Trump lashes out at judge as he campaigns under partial gag order

(The Center Square) – Former President Donald Trump called out a New York judge on Wednesday who will potentially oversee a sentencing hearing for Trump next month.

Trump said an ongoing gag order in the New York hush money case is hampering his campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

"The Gag Order applied by Highly Conflicted Acting Justice Merchan is horrible and unAmerican. I am the Leading Candidate in the Election, having beaten all Republicans, and now beating the second Democrat Nominee, Comrade Kamala Harris, who was put in as a result of a COUP against Crooked Joe Biden. When asked about the lawless Manhattan D.A. Hoax, I am not allowed to talk about the most important and corrupt aspects of it, because of the completely unConstitutional Gag Order," Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. "I am the first Candidate in American History who is not allowed to freely speak about a major Witch Hunt being perpetrated against him. I must be immediately released from the Gag Order, so I can continue to expose the Weaponization of our Justice System by the Radical Democrats."

Polling, including The Center Square's Voters' Voice poll, has found that far more Americans are concerned about rising prices than weaponization of the Department of Justice.

Trump's complaints about the gag order come as special counsel Jack Smith appealed the dismissal of Trump's classified documents case in Florida and re-indicted Trump for election interference in Washington D.C.

In the hush money case, Judge Juan Merchan is set to rule on Trump's motion to set aside a jury's guilty verdicts on Sept. 16, just two days before Trump is scheduled to be sentenced, if needed, on Sept. 18.

Trump has repeatedly taken issue with the gag order in the case.

In June, Merchan lifted two sections of the gag order, but kept a third that prevents Trump from speaking about court staff and their family members, according to the order.

In August, the state of Missouri attempted to intervene on the issue of the gag order, but the U.S. Supreme Court rejected it.

Back in May, Merchan fined Trump $10,000 for ten violations of the gag order.