Federal prosecutors in the case accusing Donald Trump of plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election are seeking an order that would prevent the former president from making inflammatory and intimidating comments about witnesses, lawyers and the judge.

The Special Jack Smith team said in a motion filed Friday that such a limited, well-defined order was necessary to preserve the integrity of the case and avoid biasing potential jurors.

Since the grand jury returned an indictment in the case, the defendant has repeatedly and widely released public statements attacking the citizens of the District of Columbia, the Court, prosecutors and potential witnesses, prosecutors wrote. By his statements, the suspect threatens to undermine the integrity of these proceedings and to damage the jury pool.

They said Trump’s efforts to weaken confidence in the legal system and the administration of justice echo his attacks on the 2020 election, which he falsely claimed he won.

The defendant is now attempting to do the same in this criminal case to undermine confidence in the criminal justice system and prejudice the jury through disparaging and inflammatory attacks on the citizens of this district, the Court, prosecutors and potential witnesses, they wrote. .

Among the statements prosecutors cite in their motion is a post on his social media platform Truth Social, days after the indictment, in which Trump wrote in all caps: If you come after me, I’ll come after you! He has also repeatedly claimed on social media that the case against him is falsified and that he cannot receive a fair trial. And he has attacked in personal terms the prosecutors who brought the case, calling Smith insane, and the criminals on his team, as well as the judge who presided over the case, Tanya Chutkan.

A Trump spokesperson said in a statement that prosecutors “continued to corruptly and cynically attempt to deprive President Trump of his First Amendment rights.”

This is nothing more than blatant election interference, because President Trump is by far the leading candidate in this race. The American people, who see voters through this unconstitutional charade, will send President Trump back to the White House, the statement said.

The issue came to light last week when the Justice Department announced it was seeking to file a motion regarding Trump’s daily public statements, which it feared would taint the jury pool. Chutkan on Friday authorized prosecutors to publicly file a redacted motion, with names and identifying information of individuals who say they have been harassed as a result of Trump’s attacks.

Also Friday, Smith’s team criticized the Trump team’s request to have Chutkan recuse himself from the case. Defense attorneys had cited Chutkan’s previous comments that they said cast doubt on her ability to be honest. Prosecutors responded that there was no valid basis for setting her aside.