references his family

The rump continued his attacks on special counsel Jack Smith on Saturday, including a reference to Smith’s family, at a rally in Claremont, New Hampshire.The former president repeated his accusations that Smith is “deranged” and a “Trump-hating prosecutor,” continuing, “his wife and family despise me much more than he does.” Smith is overseeing two federal cases against Trump, related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents and his role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election.

The former president’s comments come at a time when his public statements about the criminal cases against him are being closely watched by prosecutors and courts alike. As a criminal defendant, he is barred from attempting to intimidate witnesses or others in the legal system, and a federal appellate court is considering whether a gag order placed upon him is constitutionally sound.

A federal appeals court later temporarily froze the limited gag order, allowing him to again speak freely with criticism of possible witnesses in the case.The appeals court is set to hear arguments on the gag order before Thanksgiving.