Judge said he won’t tolerate Trump’s cursing and headshaking during Daniels’ testimony, transcript shows
CNN
The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money trial called the former president’s defense attorney to the bench and ordered him to speak to his client about his “contemptuous” behavior during adult film actress Stormy Daniels’ testimony Tuesday, according to the trial transcript.
The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money trial called the former president’s defense attorney to the bench and ordered him to speak to his client about his “contemptuous” behavior during adult film actress Stormy Daniels’ testimony Tuesday, according to the trial transcript. “I understand that your client is upset at this point, but he is cursing audibly, and he is shaking his head visually and that’s contemptuous,” Judge Juan Merchan said to Trump’s defense attorney Todd Blanche during a mid morning break. “It has the potential to intimidate the witness and the jury can see that.” Earlier in the morning, Daniels had begun walking the jury through her 2006 encounter with Trump in his hotel room, where the adult film star says she slept with Trump. Daniels was paid $130,000 to keep her from going public before the 2016 election about her claim and the alleged reimbursement payment Trump made to his former lawyer Michael Cohen is at the heart of the charges against the former president. Trump has denied the affair and pleaded not guilty. Merchan told Blanche they were speaking at the bench because the judge did not want to embarrass Trump. Blanche responded that he would talk to Trump. “You need to speak to him. I won’t tolerate that,” Merchan said.
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