WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Lawyers for former U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday filed a notice to appeal a partial gag order in the case accusing him of illegally attempting to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, a court filing showed.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington on Monday barred Trump from making public statements that "target" U.S. prosecutors, court staff and potential witnesses involved in the case.

The judge found that Trump's public statements and social media posts may influence witnesses and lead to threats and harassment against lawyers and other "public servants."

"Defendant’s presidential candidacy cannot excuse statements that would otherwise intolerably jeopardize these proceedings," Chutkan said in a written order published on Tuesday.

Trump has sharply criticized Chutkan's decision as a constraint on his free speech rights while running for president as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024. He vowed to appeal the ruling during campaign speeches on Monday.

The gag order allows Trump to continue criticizing the U.S. Justice Department and denounce the prosecution as politically motivated.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Eric Beech and Jonathan Oatis)