Former President Donald Trump could be arrested immediately after Thursday’s debate with President Biden if a South Florida federal judge approves a gag order pursued by federal prosecutors in the classified documents case against the ex-commander-in-chief, one of Trump’s defense attorneys has claimed via NY Post.
Todd Blanche recently argued Monday in Fort Pierce, Fla. federal court that the speech restrictions sought by special counsel Jack Smith “would be extremely chilling to President Trump and what he’s allowed to say.”
If approved, Blanche added, Smith’s team could “get an arrest warrant” if Trump, 78, says anything during the CNN debate that is deemed to violate the order, Politico reported.
“If signed, they can arrest him,” the attorney added.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee recently rejected a request last month for a gag order that would bar threatening statements made about law enforcement — and chastised one of the prosecutors arguing for it in her courtroom on Monday.
Cannon fired at one of Smith’s top deputies, David Harbach, at one point for complaining that her constant questioning about any imminent threats to federal agents had prevented him from finishing his arguments.
“I don’t appreciate your tone,” Cannon responded, according to the New York Times. “I think we have been here before. I expect decorum in this courtroom. If you’re not able to do that, I’m sure one of your colleagues could take your place.”
It has been noted that Smith’s team claimed that Trump had mischaracterized a routine “deadly force” authorization during the August 2022 FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate, describing it “as an attempt to kill him, his family, and Secret Service agents,” according to court filings.
Prosecutors stated the former president’s remarks had “endangered law enforcement officers involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case and threatened the integrity of these proceedings.”
“A restriction prohibiting future similar statements does not restrict legitimate speech,” Smith’s team wrote in a May 31 motion to modify the conditions of Trump’s release.
