Judge Juan Merchan partially lifted the gag order on former President Donald Trump Tuesday ahead of the first presidential debate, but left in place key restrictions preventing Trump from criticizing certain prosecutors.

Merchan lifted the portions of the order preventing Trump from making statements about witnesses and jurors but left in place other restrictions. Trump’s attorneys urged Merchan earlier this month to lift the order, arguing the concerns expressed by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office “do not justify restrictions on the First Amendment rights of President Trump” now that the trial has concluded.

Trump is now free to discuss witnesses like Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen but still cannot comment on other individuals included in the order, including prosecutors on Bragg’s team, until his sentence is imposed. The remaining restrictions prevent him from talking about Matthew Colangelo, who spent two years at the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) before joining Bragg’s office in December 2022.

“Until sentence is imposed, all individuals covered by Paragraph (b) must continue to perform their lawful duties free from threats, intimidation, harassment, and harm,” Merchan wrote.

The first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Trump is scheduled for Thursday. Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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