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Trump denied second mistrial request, gag order change in hush money case
Former President Trump's legal team was denied two requests Thursday in his ongoing hush money criminal trial.
The big picture: Judge Juan Merchan rejected a mistrial motion two days after denying a similar request, and he declined to narrow a gag order to allow Trump to speak publicly about adult film actress and star witness Stormy Daniels following her testimony.
State of play: Daniels, whose allegations about an alleged sexual encounter with the former president are at the heart of the criminal trial, defended herself Thursday as Trump's attorneys often appeared to try to undermine her credibility by accusing her of story discrepancies.
Merchan dressed down the defense's ridiculous request for a mistrial. A request made based on objections to "prejudicial" testimony given by Daniels. Merchan noted it was the defense's contention the sexual encounter never took place that allowed for Daniels to give detailed testimony about it. And that defense counsel passed on opportunities to object during the testimony if they took issue with it.
How does the incompetence of defense counsel work in Don's favor with respect to the court of public opinion? It allows Trump to accuse Merchan of bias, the most essential aspect of the defense to date. A claim no doubt amplified by RWM, who's job it is to reinforce the lies and disinformation Trump spews on a regular basis.
It's all part of a theme. How do you distract attention away from the commission of crimes? Claim our system of justice is corrupt and Trump is being persecuted. How do distract from an incompetent defense? Claim the judge is biased. How do you explain a lost election? Claim the system is rigged. Never accept responsibility for failure. Never admit defeat. Never admit to making mistakes. Sounds like a petulant child, or an authoritarian figure, not the leader of a constitutional republic.
Former President Trump's legal team was denied two requests Thursday in his ongoing hush money criminal trial.
The big picture: Judge Juan Merchan rejected a mistrial motion two days after denying a similar request, and he declined to narrow a gag order to allow Trump to speak publicly about adult film actress and star witness Stormy Daniels following her testimony.
State of play: Daniels, whose allegations about an alleged sexual encounter with the former president are at the heart of the criminal trial, defended herself Thursday as Trump's attorneys often appeared to try to undermine her credibility by accusing her of story discrepancies.
- Trump's attorney Todd Blanche requested a mistrial, arguing some of her testimony, including details about an alleged sexual encounter, are unrelated to charges in the case and that her testimony was detrimental.
- Merchan rejected the defense's claim that Daniels' testimony differed from her previous accounts.
- The judge brought up specific issues with the defense's arguments, including that instead of denying the falsification of business records, they're denying the alleged sexual encounter Daniels spoke about, per the New York Times.
- "That in my mind allows the people to do what they can to rehabilitate her and to corroborate her story. Your motion for a mistrial is denied," Merchan said.
Merchan dressed down the defense's ridiculous request for a mistrial. A request made based on objections to "prejudicial" testimony given by Daniels. Merchan noted it was the defense's contention the sexual encounter never took place that allowed for Daniels to give detailed testimony about it. And that defense counsel passed on opportunities to object during the testimony if they took issue with it.
How does the incompetence of defense counsel work in Don's favor with respect to the court of public opinion? It allows Trump to accuse Merchan of bias, the most essential aspect of the defense to date. A claim no doubt amplified by RWM, who's job it is to reinforce the lies and disinformation Trump spews on a regular basis.
It's all part of a theme. How do you distract attention away from the commission of crimes? Claim our system of justice is corrupt and Trump is being persecuted. How do distract from an incompetent defense? Claim the judge is biased. How do you explain a lost election? Claim the system is rigged. Never accept responsibility for failure. Never admit defeat. Never admit to making mistakes. Sounds like a petulant child, or an authoritarian figure, not the leader of a constitutional republic.
