Donald Trump’s attorney called for the upcoming January 6 trial against the former president to be televised, arguing Americans deserve to see the proceedings.
Attorney John Lauro made the argument during an appearance on ‘Fox News Sunday’ with host Shannon Bream. Lauro argued that prosecutors and President Biden’s administration as a whole are seeking to withhold information from the public by sticking to the tradition of not having cameras in federal courtrooms.
‘Would you be OK – would the president support – a televised trial?’ Bream asked. ‘It would have to go through all sorts of hoops and rule changes and those kinds of things, but let the American people see every minute of it and decide for themselves.’
‘I personally would love to see that,’ Lauro responded. ‘I’m convinced the Biden administration does not want the American people to see the truth. They acted on it by filing this protective order, which is an effort to keep important information about this case from the press.’
‘I’m shocked, actually, that all the networks haven’t lined up and filed pleadings already objecting to this very broad attempt by the Biden administration to keep information away from the American people,’ he added.
Cameras are traditionally banned from federal courtrooms. While some argue cameras would allow for further transparency in court proceedings, proponents of the restriction say a televised trial could impact witness testimony as well as decision-making by jurors.
Trump’s indictment in the January 6 case is the third he currently faces. Special Counsel Jack Smith handed it down last week. Smith’s team requested a protective order that would prevent Trump and his legal team from discussing certain aspects of the trial in public.
Judge Tanya Chutkan said Trump’s team must respond to the request by Monday, at which point she will decide whether to enforce an order.