Judge rules on protective order in Trump case

The federal judge overseeing the election conspiracy case against Donald Trump warned Friday that there are limits on what the former president can publicly say about evidence in the investigation as he campaigns for a second term in the White House. Presiding over her first hearing for the case, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington heard arguments on how to structure a protective order for evidence turned over by prosecutors, a common step in criminal cases. But she also used the forum to address the case’s unprecedented mix of legal and political concerns. Chutkan stressed that political considerations wouldn’t guide her decisions. She also repeatedly said Trump was subject to the court’s rules as a defendant before trial even as he runs for the 2024 Republican nomination for president.