Trump asks judge to lift limited gag order in his hush money case

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday asked the judge who presided over his New York criminal hush money trial to lift the limited gag order that prevents him from speaking about witnesses, jurors and others associated with the case.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche said in a letter to the court that the gag order is no longer warranted since the trial has ended.

"Now that the trial is concluded, the concerns articulated by the government and the Court do not justify continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights of President Trump -- who remains the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election -- and the American people," the letter said.

Blanche's letter references "continued public attacks" by prosecution witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, both of whom Trump has been restrained from verbally attacking. The letter also makes several arguments about politics and President Joe Biden, who has never been off-limits per the gag order.

There was no immediate comment from the Manhattan district attorney's office.

A jury found Trump guilty last week on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a 2016 hush money payment to Daniels, an adult film actress, in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.

It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been convicted on criminal charges.