The judge presiding over former President Trump’s hush money trial has made a controversial decision to exclude the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape from being shown to jurors. Judge Juan Merchan reiterated his stance that the tape, which captured Trump making lewd comments about women, should not be presented as evidence in the trial.
The 2005 tape, which surfaced during the 2016 election, showed Trump bragging to host Billy Bush about using his star power to kiss and grope women. Despite prosecutor Joshua Steinglass arguing that the tape is crucial evidence of Trump’s behavior, Judge Merchan stood firm in his decision.
Trump’s attorney argued that the video is prejudicial and too salacious for the jury to see. However, prosecutors will still be able to introduce Trump’s exact words from the tape and an email related to the incident.
The trial, which centers around hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, kicked off in Manhattan with jury selection. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, stemming from payments made by his former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, to Daniels to silence her alleged affair with Trump.
If convicted, Trump could face more than 10 years in prison, although legal experts speculate he may receive probation. The trial is expected to last at least six weeks, with jury selection anticipated to take a week.
Upon arriving at the courthouse, Trump denounced the trial as “political persecution,” claiming it was an attack on a political opponent. The high-profile trial is set to continue with intense scrutiny as it unfolds in the coming weeks.
