Attorneys for former President Donald J. Trump moved for an immediate mistrial in the Manhattan-based hush money trial following testimony from adult film performer Stormy Daniels. Democrat-aligned Judge Juan Merchan denied their motion after brief consideration.
Trump’s defense attorney, Todd Blanche, argued the testimony by Daniels was intended by the prosecution to tar his client. Blanche said the testimony prejudiced the jury against Trump, making a fair trial impossible.
“I don’t think anybody, anybody, can listen to what that witness said, think that has anything to do with the charges, and the entire testimony is so prejudicial that you run the very high risk of the jury not being able to focus on the evidence that actually does matter,” he argued.
Judge Merchan denied the motion. However, he did acknowledge that Daniels’s testimony likely crossed the line. Merchan had warned the prosecution this morning that they were not allowed to let Daniels engage in detailed discussions of her alleged affair or sexual acts.
“As a threshold matter, I agree Mr. Blanche, that there were some things that probably would’ve been better left unsaid,” Merchan said. He additionally chastised the defense for not raising more objections, noting that even he had to step in and cut Daniels off at one point. “Whether these are new stories or not new stories, the remedy is on cross-examination,” Merchan continued.
