A New York state appellate court on Thursday temporarily paused the gag order on Donald Trump and his legal team that barred them from attacking the principal law clerk of the judge overseeing his civil fraud trial — a move that prompted the former president to unleash his wrath on social media. According to The Messenger, New York Appellate Division Associate Justice David Friedman granted the stay on the gag orders considering the "constitutional and statutory rights" at issue, which Trump's legal team referenced to back their argument against the orders.
Not even an hour after the gag order was lifted, Trump's senior advisor called the law clerk a "Democrat Operative" on X/Twitter. The former president himself later derided her and New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron on Truth Social. "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!)," Trump wrote in part on Truth Social 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."
The former president went on to assail Engoron again in another, late-night post, also taking aim at New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the $250 million fraud lawsuit against him. Engoron imposed the initial gag order after Trump blasted his law clerk on Truth Social early in the trial and fined Trump a total of $15,000 for later violating the order. Trump's lawyers requested that the fines be struck down alongside the gag order, but only the order was paused. Trump maintains he committed no wrongdoing in the civil fraud case.
