A federal judge has barred Donald Trump from criticising prosecutors, the court and possible witnesses ahead of his trial on election subversion charges.

“Because he is running for president, he gets to make threats?” Judge Tanya Chutkan asked Mr Trump’s lawyers before issuing the limited gag order.

The ex-president has recently attacked prosecutors as “thugs” and called one likely witness “a gutless pig”.

His federal criminal trial in Washington begins in March 2024.

As he campaigns once again for the White House, Mr Trump, 77, faces three other criminal trials next year.

The trial in the nation’s capital begins on 4 March, the same day as Super Tuesday, a pivotal day of voting in the 2024 Republican primary election.

During Monday’s hearing over the gag order, lawyers for the Republican frontrunner argued his comments on the case were “colourful language” seen in political debates.

They also argued there was no need for such an order if the trial was simply delayed until after the election.