Donald Trump's Lawyers Reject TV Broadcast of His Arraignment Over Security Concerns, Officials Say
In a letter to New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, lawyers for former President Donald Trump said they oppose allowing media outlets to broadcast his arraignment on Tuesday due to concerns it could create a circus-like atmosphere and raise security risks.
The attorneys pointed out that the court has an obligation to take potential security concerns into account, according to existing court rules. "As Your Honor is well-aware," they wrote, "this case presents extraordinary security concerns (including Secret Service-related concerns) and we submit that any video or photography of the proceedings will only heighten these serious concerns."
The Manhattan District Attorney's office also expressed opposition to allowing live broadcasting of the arraignment, but said it was deferring to the judge to decide how best to manage the courtroom.
In 2021, when Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg faced a similar arraignment in the same court, Judge Juan Merchant allowed still photographs to be taken prior to proceedings. However, this case presents additional security concerns given Trump's status as a former president.
The Trump team did not provide specific details on what measures they would take instead of prohibiting live broadcasting.
The request by media outlets, including CNN, for camera access during the arraignment was denied Monday.
In a letter to New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, lawyers for former President Donald Trump said they oppose allowing media outlets to broadcast his arraignment on Tuesday due to concerns it could create a circus-like atmosphere and raise security risks.
The attorneys pointed out that the court has an obligation to take potential security concerns into account, according to existing court rules. "As Your Honor is well-aware," they wrote, "this case presents extraordinary security concerns (including Secret Service-related concerns) and we submit that any video or photography of the proceedings will only heighten these serious concerns."
The Manhattan District Attorney's office also expressed opposition to allowing live broadcasting of the arraignment, but said it was deferring to the judge to decide how best to manage the courtroom.
In 2021, when Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg faced a similar arraignment in the same court, Judge Juan Merchant allowed still photographs to be taken prior to proceedings. However, this case presents additional security concerns given Trump's status as a former president.
The Trump team did not provide specific details on what measures they would take instead of prohibiting live broadcasting.
The request by media outlets, including CNN, for camera access during the arraignment was denied Monday.
!! i mean i get it security concerns and all but come on man you've been president now its time to face the music 
anyway i feel bad for the media outlets though they wanna show the world what's going down 
maybe trump should just let them film it like judge merchant did with allen weisselberg back in 2021 
like its just a court arraignment not a presidential inauguration. can we just have some transparency here? live broadcasting would actually put the security concerns to rest, you know, for the public's sake 
anyway, if they're worried about security, maybe they should've thought of that before tweeting all their conspiracy theories 
... so now Trump's lawyers are trying to keep his arraignment behind closed doors because he's a big deal? Like, seriously? We're expected to pay taxes and follow the law just like everyone else, but now that he's a former president, security concerns become a valid reason to deny us a glimpse of justice? Give me a break 
.
I get that security is super important, especially with Trump involved (no disrespect to the former Prez 
), but do we really need to ban live broadcasting?! It's like they're worried about the paparazzi showing up and causing chaos... but isn't that kinda what happens when you have a high-profile figure walking into court anyway? 
The Trump team is just being super cautious, I get it. But come on, can we at least get some updates from our favorite TV shows or social media?! It's all about the drama and the entertainment value now, right? 
why cant we just see the whole thing go down? im sure it would be a great opportunity for the media to cover some real news. i mean, come on, trump was a president, he's gotta answer for his actions. can't we just get this over with already?! 
security concerns or not, its just a bunch of bull 
.
and btw, isn't this just another way for them to control the narrative and avoid scrutiny? 
anyone think this would've happened if he wasnt a former president tho? 
I'm telling you, something fishy is going down here. Trump's lawyers are basically saying "no way" to the live broadcast because they want to control the narrative and keep it under wraps. It's like, what are they hiding? 
And don't even get me started on the security concerns... that's just a smokescreen. They're trying to distract us from the real issue – Trump's involvement in the whole thing. I mean, come on, he was a former president for crying out loud! 
. And what about the public's right to know what's going on in our democracy? 
#NoCircusHere #SecurityFirst 
#PeacefulArraignment #AllGood 