Current:Home > MarketsTrump vows to keep talking about criminal cases despite prosecutors pushing for protective order-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Trump vows to keep talking about criminal cases despite prosecutors pushing for protective order
View Date:2024-12-23 16:19:29
WINDHAM, N.H. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday kept up his attacks on special counsel Jack Smith and vowed to continue talking about his criminal cases even as prosecutors sought a protective order to limit the evidence that Trump and his team could share.
In the early voting state of New Hampshire, Trump assailed Smith as a “thug prosecutor” and a “deranged guy” a week after being indicted on felony charges for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the run-up to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The former president lobbed the insults at Smith just days after the Department of Justice asked a judge to approve a protective order stopping Trump from publicly disclosing evidence. Federal prosecutors contend that Trump is seeking to “try the case in the media rather than in the courtroom.”
The judge overseeing the case has scheduled a hearing over the protective order for Friday morning. Trump, after his rally on Tuesday, made a post on his social media network attacking the judge, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan.
Trump’s lawyers have argued that the prospective order is too broad and would restrict his First Amendment rights of free speech, something Trump echoed on stage Tuesday.
“I will talk about it. They’re not taking away my First Amendment,” Trump said, speaking to supporters during a rally at a high school in the southeastern New Hampshire town of Windham.
The former president said he needs to be able to respond to reporters’ questions about the case on the campaign trail — something he has not made a practice of doing — and cited the movie “2000 Mules,” which made various debunked claims about mail ballots, drop boxes and ballot collection in the 2020 presidential election.
“All of this will come up during this trial,” Trump said.
In the four-count indictment filed against Trump last week, the Justice Department accused him of orchestrating a scheme to block the peaceful transfer of power. He was told by multiple people in trusted positions that his claims were false, prosecutors said, but he spread them anyway to sow public mistrust about the election.
Trump, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, repeated his lies about the election on Tuesday, despite the fact that numerous federal and local election officials of both parties, a long list of courts, top former campaign staffers and even his attorney general have all said there is no evidence of the fraud he alleges.
“There was never a second of any day that I didn’t believe that that election was rigged. It was a rigged election, and it was a stolen disgusting election and this country should be ashamed,” Trump said.
Trump, who is also facing charges in Florida and New York, is gearing up for a possible fourth indictment, in a case out of Fulton County, Georgia, over alleged efforts by him and his allies to illegally meddle in the 2020 election in that state. The county district attorney, Fani Willis, has signaled that any indictments in the case would likely come this month.
Trump alluded to that Tuesday, predicting that when it comes to indictments, “I should have four by sometime next week.” He also launched into a highly personal attack on Willis, who is Black, calling the 52-year-old prosecutor “a young woman, a young racist in Atlanta.”
“She’s got a lot of problems. But she wants to indict me to try to run for some other office,” he said.
A spokesperson for Willis declined to comment.
Beyond his criminal cases, Trump faces several civil cases that are working their way through the courts.
Although he usually boasts that his legal problems only help his campaign prospects, he made a rare admission Tuesday of the toll they are taking. His political operation spent more than $40 million on legal fees so far this year, according to recent campaign finance disclosures.
Trump, who has portrayed the investigations as politically motivated, said they are forcing him “to spend time and money away from the campaign trail in order to fight bogus made-up accusations and charges.”
“That’s what they’re doing. ‘I’m sorry, I won’t be able to go to Iowa today. I won’t be able to go to New Hampshire today,’” he said. “Because I’m sitting in a courtroom on bull—-.”
The crowd cheered and broke into chants of “bull——!”
Trump smiled and shook his head while he watched the crowd chant.
“Thank you very much,” he said.
___
Price reported from New York. Associated Press writer Kate Brumback in Atlanta contributed to this report.
veryGood! (1713)
Related
- Veterans Day restaurant deals 2024: More than 80 discounts, including free meals
- Ugandan police say gay rights activist in critical condition after knife attack
- ESPN apologizes for showing woman flashing her breast during Sugar Bowl broadcast
- SpaceX illegally fired workers who criticized Elon Musk, federal labor watchdog says
- Amazon's 'Cross' almost gets James Patterson detective right: Review
- US job openings fell slightly in November but remain high by historic standards
- First U.S. execution by nitrogen gas would cause painful and humiliating death, U.N. experts warn
- As NBA trade rumors start to swirl, here's who could get moved before 2024 deadline
- DWTS’ Sasha Farber and Jenn Tran Prove They're Closer Than Ever Amid Romance Rumors
- Taliban arrest women for ‘bad hijab’ in the first dress code crackdown since their return to power
Ranking
- Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin to kick off fundraising effort for Ohio women’s suffrage monument
- Vigil held to honor slain Muslim boy as accused attacker appears in court in Illinois
- 'Mama, you just won half a million dollars': Arkansas woman wins big with scratch-off
- A major storm sweeping the US is expected to bring heavy rain, snow to East Coast this weekend
- Mississippi expects only a small growth in state budget
- Mexican authorities search for 31 migrants abducted near the Texas border
- US warns Houthis to cease attacks on Red Sea vessels or face potential military action
- Ford recalls 113,000 F-150 vehicles for increased crash risk: See which trucks are affected
Recommendation
-
When is 'The Golden Bachelorette' finale? Date, time, where to watch Joan Vassos' big decision
-
Who won 2024's first Mega Millions drawing? See winning numbers for the $114 million jackpot
-
Native Hawaiian salt makers combat climate change and pollution to protect a sacred tradition
-
U-Haul report shows this state attracted the most number of people relocating
-
Bo the police K-9, who located child taken at knifepoint, wins Hero Dog Awards 2024
-
A look at killings of militant leaders believed targeted by Israel
-
How Google is using AI to help one U.S. city reduce traffic and emissions
-
Judge Orders Jail Time For Prominent Everglades Scientist