Judge in Trump’s Hush Money Case Clarifies Gag Order Does Not Prohibit Former President from Testifying

Former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial took an unexpected turn as the judge overseeing the case clarified that the gag order does not prevent Trump from testifying on his own behalf. Judge Juan M. Merchan made the clarification in court in New York, addressing comments made by Trump after court the day before.

Trump had previously stated to reporters that he was “not allowed to testify” due to the gag order, but the judge’s clarification made it clear that the order does not limit what Trump can say on the witness stand. Merchan directed his comments to Trump and his lawyers, noting that there may have been a misunderstanding regarding the order.

Ahead of walking into court on Friday, Trump clarified his earlier comments, explaining that the gag order does not prevent him from testifying in the case but rather restricts him from discussing certain individuals and responding to comments made about him.

The gag order, which prohibits Trump from publicly commenting on witnesses, prosecutors, court staff, and jurors, has been a point of contention for the former president. Trump recently returned to the campaign trail in Michigan and Wisconsin, where he criticized Judge Merchan for holding him in contempt of court and imposing a fine for making public statements related to the case.

Despite the restrictions imposed by the gag order, Trump maintains that he plans to testify at his trial. Prosecutors are seeking to directly link Trump to payments made to silence women with damaging claims about him before the 2016 presidential election. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying internal Trump Organization business records but denies any wrongdoing.