Appeals court denies Trump’s latest request to overturn hush money trial gag order

Donald Trump’s latest attempt to end the gag order against him in the hush money trial was denied by a New York appeals court on Tuesday.

“We find that Justice Merchan properly weighed petitioner’s First Amendment Rights against the court’s historical commitment to ensuring the fair administration of justice in criminal cases, and the right of persons related or tangentially related to the criminal proceedings from being free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm,” according to the order.

Trump has long said that the gag order implemented by Judge Juan Merchan is unfair to him and should be lifted, especially since it means he is unable to respond to testimony from Stormy Daniels or Michael Cohen in public spheres.

“You ask me questions I’m not allowed to respond,” Trump told reporters Tuesday morning before entering the criminal court and before the ruling was issued. “The gag order has to come off.”

Merchan said the gag order is needed to prevent witnesses from being intimidated, especially given the high-profile nature of the trial and defendant.

Tuesday, the appeals court agreed: “Justice Merchan properly determined that petitioner’s public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses in this case as well.”

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Adrienne Vogt and Kristina Sgueglia contributed to this report.

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