- In a private sidebar conversation, Donald Trump’s hush money judge said Trump acted during Stormy Daniels’ testimony.
- The judge said that while Daniels was answering juror questions, Trump was “audibly swearing” and “uttering vulgar language.”
- The judge threatened to hold the former president in contempt of court again.
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During a private conversation between prosecutors and Donald Trump’s lawyer on Tuesday, the judge overseeing the former president’s hush money trial accused him of “audibly swearing” during Stormy Daniels’ testimony. reprimanded.
New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Marchand said Trump’s actions could have the effect of intimidating Daniels, who was testifying as a key witness in the case, and held him in contempt of court again. Then he threatened me.
“I understand your client is upset at this point, but he is audibly swearing and visually shaking his head,” Marchan told Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche. That’s derogatory.” “There is a potential for intimidation of witnesses, and the jury can sense that.”
At this point in her testimony, Daniels began talking about going to the bathroom while meeting with President Trump in his suite after a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Calif. – Daniels later said that this was with President Trump. He testified that it was a prelude to having sex.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office alleges that Trump falsified business records to hide $130,000 in hush money he paid Daniels to keep her quiet about sex before the 2016 election. The president vehemently denies this.
In a private follow-up conversation included in court records obtained by Business Insider, Marchan also criticized Trump’s response to an anecdote about Daniels hitting him in the back with a magazine.
During a conversation in President Trump’s hotel room that night, the real estate mogul boasted about being on the cover of a recent financial magazine, Daniels testified.
“I said, ‘Someone should spank me with that,'” Daniels testified. “That’s the only thing I’m interested in in that magazine.”
“I don’t think he expected me to do it, so he rolled it off and gave me a look like he dared me to do it,” Daniels continued. “So now I had to do it.”
When prompted further by Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, Daniels elaborated.
“I took it away from him and turned around and said I hit him,” she said.
“Where do you hit him?” Mr. Hoffinger asked.
“That’s exactly what happened,” Daniels testified.
In a follow-up conversation, Marchan said Trump had reacted inappropriately to the story.
“At one point, I noticed Mr. Daniels crumpling up a magazine and testifying about possibly hitting your client, at which point he was shaking his head and looking down.” said Marchan.
The judge also said that Trump “made vulgar comments” when Daniels testified on “The Apprentice.” Ms. Daniels testified that President Trump offered to have her appear on his NBC show, but that her promise never materialized.
“I think he was looking at you, Blanche. Later when we were talking about ‘The Apprentice,’ at which point he uttered the vulgar language again and this time looked at you,” Merchan said. said.
Marchand previously issued a gag order barring Trump from speaking about witnesses and jurors, fearing they could be intimidated.
A judge found earlier this week that Trump had violated the gag order a total of 10 times and threatened to jail him.
“The $1,000 fine does not seem to be working as a deterrent, so going forward, this court will need to consider a prison sentence if recommended,” Marchan told Trump on Tuesday. Ta.
This is not the first time President Trump has been violent in court as women testify about their encounters with him.
Earlier this year, during E. Jean Carroll’s second civil trial against Trump, District Judge Lewis Kaplan repeatedly told Trump to be quiet and “lower his voice” during Carroll’s testimony. , threatened to throw him out of court. Jurors in her previous case had found Trump responsible for sexually abusing her in the mid-1990s.
Carroll’s lawyer said Trump heckled her during her testimony.
“Mr. Trump has the right to be here, and that right can be revoked if he engages in any of the disruptive behavior that is reported to me or if he ignores court orders,” Kaplan said. It could be deprived.” Trial in January.
Mr. Kaplan later told Mr. Trump in open court: “Mr. Trump, I hope we don’t have to consider removing you from the trial or at least from attending.” “I understand that you would very much like me to do that.”
President Trump responded, “I would love to do that.”
Mr. Marchan took a more individual approach to Mr. Trump’s obstruction, telling Mr. Branch to “talk to him” during a sidebar meeting Tuesday. The judge said he did not speak directly to Trump himself because he “did not want to embarrass him.”
“I need to talk to him,” Marchan said. “I won’t let that happen.”
After Mr. Trump and his lawyer returned from a break, Mr. Blanche assured the judge that he had spoken to his client.
This story has been updated.