The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal trial has ruled against the inclusion of testimony regarding Melania Trump’s pregnancy at the time when former Playboy model Karen McDougal claims she had an affair with Trump.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass sought to introduce evidence related to McDougal as Trump’s trial began in a Manhattan courtroom, arguing that her story going public could have threatened his 2016 presidential campaign. Steinglass aimed to present evidence showing that Trump was concerned about the potential impact of McDougal’s account during the campaign.
McDougal has claimed she had a nearly year-long relationship with Trump starting in 2006, while Melania Trump was pregnant with their son Barron. Steinglass intended to present this information to the jury to explain American Media Inc.’s involvement in the “catch and kill” deals that kept McDougal’s and Stormy Daniels’ stories from public knowledge.
While Steinglass emphasized the relevance of the alleged affair and its potential impact on Trump’s campaign, Trump’s lead attorney Todd Blanche argued against including “salacious” evidence, claiming it served only to embarrass Trump.
Justice Juan Merchan allowed prosecutors to discuss Trump’s alleged affair with McDougal during the trial, but he prohibited mentioning Melania Trump’s pregnancy at the time. Merchan’s decision aims to strike a balance between presenting relevant information to the jury and protecting Trump’s reputation from undue embarrassment.
