Trump asks judge to lift gag order in hush money case

Attorneys for Donald Trump on Monday asked a New York judge overseeing the former president's hush money trial to lift a gag order against the former president.

Trump's attorneys asked that Judge Juan Merchan terminate the gag order restricting Trump’s extrajudicial statements because "the stated bases for the gag order no longer exist."

“Now that the trial is concluded, the concerns articulated by the government and the Court do not justify continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights of President Trump," Trump attorney Todd Blanche wrote in the request made public on Tuesday.

The former president’s attorneys argued that Trump had a "constitutional mandate for unrestrained campaign advocacy," citing President Joe Biden’s public comments about the jury’s verdict last week, in addition to “continued public attacks” from Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen and porn actress Stormy Daniels, who both served as key witnesses in the trial. The former president's lawyers also pointed to the upcoming presidential debate slated for June 27.

Trump's request comes as the Biden campaign has become increasingly vocal about the former president's legal issues. NBC News was first to report last week that Biden’s campaign had explored taking a more aggressive position.

At a campaign event on Monday, Biden called the former president a "convicted felon" who "snapped" after the 2020 election.

If the court fails to grant their request the Trump's team has requested an opportunity to submit a briefing.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office declined to comment.

Prosecutors initially requested a partial gag order in February, arguing that the former president had a "long history" of making public and inflammatory remarks about