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New York Judge Juan Merchan has denied notions from Donald Trump’s legal team on a mistrial and on modifying the gag order in the case.
Trump’s attorneys made the motions at the end of Thursday’s testimony in the hush money case.
That all came after porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had an affair with Trump years ago, wrapped up her testimony, which the Trump legal team said was prejudicial.
Trump denied that there was ever a sexual encounter between him and Daniels, and asserts that any and all money paid to Daniels through his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who is himself a convicted perjurer, was legitimate legal payments.
Daniels did admit on the stand that she has profited from her claims about Trump, saying, “I have been making money by telling my story about what happened to me." Daniels also admitted on the stand that she hates the former president and wants him to go to jail.
After Daniels' testimony, Trump's lawyers pushed for a mistrial. They claim that much of what Daniels said regarding her and Trump's alleged sexual encounter was irrelevant to the case, as well as "extremely prejudicial" against Trump.
Prosecutors, on the other hand, say that those details were important because they help to establish why Trump wanted to bury the story. Judge Juan Merchan rejected the mistrial request, but he did admit that some of the details that Daniels provided were at times excessive. Merchan also said that the defense should have raised more objections during the testimony.
The court will be back in session this morning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time.