," Turley explained, "and that type of cross weaponization is precisely what has been alleged in this weaponization of the criminal justice system and so [Trump has] gotten a bit of a half loaf here."
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"But the question is why is Merchan still operating this throttle control over what a presidential candidate can say or not say?" he griped.
Smith offered Turley details of the judge's order.
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"The limitations are on [speaking about] individual prosecutors, court staff, and their family members," Smith said. "And he's saying that's essentially until the sentencing on July 11."
"But that still doesn't make sense to you?" Smith wondered incredulously.
Turley asserted that the "big ticket item" for Trump was the ability to talk about prosecutors like Colangelo, who Trump surrogates have claimed is part of President Joe Biden's alleged conspiracy to prosecute the former president.
"Why is it necessary for this one judge in Manhattan to continue to hang this Damocles sword over his head and say, look, if I hear a thing that I'm concerned with, I'm gonna pull you back in here, and you could be in violation of this order?"
Turley acknowledged that the judge could have left the gag order completely in place because the sentencing hearing, scheduled for July 11, had not occurred.
During the hush money trial, Trump often quoted Turley in his daily rants outside the courtroom.
