Manhattan DA requests gag order on Trump in hush-money case

• The case is the first of Trump's four criminal cases scheduled to go to trial while he is on track to become the GOP presidential nominee.
• The case centers on a 2016 hush-money payment Trump made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to conceal an alleged affair. He pleaded not guilty to the charges last year.

Driving the news: Trump "has a long history of making public and inflammatory remarks about the participants in various judicial proceedings against him, including jurors, witnesses, lawyers and court staff," the filing stated.

• The request cited Trump's rhetoric on social media and during speeches, rallies and other public statements about "individuals that he considers to be adversaries" in cases across jurisdictions.

Threat level: Trump's extrajudicial statements could intimidate witnesses, interfere with the judge's impartiality, and lead to harassment from his followers, the court filing said.

• Targeting court staff and personnel could also create an imminent threat "by distracting personnel, diverting government resources and delaying the administration of justice," the document said.

Flashback: Justice Juan Merchan previously issued a protective order limiting the evidence that Trump could share publicly in the hush-money case. He is also barred from posting on social media about the case without the court's approval.

• Trump has also been placed under gag orders in his New York civil fraud trial and the federal 2020 election subversion case.

Go deeper: Trump's New York hush money trial will begin March 25, judge says

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional details from the court filing.