A number of top Republican Senate candidates running in crucial battleground states are condemning the judge overseeing Donald Trump's New York City trial for his "unconstitutional" gag order. (Getty Images)
"We have deep concerns regarding the gag order imposed on President Trump, as it fundamentally violates constitutional principles and threatens the very essence of freedom of speech and expression in the middle of an election," the group said.
"The First Amendment of the United States Constitution explicitly guarantees the right to freedom of speech, stating that ‘Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.’ This fundamental right is not contingent upon one's political affiliation or position of power," they said.
The group went on to say that "any attempt to silence or restrict the speech of a candidate for president undermines the core values upon which our democracy is built," and it set a "dangerous precendent" for presidents and other elected officials in the future.
VOTERS IN MAJOR SWING STATE SOUND OFF ON TRUMP TRIAL: VIDEO
Former U.S. president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, U.S., April 22, 2024. (Yuki Iwamura/Pool via REUTERS)
Merchan imposed the gag order on Trump before his trial began last month, ordering that the former president cannot make or direct others to make public statements about witnesses with regard to their potential participation or about counsel in the case — other than Bragg — or about court staff, DA staff or family members of staff. He also ordered that Trump cannot make or direct others to make public statements about any prospective juror or chosen juror.
In his ruling, Merchan pointed to Trump's "prior extrajudicial statements," saying they establish "a sufficient risk to the administration of justice."
Merchan ruled Tuesday that Trump violated the gag order banning him from speaking publicly about witnesses and family members of court officials. He specifically ruled Trump violated the order on nine separate occasions in social media posts, with each violation resulting in a $1,000 fine. The former president was ordered to pay $9,000 for violating the gag order.
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Following Merchan's ruling, Trump removed the social media posts found in violation of the order from his Truth Social account. The ruling comes after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office accused Trump of violating the order 14 times since it was imposed last month.
Trump has repeatedly railed against the gag order, calling the case overall a "scam" promoted by the Biden administration and saying the gag order has stripped him of the ability to defend himself against accusations in the case.
Fox News' Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on X at @BGillespieAL.
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