Trump celebrates lifted New York gag order by bashing judge

Former President Donald Trump quickly took to social media after his New York civil case gag order was temporarily lifted Thursday to attack the judge and clerk.

“Judge Arthur Engoron has just been overturned (stayed!) by the New York State Appellate Division (Appeals Court), for the 4th TIME (on the same case!),” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social platform Thursday evening.

“His Ridiculous and Unconstitutional Gag Order, not allowing me to defend myself against him and his politically biased and out of control, Trump-Hating Clerk, who is sinking him and his Court to new levels of LOW, is a disgrace,” he said.

The gag order imposed by Mr. Engoron was to prevent Mr. Trump from publicly talking about him or his team. He has fined Mr. Trump twice for violating it, costing the former president $15,000. A New York appeals court judge temporarily lifted the gag order after an emergency hearing.

The former president’s lawyers argued the gag order infringed on his right to free speech.

In his Truth Social post, Mr. Trump said the judge’s “radical and unprecedented actions” will stop business and jobs in New York State, adding, “I have done NOTHING WRONG. … Their Star Witness admitted he lied and made up his Fake case against me, and the Attorney General used a ’Get Trump’ platform in order to run for A.G. & Governor (she failed!). This wicked attack on Democracy must be ended, NOW!”

This isn’t Mr. Trump’s only case in which he had a gag order imposed on him. For his 2020 election case in Washington, the judge imposed an order to stop him from speaking about prosecutors, court staff and witnesses in the case. The order was temporarily lifted this month, pending an appeal.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, New York Republican, rejoiced over the court’s decision to lift the order.

“I am pleased to see that after my ethics complaint to the New York Commission on Judicial Conduct against Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron, an appellate court has lifted the unconstitutional gag order against President Trump,” she said in a statement.