A federal judge has allowed the former US president to publicly share some documents and evidence related to his case regarding the 2020 election. At the same time, Tanya Chutkan warned Donald Trump to refrain from provocative statements and threats to witnesses.

Tanya Chutkan said on Friday 11 August that vague statements by the parties or their lawyers, which can be interpreted to intimidate witnesses or prejudice jury members, can threaten the court process.

"I warn you and your client to be very careful in your public statements about this case," she told Donald Trump's lawyers. "I will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the integrity of this process."

Earlier, prosecutors in the case objected to Trump's "threatening" messages on social media, citing it as evidence that the former president was trying to intimidate witnesses by using details of classified evidence.

The judge said Trump was "accused of a crime" and would face the same restrictions as any other defendant. She added that the fact that Trump is involved in a political campaign does not mean that he has more or less leeway than the other defendants: "This case is proceeding as usual."

The former US president is accused of trying to subvert the results of the 2020 US elections. A charge that Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to.