During intense courtroom proceedings, defense attorneys representing former President Donald Trump motioned for a mistrial following Stormy Daniels’ testimony on Tuesday morning. Todd Blanche, Trump’s chief counsel, contended that Daniels’ testimony had unfairly prejudiced the case and introduced unwarranted bias.
Following the lunch recess, Blanche reiterated his concerns to Judge Juan Merchan, emphasizing that Daniels’ statements regarding her purported 2006 affair with Trump could not be rectified and risked unfairly swaying the jury. Despite the objections, Merchan assured that he was diligently striving to uphold order and impartiality, even interjecting personally at times to address certain statements made by Daniels.
Ultimately, Judge Merchan denied Blanche’s request for a mistrial following Stormy Daniels’ testimony, asserting, “I don’t believe we’re at the point where a mistrial is warranted,” according to The Associated Press. Trump expressed his disagreement with the ruling by shaking his head and writing a note on a piece of paper. He then passed it to his attorney to share his thoughts, while the trial proceedings continued, according to the report.
While acknowledging Blanche’s concerns, the judge admitted that Daniels had occasionally crossed boundaries but also attributed some responsibility to the defense for not objecting more forcefully during her testimony. “I agree there are some things that would’ve been better left unsaid,” Merchan remarked, recognizing that the “witness was a little difficult to control.”
At one point during the proceedings, Merchan took proactive measures, interjecting on his own to prevent Daniels from divulging excessive details, rather than waiting for a formal objection from the defense. The judge indicated that he would give an instruction to the jurors, who were not yet present in the courtroom, cautioning them about Daniels’ testimony regarding an alleged incident of being accosted and threatened in a parking lot in 2011.
The judge also expressed surprise at the absence of any defense objections during Daniels’ testimony. “When you say the bell has been rung, the defense has to take some responsibility for that,” Merchan said.
Trump’s legal team argued that Daniels violated established rules for her testimony. This marked the first instance where Trump’s team has requested a mistrial. Defense attorney Todd Blanche said that Daniels’ account of the alleged sexual encounter and her detailed description of preceding conversations and other meetings with Trump had “nothing to do with this case and is extremely prejudicial.”
Trump’s legal team contended that Daniels had breached established testimony rules. Blanche asserted that Daniels’ narrative of the purported sexual encounter and her intricate depiction of preceding discussions and other encounters with Trump had “nothing to do with this case and is extremely prejudicial.”
Blanche stated that “the court set guardrails for this testimony,” but they were “just thrown to the side.” He added, “This is the kind of testimony that makes it impossible to come back from,” noting further that it is also “unfair” since Trump is scheduled to be on the campaign trail later today.