Trump’s hush money trial descended into chaos as Judge Juan Merchan rebuked a Trump’s defense witness for misconduct, prompting the unprecedented expulsion of the press from the courtroom. Tensions escalated as reporters were abruptly ousted, only to be readmitted minutes later without explanation.
The defense’s decision to call Robert Costello, former legal counsel to Trump’s ex-fixer Michael Cohen, as their second witness ignited the courtroom drama. Costello’s testimony focused on Cohen’s state of mind amid federal scrutiny in 2018.
Before addressing the jury, Merchan cleared the courtroom to admonish Costello for his disrespectful demeanor, emphasizing the need for “proper decorum.” Costello’s audible expressions of dissent to the judge’s rulings, including eye-rolling and audible sighs, triggered Merchan’s ire, culminating in the expulsion of all present.
“When there is an eyewitness on the stand, if you don’t like a ruling, you don’t say ‘Geez,’” Merchan told Costello.
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“You don’t give me a side eye. You don’t roll your eyes. You understand that?” he added.
Despite allowing Trump’s allies to remain, Merchan’s disciplinary action underscored the trial’s volatility. Costello’s conduct, labeled “shocking” by legal analysts, risked undermining the defense’s strategy and casting doubt on their case’s integrity.
CNN’s chief legal correspondent Paula Reid condemned Costello’s behavior, questioning its impact on the trial’s outcome.
“The fact that Costello would conduct himself in a trial like this, potentially jeopardizing a case like this, I am actually surprised, but it validates the concerns that have been expressed by members of Trump’s defense teams” about why they didn’t want to call Costello to the stand, she explained.
“This is unbelievable that he would engage in this kind of conduct” to have the entire courtroom be cleared, Reid added.
Reid: So the fact that Costello would conduct himself in a trial like this potentially jeopardize a case like this… it validates the concerns that have been expressed by members of Trump's defense team pic.twitter.com/GTBxEXMmY2
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 20, 2024
In a trial already fraught with tension, Costello’s antics added an unexpected layer of controversy, leaving the trial’s trajectory uncertain.
