A US judge denies permission for the media to broadcast Trump's appearance after his indictment

MADRID, 4 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

A United States judge has rejected the request of several media outlets to be able to broadcast the appearance of former President Donald Trump before a Manhattan court after his indictment last week by a grand jury in a case for bribing the pornographic actress. Stephanie Clifford, known as Stormy Daniels.

The judge of the Supreme Court of New York Juan Merchan has denied permission, although he has indicated that five photographers may be present and take pictures of Trump and the court before the start of the hearing, as reported by the US television network CNN, one of the applicants.

"It is not possible to argue that this indictment involves a matter of monumental importance," said Merchan, who stressed that "never in the history of the United States has a president or former president been indicted." "The subpoena to Trump has generated incomparable interest among the public and the attention of the media," he acknowledged, although he qualified that media access must be weighed against "competing interests."

Hours earlier, Trump's lawyers had asked the judge to reject the media's request for cameras in the room, while the Manhattan Prosecutor's Office indicated that it had no position on the matter. For their part, the media pointed out the "seriousness of the proceedings" and "the need for the widest possible public access."

The former president, who arrived in New York on Monday, has maintained that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, in charge of his charges, will present a total of 33 charges against him on Tuesday. Likewise, he has denounced that the prosecutor "has illegally leaked the 33 points of the accusation", which he has described as "pathetic", according to a series of messages published on his social network Truth Social.

Trump was indicted on March 30 in connection with the secret payment of $130,000 (more than 120,000 euros) to Clifford by former president Michael Cohen's former lawyer. Trump has thus become the first former US president to be charged, which could end his aspirations to return to the White House in the elections scheduled for 2024.

The former president published a statement after his accusation in which he denounced "political persecution and electoral interference." "This has never been done before in the history of our nation," he reproached, while accusing "democrats of the radical left" of "a witch hunt to destroy the 'Make America Great Again' movement" and influenced that he is "a completely innocent person".