Donald Trump's legal team is poised to challenge a gag order in a federal appeals court, seeking to overturn restrictions preventing the former president from targeting certain participants in a case accusing him of attempting to unlawfully overturn the 2020 election.

U.S. Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington implemented the gag order, expressing concerns that Trump's public statements and social media posts could influence witnesses, potentially leading to threats against lawyers and other public officials. Trump, a frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, contends that the gag order infringes on his free speech rights as he gears up for a White House comeback bid.

Last week, a state appeals court judge temporarily lifted a similar restriction in a separate civil business fraud case in New York. Trump promptly resumed his criticisms, targeting a court clerk involved in the case.

While the federal gag order allows Trump and his legal team to criticize the Justice Department, it bars them from targeting prosecutors, court staff, and potential witnesses. The order has been temporarily suspended during Trump's ongoing appeal.

The trial for the federal case is scheduled for March 2024, coinciding with the peak of the Republican nominating contest for the November 2024 presidential election. Despite legal challenges, opinion polls indicate Trump leading his Republican rivals significantly.

Trump faces charges of conspiring to interfere with the official tally of the 2020 presidential race, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Maintaining his innocence, Trump accuses Biden's administration of weaponizing the U.S. legal system against him.

U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith's indictment alleges that Trump and his allies propagated false claims of a rigged election, pressured officials to alter results, and created fraudulent slates of electors to challenge Biden's electoral votes. Trump has pleaded not guilty in this case and three other criminal cases, including a Georgia case charging him with conspiring to overturn the election.

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