Media photographers are now prohibited from taking photos of former President Donald Trump during his New York trial over alleged “hush-money” payments, following a violation of court orders, a court officer stated on Thursday. Trump was often seen frustrated in court photos.
The officer indicated that Judge Juan Merchan made the decision after a photographer in the photo pool violated a court order by taking a photo of Trump from the aisle while he was entering the courtroom, rather than from the well, as previously directed. This breach resulted in a complete ban on photography for the remainder of the trial, expected to last at least two more weeks.
Due to this incident, no further photos of Trump sitting at the defense table will be allowed, limiting photography to images of him entering and exiting the courthouse. Details regarding the specific violation were not disclosed. Neither President Trump nor his legal team has publicly commented on the judge’s ruling.
Meanwhile, the trial continues to focus on the allegations against Trump related to a 2016 campaign scheme involving his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to falsify business records to cover up payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and another woman, meant to prevent them from publicly discussing alleged affairs. Trump has consistently denied the claims and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, returned to the witness stand for a second time. She previously testified about an alleged 2006 encounter with Trump, which is at the heart of the case. Trump’s attorneys sought a mistrial, claiming that Daniels’ testimony was unnecessarily detailed and prejudiced the jury, but Judge Merchan denied the motion, stating that defense attorneys should have objected earlier if they had concerns.
