Former President Donald Trump's attorneys submitted a petition to lift the gag order imposed on him during his hush money trial, saying the reasons for the order are no longer valid now that the trial has ended.
In the request made public Tuesday, Trump's representative Todd Blanche said that "the concerns articulated by the government and the Court do not justify continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights of President Trump."
The defense also argued that Trump has a "constitutional mandate for unrestrained campaign advocacy," NBC News reported.
It comes after President Joe Biden's public comments regarding the jury's verdict last week and the ongoing public criticism from Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen and adult film actress Stormy Daniels, both key witnesses in the trial.
Last week, a jury convicted Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment made to Daniels.
Judge Juan Merchan had previously issued a gag order on Trump, limiting what he could say about people involved in the case.
Blanche also cited the upcoming presidential debate on June 27 as a reason to lift the gag order. If the court fails to grant their request, Trump's legal team has asked Merchan for an opportunity to submit a detailed briefing to support their case.
There has been increasing criticism from the Biden campaign on Trump's legal troubles, amid reports that the president might adopt a more aggressive stance on the issue.
During a campaign event earlier this week, Biden labeled Trump a "convicted felon" who "snapped" after the 2020 election.
Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Tuesday revealed a "three-pronged approach" to go after the justice system following Trump's conviction.
Johnson's plan involves using the appropriations process, introducing targeted legislation, and using Congress's oversight authority to address concerns related to the Justice Department.
"All those things will be happening vigorously, because we have to do that, because the stakes are too high and because people are losing faith in our institutions," he said, adding, "And that, at the end of the day, is something that should concern every single one of us. And I think it does."
