April 3, 2023 Trump indictment news | CNN Politics

Trump Team Rejects Media Request to Broadcast Arraignment, Citing Security Concerns

In a move that has sent shockwaves through the media industry, lawyers for former US President Donald Trump have rejected a request from news outlets to broadcast his arraignment in court on Tuesday. The decision was made despite assurances from prosecutors that there would be no bar to cameras being present during the proceedings.

According to sources close to the matter, the Trump team argued that allowing live video or photography of the arraignment would create a "circus-like atmosphere" and raise unique security concerns. The letter, sent to New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchant, claimed that any such broadcast would only heighten these serious concerns, which include Secret Service-related issues.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office also weighed in on the matter, stating that it was deferring to the judge to decide how best to manage the courtroom. However, they noted that excluding or restricting videography, photography, and radio coverage could be a defensible exercise of the court's discretion, aimed at avoiding potential prejudice to the defendant, maintaining an orderly proceeding, or ensuring public safety.

It is worth noting that this is not the first time the Trump team has expressed concerns about media coverage. In 2021, they successfully requested that still photographs be allowed to be taken prior to a tax fraud arraignment.

The request from CNN and other news outlets to broadcast live footage of the arraignment was met with resistance from the Trump team, who claimed that it would compromise their client's presumption of innocence. The decision has sparked debate among media professionals, who argue that open coverage is essential for holding public figures accountable.

With the arraignment set to take place on Tuesday, tensions are likely to rise as the Trump team and prosecutors engage in a high-stakes battle over access to the courtroom.

u guys won't believe what just went down! So trump's team is rejecting a live broadcast of his arraignment in court and it's like... totally not fair ! They're saying it'll create a "circus-like atmosphere" but honestly, isn't that kinda the whole point of having a high-profile figure like trump face justice?

and can we talk about security concerns for a sec? like, what's gonna happen when a bunch of reporters and cameras show up to the arraignment? is it really gonna be that chaotic ? i feel like this whole thing is just an excuse for trump's team to try and keep their client's antics under wraps.

anywayz, this is just another example of how the media landscape has changed. we used to have more control over what was broadcast, but now it's all about those fancy tech vibes . i guess what i'm saying is... let the cameras roll, folks! it's time for trump to face justice

I'm literally shaking my head at this one . Can you believe they're trying to control what's said about them? Like, isn't that kinda backwards? The whole point of having a public figure like Trump is for us to be able to watch and see what he's doing, right? But nope, they're gonna play it all cool and pretend like it's some big secret . And what really gets me is the security thing - are we just gonna assume that if everyone can't take pictures or record a live stream of the arraignment, then there must be something fishy going on? It just doesn't add up .

Wow , can't believe they're blocking live broadcast of the arraignment! It's like, isn't that what we pay our news outlets for? Interesting , security concerns are legit, but shouldn't that be up to the DA's office or something? I mean, I get it, Trump team wants to protect their client, but come on...

I'm literally shocked by this ... what's next? Keeping the entire trial from being livestreamed? News outlets should be able to report on public figures' arraignments, it's not like they're trying to get exclusive footage of a cat playing the piano . Can we just have some transparency here? If there's security concern, how about having cameras in the courtroom that are controlled by judges themselves? That way, everyone's safe and still gets the news .

I dunno about this whole thing ... I feel like the media's all bent outta shape 'cause they can't get their cameras in there . Like, isn't it cool that Trump's team is tryin' to protect his right to a fair trial? You know, not have all these extra people makin' a scene and potentially disruptin' the proceedings . I'm not buyin' into the "circus-like atmosphere" thing either... sounds like just an excuse for them to keep the cameras out . And what's up with all this fuss about security concerns? It's not like Trump's gonna make a break for it in court . I'm kinda with Trump on this one , but at the same time... I get why the media wants to be there . Guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out

So now we're living in a world where the former president's ego can't handle some basic live TV? Like, what's next? Asking the Secret Service to censor tweets from the Oval Office? The whole thing just reeks of 'I don't want to get caught' vibes. If they're really worried about security concerns, maybe they should've kept their mouths shut and avoided all those embarrassing Twitter rants in the first place .

Ugh, can't say I'm surprised . Like, what's next? They're gonna ask for separate exit signs in the courthouse too... "Security concerns" = code for "I don't want my life splashed across Twitter" . It's like, we get it, Trump is a celebrity now... but newsflash: he's still human (kind of). Can't his lawyers just chill out and let us see how this whole "defending someone who broke the law" thing goes down?

can't believe they're trying to keep trump's arraignment under wraps news outlets need to be able to report on public figures' court appearances - it's a matter of transparency and accountability also, isn't this just another example of trump's team using security concerns as an excuse for their own paranoia about media scrutiny? the fact that they were allowed still photos at his 2021 tax fraud arraignment makes this decision even more suspicious

omg, can you believe this?! it's like they're trying to control every single detail of trump's trial... i mean, we already know he's not exactly known for being truthful about anything, so how can we even trust that there won't be some kind of fix or edit happening behind the scenes? meanwhile, the media is just sitting idly by, waiting for some kind of scoop to happen - like this huge moment when trump gets arraigned! it's all just too suspicious if you ask me... and what's with these "security concerns"?! isn't that just a fancy way of saying they're trying to cover up something?

lol what's up with this? like Trump gets arraigned and suddenly he's all "oh no cameras, it'll be a circus" I mean, come on dude you've been in a whole lot of controversies before and somehow you're still standing... or should I say, getting arraigned . Anyway, I guess this is what they mean by a "presumption of innocence"... for the Secret Service to protect him from all the crazy Trump fans . Seriously though, it's kinda weird that he can't even get his arraignment broadcasted live without freaking out about security concerns... maybe just stick to tweeting or something?

man this is getting crazy Trump's team is literally trying to control every little thing about his trial now... like what if he gets found guilty? will they be able to show it on live tv or not?? and now the media is all up in arms over this... can't we just get some real news for once instead of just Trump drama? security concerns? are you kidding me? it's like he's trying to stage a circus . this whole thing is going to be a mess

I'm surprised they're playing it so cautious . I mean, we've seen live streams of courts before, and nothing's ever exploded into chaos... or at least not that I can recall . But seriously, it is a bit weird that they're citing "circus-like atmosphere" as a reason to keep the arraignment behind closed doors . Security concerns are one thing, but this sounds like more of a PR move to me . If anything, having cameras in the courtroom can actually help to humanize the process and make it more transparent . But hey, what do I know? It's not my arraignment I'm showing up for .

man i feel bad for cnn and other news outlets they're trying to do their job but the trump team's all about control this security concern thingy is just a excuse, you know? what's next? them gonna ban us from taking pics at the courthouse too?! it's like they're trying to silence the people who are watching and holding them accountable... news outlets gotta keep reporting and we need that transparency

I mean, can't they just chill? It's like, yeah, security concerns are legit, but is it really necessary to restrict all forms of media coverage from going down? I think this whole "circus-like atmosphere" thing is being blown way outta proportion... The fact that Trump's team has already managed to get some still pics taken before another arraignment in 2021 shows they're not afraid of a little scrutiny. Maybe the real circus act here is the media outlets' over-the-top reactions to this one decision

man this is so lame... can't trust anyone with their life story anymore lol think it's just a bunch of theatrics trying to keep the drama alive... like, come on trump's gonna do whatever he wants regardless security concerns? pls... it's all about control and keeping the narrative tight don't even get me started on the media's role in this whole thing - they're just as guilty of sensationalizing the story

Umm, I guess it's not surprising the Trump team would try to limit the media presence... I mean, who wouldn't want to avoid scrutiny, right? It's like they're trying to create a whole new level of drama around this thing. And let's be real, if there's even a hint of "circus-like atmosphere", that's just gonna get amplified on live TV. News outlets are all about getting the best story, so I'm sure they'll find a way to make it work... maybe with some dramatic re-enactments or something? The question is, what's really going on here? Are they just trying to spin this for their own benefit?

I'm thinking this whole thing about not broadcasting Trump's arraignment is super weird . I mean, if he's guilty of something, which is what everyone's speculating about, shouldn't we get to see it go down? Doesn't transparency in the justice system count for anything anymore? It's like they're trying to shield him from scrutiny – that's exactly what the people want their politicians (and former presidents) held accountable for. The fact that prosecutors are deferring to the judge on this is also pretty suspicious, don't you think? Is there some other agenda at play here? I'm not buying it . This whole thing smells like a power struggle to me – between Trump's team and the media. And in the end, we're all the ones who are going to lose out because of it.

I'm so confused about this whole thing ... Can't they just let us see what's going on? It seems like they're worried that people will freak out or something, but like, isn't that kinda the point of having a court TV show? I mean, Trump's been all over the news for years, he can handle a little scrutiny. And what about freedom of the press? Does that even apply to journalists now?

Can you believe this? They're trying to control what we see, like we're not adults anymore . Back in my day, we didn't need all these security measures just because some big shot's in court. It's a bunch of hooey! The Trump team's just trying to hide something, mark my words... and now the media's all up in arms about it . I mean, what's next? They're gonna tell us what to think while we're watching the arraignment too?! No way, that's just not how it works . The people deserve to know what's going on, not some fancy-pants lawyer trying to spin a narrative for their client . We should be allowed to see it all go down live, like we're part of the process .