Former President Donald Trump’s invocation will not be televised Tuesday, despite requests from news outlets to broadcast live footage of the historic moment.
Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of New York Juan Merchan rejected requests from several media – including The New York Times, CNN, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post – on Monday night, the evening before Trump was scheduled to appear in the Manhattan courthouse. Poolside photographers will be allowed to take photos before the arraignment begins.
Trump was indicted last week on charges related to a $130,000 cash payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final days of his 2016 bid for president. This is an important moment: No former president has been indicted on criminal charges, the full extent of which will be made public on Tuesday.
Merchan noted Monday that while the event is “certainly important, the interests of news organizations must be weighed against competing interests.” Trump’s lawyers argued that allowing cameras in the courtroom would create a “circus-like atmosphere.”
“If this indictment is a matter of great importance, it cannot be denied. In the history of the United States, no sitting or past President has been charged with criminal charges. Mr. Trump’s arraignment has generated unparalleled public interest and media attention,” Merchan wrote. absolutely hungry for the most accurate and current information available. To suggest otherwise would be dishonest.”
Trump is expected to make comments after his arraignment on Tuesday night. He faces a number of other investigations, including classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home after leaving the White House and an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.
The former president has denied wrongdoing, attacking the probe as a political witch hunt.