The fight to televise former President Donald Trump’s January 6 trial is getting heated, with the former president’s legal team and the prosecution in disagreement on whether the American public should be able to watch the trial.
Trump’s legal team filed a motion with a D.C. court asking a judge to allow the former president’s trial to be televised.
JUST IN: Donald Trump has requested that his upcoming federal trial regarding the 2020 election be televised for the American people to see.
Good 🔥🔥🔥
Many liberals want the trial to be hidden from the American people, saying the former president just wants to use the trial… pic.twitter.com/ZLNi3rP8nf
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 11, 2023
“For the first time in American history, an incumbent administration has charged its main,
leading electoral opponent with a criminal offense,” the former president’s lawyers wrote. Aware that its charges are meritless, the prosecution has sought to proceed in secret, forcing the nation and the world to rely on biased, secondhand accounts coming from the Biden Administration and its media allies. As a result, the citizens of our great country are unable to review for themselves what the facts of this case show and how unfairly President Trump is being treated at the hands of his political opponent.”
Trump’s team argued that the prosecution has “repeatedly denied” the former president his fundamental constitutional rights, including rights to a fair trial in a politically diverse venue, due process and a judge without the appearance of bias or prejudgment. The defense team also argued that the prosecution has denied the former president the right to adequately prepare for his trial and denies the former president the right to speak freely and publicly about the case.
“The prosecution wishes to continue this travesty in darkness,” Trump’s lawyers added. “President Trump calls for sunlight. Every person in America, and beyond, should have the opportunity to study this case firsthand and watch as, if there is a trial, President Trump exonerates himself of these baseless and politically motivated charges. The court should grant the Motions without delay.”
Special counsel Jack Smith on Monday responded to the court filing, arguing that Trump was trying to turn the trial into a media event. Smith told the court that the former president wants to create “a carnival atmosphere” that he hopes to profit by distracting from the charges against him.
Jack Smith just unleashed a temper tantrum in another motion opposing cameras in the courtroom for Trump's DC trial.
And every American–especially the relatives of the victims–should be outraged that this DOJ continues to compare Trump to murderous terrorists. pic.twitter.com/z8M3AZI2PH
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) November 13, 2023
It’s not clear if the judge will grant Trump’s request due to the fact that federal rules of criminal procedure, and the Supreme Court, prohibit cameras in federal courtrooms. However, the judge presiding over Trump’s Georgia trial has ruled in favor of televising the Georgia case.
