Former President Donald Trump ripped the “unfair” gag order against him in his hush money criminal trial Friday — saying it “has to come off” — ahead of attorneys on both sides wrapping up jury selection in the historic case.
“The gag order has to come off. I should be allowed to speak,” Trump, 77, told reporters in the hallway of Manhattan Supreme Court on the fourth, and likely final, day of jury selection.
“I have to be released of the gag order,” he ranted. “They’re taking away my constitutional rights to speak.”
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has been barred by Justice Juan Merchan from commenting publicly on witnesses, jurors and court staff, as well as relatives of the judge and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office is prosecuting the case.
Bragg’s office has asked Merchan twice since jury selection started Monday to hold Trump in contempt for allegedly breaching the gag order — requesting he be fined $3,000 and warned he could face jail time.
But Trump on Friday argued he should be able to respond to statements that people make about him, and said he wanted “to be open because we did absolutely nothing wrong.”
“Everyone else can say whatever they want about me,” the real estate tycoon said. “They can continue to make up lies and everything else. They lie. They’re real scum. But you know what, I’m not allowed to speak.”
He continued: “I want to be able to speak to the press that everybody else about it. So why am I gagged about telling the truth?”
Bragg’s office has argued Trump breached the gag order several times, including by posting on social media about his former lawyer Michael Cohen — an ex-con who is slated to be a star witness at trial.
In addition to the fine, prosecutors want Merchan to warn Trump he could be thrown in jail for up to 30 days if he’s held in contempt of court.
Merchan said he plans to take up the issue on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, jury selection resumed Friday morning to select the final five alternate jurors for trial.
A jury of 12 — seven men and five women – was finalized Thursday and one alternate was selected at the time.
The other five alternates were selected by just after 1:30 p.m.
Opening arguments are scheduled to go forward Monday morning.
Bragg’s office has charged Trump with falsifying business records to hide that he had Cohen made a $130,000 payment made to ex-porn star Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 election to keep her quiet about affair allegations.
Trump has adamantly denied the charges and has called the case “a hoax” and “election interference.”
He’s also repeatedly gone after Merchan, calling him a “Trump hating judge” and claiming Merchan should be recused from the case because of his daughter’s work in Democratic political campaigns.
