In response to a request filed by District Attorney Alvin Bragg's legal team, a New York judge has issued a new gag order on former President Donald Trump. This order specifically prohibits Trump from publicly discussing witnesses, prosecutors, or jurors involved in his pending criminal trial.

The gag order also extends to preventing Trump from instructing others to make public statements about potential jurors, court staff, or family members of staff. The intention behind this decision is to ensure a fair trial by limiting extrajudicial statements made by Trump for the duration of the proceedings.

This comes just a day after the announcement of a new start date for the criminal trial, which is now scheduled to commence with jury selection on April 15. If the trial proceeds as planned, it would mark the first criminal trial involving a former or sitting U.S. president.

It is worth noting that Trump has previously faced fines in civil trials in New York due to his public statements about legal staff and their political affiliations, which violated previous gag orders. Earlier today, Trump took to his social media platform to criticize Judge Juan Merchan and his daughter, accusing them of political bias.

Last April, Trump entered a plea of not guilty to a 34-count indictment, which alleges multiple instances of falsifying business records in an attempt to keep an alleged affair secret near the end of the 2016 campaign.

As the trial rapidly approaches, all eyes will be on how the gag order will shape the communication and public dialogue surrounding this high-profile case.