"Concerns Mount as Trump's Attacks on Judges Escalate Ahead of Criminal Trial"

Former President Donald Trump is intensifying his attacks on judges overseeing his criminal and civil cases, prompting concerns from legal experts and an expanded gag order. Trump's strategy aims to portray the judicial system as weaponized against him, with attacks raising worries about judges' safety and undermining faith in the court system. Facing 88 charges across four criminal cases, Trump has made presenting himself as a victim of a weaponized judicial system a central focus in his bid for a second White House term, turning his criminal indictments into a rallying cry. Legal experts and judges are voicing alarm about Trump’s comments on judges, cases, and defendants prosecuted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, whom the former president has sought to glorify as “hostages.”