A federal judge on Friday refused to accept the government-proposed protective order in former President Donald Trump's Jan. 6-related indictment and instead sought to find a middle ground on communication restrictions on the case.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said at the start of the hearing that she is prepared to rule immediately on some of the defense's proposed revisions and plans to issue a protective order "as quickly as possible" after the hearing.

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In Friday's hearing, lawyers for the government and Trump's team debated the scope of a protective order governing evidence that prosecutors say proves Trump conspired to overturn the election, interrupt Congress, and impede on people's right to have their vote counted.

In seeking the protective order, special counsel Jack Smith's team pointed to a post on Trump's Truth Social platform in which Trump said he would be "coming after" those who "go after" him. Prosecutors suggested that Trump could attempt to share secret grand jury information that could have "harmful chilling effects on witnesses."

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Although Chutkan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, was amenable to some of the edits to the protective order requested by Trump's team, she noted that Trump did not have absolute free speech protections.

“Mr. Trump, like every American, has a First Amendment right to free speech, but that right is not absolute,” Chutkan said.