NEW YORK: A New York state appeals court on Thursday rejected Donald Trump’s challenge to a gag order in his hush money criminal case, where the former US president was convicted in May on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star.

The decision by the Appellate Division in Manhattan means the Republican presidential nominee cannot comment publicly about individual prosecutors and others in the case until Justice Juan Merchan sentences him on Sept. 18, seven weeks before the Nov. 5 election.

Trump’s lawyers have argued that the gag order violated Trump’s constitutional free speech rights under the First Amendment.

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, said Trump “continues to forcefully challenge” the gag order.

“The gag order is blatantly un-American as it continues to gag President Trump,” Cheung said in a statement.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday showed Trump locked in a tight race with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is poised to become the Democratic nominee. Harris led Trump 43%-42% among registered voters, within the margin of error.