Former President Donald Trump's lawyers on Monday fought against the efforts by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg to limit his access to some trial materials as well as the ability to publicly comment on evidence. 

The lawyers called Bragg's request "extreme," and noted that prosecutors were not holding themselves accountable to the same restrictions that they expected Trump to follow.

“President Trump is the leading Republican candidate for president of the United States,” the filing said. “To state the obvious, there will continue to be significant public commentary about this case and his candidacy, to which he has a right and a need to respond, both for his own sake and for the benefit of the voting public.”

Bragg charged Trump with 34 felonies even though the charges against him had long passed the statue of limitations and should have been misdemeanors in the first place.

The accusations

Trump is accused of making false business statements to cover up an alleged affair before the 2016 election. Trump denies the affair, but paid a settlement so that former porn star Stormy Daniels wouldn't accuse him publicly.

Trump’s lawyers, Todd Blanche, Susan R. Necheles, and Joseph Tacopina pointed out that Bragg made statements during his news conference that would have been prohibited under the rules he proposed. 

They also argued that a deal had been in the works before Bragg took the podium.

Prosecutors “apparently believe that New York law allows the district attorney’s office and its witnesses to freely speak and quote from grand jury evidence, but not President Trump or his counsel,” the filing said.

Bragg's witnesses include Daniels and Michael Cohen, who paid her allegedly on Trump's behalf but has since turned against his former boss.

Politically motivated

Obviously, Trump does not want his ability to publicly discuss the case against him to be restricted, because he has a huge platform on social media and a lot of support from Republicans who think he is being prosecuted unfairly.

The prosecution is aiming to shut down his appeal to public opinion, which is his only way to prevent his political opponents from trying to use the case against him to hurt his chances of winning the GOP nomination in 2024.

Most people on both sides of the political aisle think the indictment is politically motivated.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and his podcast partner Ben Ferguson has pointed out that his opponent in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton, could be prosecuted for the same violation as Trump because of her campaign's payment for the Steele Dossier, but she has not been prosecuted.

This double standard shows the attempt to damage Trump, which hasn't worked so far and has only helped him.