Trump praises 'surrogates' delivering courthouse attacks his gag order bars him from making

As Republican officials appeared outside the Manhattan courthouse attacking witness Michael Cohen and Justice Merchan's family during Cohen's testimony, Trump told reporters, "I have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully." The gag order barred Trump from making or directing others to make public statements attacking witnesses and court staff's relatives. Reporting indicated allies including sitting members of Congress echoed lines Trump was prohibited from voicing, and legal analysts debated whether the arrangement circumvented the order. Attributed accounts described Trump as endorsing and coordinating the surrogate attacks rather than merely tolerating them.

"I have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully. They come from all over Washington, and they're highly respected and they think this is the biggest scam they've ever seen." Quote verified against source