Former President Donald Trump is seeking to have his 2020 election interference trial in Washington televised, according to his lawyers. The trial is scheduled for March 4, but federal court rules currently forbid the broadcasting of criminal and civil proceedings. However, a coalition of news companies, including the Associated Press, ABC News, and the Washington Post, have requested to record Trump’s criminal trial.
In a legal filing submitted on Friday, Trump’s legal team expressed support for the news outlets’ request for live coverage of the trial. They argued that allowing real-time audiovisual coverage is crucial in dispelling false conspiracy theories and ensuring that the public can witness the trial firsthand.
Trump’s attorneys repeated his claims that the 2020 election was rigged and that his prosecution is politically motivated to sabotage his potential 2024 campaign. They believe that broadcasting the trial will allow the American public to witness the truth of the case and hear all the evidence regarding the election that Trump believes was “rigged and stolen.”
The Department of Justice opposes the request for live coverage. U.S. special counsel Jack Smith, in a court filing, stated that the trial being open to the public and the media satisfies the constitutional right of access. Smith also raised concerns that in-court cameras could impact the truth-finding function of the court and influence witnesses, jurors, and attorneys.
Trump is facing four counts in the Washington, D.C. case, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of, and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. The indictment alleges that following the 2020 election, Trump spread lies about election fraud, which allegedly inspired a mob of his supporters to storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a failed bid to block congressional certification of Joe Biden’s victory.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan issued a limited gag order to prevent Trump from publicly attacking Smith and other officials involved in the case. However, an appeals court temporarily froze the order last week, pending arguments on the matter scheduled for November 20.