The former President of the United States, Donald Trump, has come under scrutiny by prosecutors for a social media post on his Truth Social platform. In the post, he appeared to threaten retaliation against anyone who goes after him in the criminal case against him. Prosecutors argued that this post raises concerns that he may improperly disclose confidential evidence received from the government, potentially intimidating witnesses.
The justice department filed a request with the federal judge overseeing Trump’s criminal case, urging the judge to intervene and issue a protective order. The order would ban Trump and his lawyers from sharing any discovery materials with unauthorized individuals. This move is common in cases involving confidential documents but is deemed particularly important in Trump’s case due to his history of attacking judges, attorneys, and witnesses in other legal proceedings against him.
During his arraignment, Trump swore not to intimidate witnesses or communicate with them without legal counsel present. However, prosecutors still expressed concerns about his social media statements potentially influencing witnesses and affecting the fair administration of justice.
Trump’s spokesperson defended the social media post, describing it as political speech and a response to certain groups and organizations. Trump has also pleaded not guilty in two other criminal cases in Miami and Manhattan, facing federal charges for allegedly retaining classified documents after leaving office and obstructing justice, as well as state charges for allegedly falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to a porn star.
The former president has portrayed all the investigations against him as a political witch-hunt aimed at hindering his potential 2024 campaign.
