(LibertySociety.com) – Former President Trump’s effort to terminate the gag order against him failed on June 18 when the New York Court of Appeals opted against taking up the case. In its reasoning for rejecting the request, the Court said that Judge Juan Merchan’s gag order did not contain a “substantial constitutional question” that needed reviewing. Merchan imposed the gag order ahead of Trump’s hush money case in the state, but he was found guilty by a jury in early June. Trump and his legal team have never viewed the gag order as appropriate or legal, which was made clear in its appeal. However, the fact that the trial had concluded was cited, as well as the upcoming presidential debate. His attorneys also referenced increased attacks from Biden’s campaign and the star witnesses in the trial.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung released a statement following the Court’s decision. He vowed that the 45th president and his legal team would not stop fighting against the order. He pointed out that Trump would be unfairly silenced during the June 27 debate and emphasized that no one else would be gagged from speaking about the case, including “Crooked Joe Biden.” Additionally, Cheung wrote that voters had a right to hear from him, as he is the presumptive Republican presidential candidate and leading in multiple polls.
Cheung also said that the gag order was meant to interfere with the election and that it violated Trump’s First Amendment rights. Trump’s team tried several times to have the gag order lifted before and during the trial, but every attempt was rejected. It is unclear if he will appeal the ruling to the state’s Supreme Court. Since his conviction, public polling has remained steady, with some showing Trump with an edge over Biden. One recent poll showed the former president leading in seven battleground states. It remains to be seen whether the debate will sway voters in either direction.
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