Request for Trump gagging order may be too broad, says judge

Trump’s lawyer John Lauro accused prosecutors of “seeking to censor a political candidate in the middle of a campaign”, but the judge hit back that Trump “does not have a right to say and do exactly as he pleases”

Donald Trump (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s federal election interference case has pushed back against defence claims that a proposed gagging order would unfairly censor the Republican’s political speech, but she also suggested prosecutors’ request could be too broad.

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan is considering a request to impose the narrow order aimed at reining in Trump’s rhetoric about potential witnesses, prosecutors and others involved in the case in Washington DC.