A Manhattan judge has imposed a comprehensive gag order on Donald Trump, barring him from making public statements about witnesses, court staff, and jurors in his upcoming hush-money trial. The order was issued due to concerns that Trump's previous extrajudicial statements posed a significant risk to the administration of justice.

The gag order prohibits Trump from making statements about potential witnesses, prospective or current jurors, and prosecutors, with the exception of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Additionally, he is barred from making statements about court staff or their family members if such statements are intended to interfere with their work on the case.

The judge's decision was based on Trump's history of making threatening, inflammatory, and denigrating statements about individuals involved in the criminal cases against him. These statements have targeted local and federal officials, court staff, prosecutors, and grand jurors.

Trump's defense team had argued that he should enjoy a First Amendment right to freely address the case against him, but the judge ruled that his extrajudicial statements had gone beyond defending himself and had the potential to disrupt the integrity of the trial.