Lawyers representing former President Donald Trump in the hush money trial are pushing for a mistrial as adult film actress Stormy Daniels provides her testimony on the witness stand. On Tuesday, Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, argued to Judge Juan Merchan that Daniels’ Testimony was prejudicial.
However, Merchan claimed that a mistrial was not called for in this situation but acknowledged that he was acting to corral Daniels, even objecting to her testimony in one instance. “I agree that it would have been better if some of these things had been left unsaid,” the judge stated.
Blanche asserted that the prosecution is trying to influence the jury with Daniel’s testimony by providing irrelevant evidence. The defense attorney claimed that Daniels has been trying to profit off of her story revolving around an alleged sexual encounter with the former president for years.
“We believe there should be a mistrial,” he said. “Or that this witness’ testimony is excluded and extremely limited.” Blanche further stated that Daniels’ testimony “has nothing to do with this case” and is “totally irrelevant.” Moreover, he suggested that her account is “extraordinarily prejudicial testimony,” which presents a “high risk of the jury not being able to focus on the charged conduct.”
Trump also weighed in on the status of the trial, posting on Truth Social, “PROSECUTION, WHICH HAS NO CASE, HAS GONE TOO FAR. MISTRIAL!” The GOP frontrunner also posted a lengthy message on Wednesday, lamenting an alleged infraction of his First Amendment rights. Presumably, Trump is referring to the gag orders issued against him by Judge Merchan.
“It is a really bad feeling to have your Constitutional Right to Free Speech, such a big part of life in our Country, so unfairly taken from you, especially when all of the sleazebags, lowlifes, and grifters that you oppose are allowed to say absolutely anything that they want. It is hard to sit back and listen to lies and false statements be made against you knowing that if you respond, even in the most modest fashion, you are told by a Corrupt and Highly Conflicted Judge that you will be PUT IN PRISON, maybe for a long period of time. This Fascist mindset is all coming from D.C. It is a sophisticated hit job on Crooked Joe Biden’s Political Opponent, ME!. Judges Engoron and Kaplan, also of New York, are equally Corrupt, only in different ways. What these THUGS are doing is AN ATTACK ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AND OUR ONCE GREAT NATION ITSELF. OUR FIRST AMENDMENT MUST STAND, FREE AND STRONG. “GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!’ Trump wrote.
Pertaining to the testimony of Stormy Daniels, The American Tribune reported that the porn star’s former lawyer, Michael Avenatti, offered to testify on behalf of Trump. Avenatti labeled the case against the former president as politically motivated while calling into question the integrity of Daniels as a witness. “Stormy Daniels is going to say whatever she believes is going to assist Stormy Daniels and putting more money in her pocket,” he said. “If Stormy Daniels’ lips are moving, she’s lying for money.”
Watch former President Trump sound off on the “political witch hunt” below:
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