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The Trump Cases

Trump ramps up attacks on judges, sparking concerns as criminal trial nears

The judge overseeing the criminal trial that will start April 15 issued an expanded gag order late Monday in response to some of the former president’s rhetoric

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April 1, 2024 at 8:56 p.m. EDT
Former president Donald Trump has made presenting himself as the victim of a weaponized judicial system a central focus in his bid for a second White House term. (Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images)
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Former president Donald Trump is ramping up efforts to disparage judges overseeing his criminal and civil cases — reprising a long-standing strategy as a high-profile trial draws near and prompting growing concerns from legal experts and an an expanded gag order late Monday.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s approach, part of a broader election-year attempt to portray the judicial system as weaponized against him, was evident in a slew of attacks over the weekend. Such broadsides, which Trump has often lobbed without evidence for his claims, have raised worries about the safety of judges and threaten to undermine faith in the court system, some legal experts said Monday.