Donald Trump's attorneys have filed a formal objection to allow live broadcast of his upcoming arraignment, citing concerns over security and the potential disruption to the proceedings. The lawyers made their request in a letter to New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant on Monday.
The opposition comes as media outlets, including CNN, sought permission to broadcast the arraignment live. According to the Trump team, allowing cameras and videography would create a "circus-like atmosphere," raise unique security concerns, and contradict President Trump's presumption of innocence.
In their letter, the lawyers pointed out that President Trump is required to take into account potential security concerns under court rules. They also emphasized that any video or photography of the proceedings could heighten these serious concerns.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office has responded to the media request, deferring to the judge to decide how best to manage the courtroom. While they stopped short of opposing the request outright, their lawyer noted that a similar request was made for the 2021 arraignment in Trump Organization and its CFO Allen Weisselberg's tax fraud case.
The court had previously allowed a limited number of still photographs to be taken prior to the commencement of proceedings in that case. However, it is unclear how the judge will rule on the live broadcast request for Tuesday's arraignment.
It remains to be seen whether President Trump will ultimately face off against cameras and reporters as he enters a New York courtroom on Tuesday.
The opposition comes as media outlets, including CNN, sought permission to broadcast the arraignment live. According to the Trump team, allowing cameras and videography would create a "circus-like atmosphere," raise unique security concerns, and contradict President Trump's presumption of innocence.
In their letter, the lawyers pointed out that President Trump is required to take into account potential security concerns under court rules. They also emphasized that any video or photography of the proceedings could heighten these serious concerns.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office has responded to the media request, deferring to the judge to decide how best to manage the courtroom. While they stopped short of opposing the request outright, their lawyer noted that a similar request was made for the 2021 arraignment in Trump Organization and its CFO Allen Weisselberg's tax fraud case.
The court had previously allowed a limited number of still photographs to be taken prior to the commencement of proceedings in that case. However, it is unclear how the judge will rule on the live broadcast request for Tuesday's arraignment.
It remains to be seen whether President Trump will ultimately face off against cameras and reporters as he enters a New York courtroom on Tuesday.
. security concerns are def real tho, cant blame trump's lawyers for being cautious about that. plus, doesnt president trump think hes still innocent or whats the point of arraignment if not gonna let cameras in? dunno what the judge is gonna do but hopefully its not a total circus 
! So Trump's team wants to keep it all low-key during his arraignment? I get why they're worried about security and all that, but come on, it's not like he's going to, you know, escape or anything 
. And what's with the whole "circus-like atmosphere" thing? Like, news networks want to show their audience this historic moment? Can't be all bad, right? 
They're just trying to make a statement, and we get to watch it all go down live! 
. Can't they just let us see how it all goes down? I mean, we've watched enough live trials in the past to know that it's not always dramatic, but at least it keeps things transparent. But noooo, Trump's team is going full-on conspiracy theory mode here 
. Like, what's really gonna happen if cameras are allowed in? A bunch of lawyers and reporters causing a scene? It's not like this is a super-exclusive trial or anything 
. And what about the public's right to know what's going on? Can't we trust that Trump will act with integrity even if he doesn't get a free pass all the time? I'm really hoping Judge Merchant makes sense of this and lets us see the whole thing go down... but I gotta say, my gut is telling me it's gonna be a total circus 
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It's not like it's gonna make or break the case. Just think of all the people who wanna see this go down – Trump haters and fans alike! It'll be a wild circus, but at least we'll have some real-time drama to watch. The media wants to show us what's really going on in the courtroom, and if that means some security risks, so be it. A little risk is worth it for the sake of transparency, don't you think? 
and I'm like, what if they could do the same thing with court proceedings? I mean, imagine President Trump flying into the courtroom without any issues, no security threats or anything 
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if he's innocent, let the world see it! but at the same time, i can understand the security thing - don't wanna have a scene go down in court 
what do you guys think? is it all about control or just being cautious? 
his lawyers are all worried about security but newsflash: the cops will be there to keep everyone safe 