Former President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment on Tuesday to criticize special counsel Jack Smith and to maintain an open dialogue about his criminal lawsuits, even as prosecutors pursued a protective order to restrict the information that Trump and his associates could share.
In New Hampshire, a state known for its early voting, Trump criticized Smith as a “thug prosecutor” and a “deranged individual.” This occurred a week after Trump was indicted on felony charges for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results leading up to the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Trump further stated that he was coming after them.
Shortly after, the Department of Justice requested a judge to approve a protective order to prevent Trump from publicly disclosing evidence. Trump then took to social media to direct derogatory remarks at Smith. Federal prosecutors are arguing that Trump aims to “litigate the case in the media rather than the courtroom.”
The presiding judge for the case scheduled a hearing for Friday morning regarding the protective order. Following his rally on Tuesday, Trump took to his social media platform to criticize U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case.
Trump’s legal team contended that the proposed order was overly broad and would infringe on his First Amendment right to free speech, a point Trump echoed during his Tuesday rally. Addressing his supporters at a high school in Windham, New Hampshire, he asserted he would discuss this. “They’re not taking away my First Amendment.”
Trump argued that he needs to be able to address questions from reporters about the case while on the campaign trail, a practice he has not frequently engaged in. He cited the film “2000 Mules,” which made unverified claims about mail ballots, drop boxes, and ballot collection during the 2020 presidential election.
The four-count indictment against Trump filed the previous week accused him of orchestrating a plot to impede the peaceful transfer of power. Despite being informed by multiple trusted sources that his claims were false, Trump propagated them to foster public mistrust in the election process.
On Tuesday, Trump persisted in talking about the 2020 election fraud. He asserted that not a single moment of any day did he doubt that the election was rigged. It was a rigged and stolen election, and “this country should be ashamed.”
In addition to the charges he faces in Florida and New York, Trump anticipates a possible fourth indictment related to actions he and his allies allegedly took to unlawfully influence the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia. The district attorney, Fani Willis, hinted that such indictments might be announced this month.
Trump hinted at this prospect and predicted, “I should have four by sometime next week.” He also directed a personal attack at Willis, who is Black, referring to her as “a young woman, a young racist in Atlanta.” A spokesperson for Willis declined to respond.
Apart from his criminal cases, Trump contends with multiple civil cases progressing through the legal system. While he typically asserts that these legal challenges boost his campaign prospects, he admitted on Tuesday that they are taking a toll. Recent campaign finance disclosures indicated that his political operation had expended over $40 million on legal fees this year.
Trump, who has framed the investigations as politically motivated, stated that they force him to divert time and resources away from the campaign trail to combat baseless fabricated accusations and charges. He added humorously, That’s what’s happening: “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 explained that he would be sitting in a courtroom dealing with bull—-.
The crowd responded with cheers and chants of “bull—-!” Trump grinned and shook his head while observing the chant.
“Thank you very much,” he acknowledged.