House Republicans have introduced the “Let Trump Speak Act” to prohibit judges from issuing gag orders to defendants.
Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN), who is behind the bill, told Fox News Digital, “We have watched for years as a politically-weaponized Department of Justice and Democrat activist judges have gone after President Donald J. Trump.”
He added, “There is no right more sacred to Americans than the right to speak freely, as guaranteed in the First Amendment.”
In a video statement shared to X, Ogles said, “We all know that the justice system is broken. It’s weaponized against you, against me, and against our president, Donald Trump.”
“My bill, the ‘Let Trump Speak Act,’ does something that is unprecedented. It would prevent, prohibit, these types of activist judges from putting a gag order in place, and it would allow Donald Trump a right of action or the ability to sue.”
Co-sponsors of the bill include Representatives Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Matt Rosendale (R-MT) Byron Donalds (R-FL) Mary Miller (R-IL) Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) Eric Burlison (R-MO), and Eli Crane (R-AZ), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), and Bob Good (R-VA).
The bill comes as the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court did not accept Trump’s effort to have a gag order lifted.
“We find that Justice Merchan properly weighed petitioner’s First Amendment Rights against the court’s historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases, and the right of persons related or tangentially related to the criminal proceedings from being free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm,” the court wrote.
Judge Juan Merchan previously denied lifting Trump’s gag order.
Trump’s lawyers argued that since adult film actress Stormy Daniels had finished testifying, the gag order should be lifted to allow Trump to respond to her testimony. Merchan denied the motion, however, expressing apprehension about potential “attacks” on witnesses like Daniels.
