The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money trial warned the former president’s lawyer on Tuesday that he would not tolerate his client “cursing audibly” during Stormy Daniels’ testimony, saying it could be intimidating to the witness.
The exchange between Judge Juan Merchan and Trump attorney Todd Blanche occurred during a sidebar, according to the official court transcript that was released Tuesday evening.
It added to an already surreal day in court that saw Daniels, an adult film actor, detailing what she said was a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.
In Merchan’s remarks to Blanche, the judge told him: “I understand that your client is upset at this point, but he is cursing audibly, and he is shaking his head visually and that’s contemptuous,” according to the transcript.
“It has the potential to intimidate the witness and the jury can see that,” Merchan added.
Blanche responded that he will talk to Trump, the transcript showed.
The judge, referencing their discussion out the bench which was out of earshot from the rest of the courtroom, also told Blanche, “I am speaking to you here at the bench because I don’t want to embarrass him.”
Merchan continued, “You need to speak to him. I won’t tolerate that.”
