Before Donald Trump‘s former lawyer Michael Cohen returned to the stand at the start of the day, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked the judge to stop Trump’s courtroom “guests” from coming in midtestimony.
On Tuesday, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds were among those who came to support Trump in the gallery.
In a sidebar held out of earshot of reporters, Hoffinger told Judge Juan Merchan that on that day, “some of the defense guests filed in the middle of direct examination with their security detail,” and asked that those who came Thursday not be allowed to do so during cross-examination, according to a transcript of the discussion.
“It’s – with their security detail for the jury and the witnesses to see,” Hoffinger said.
Merchan agreed that it was inadvisable, but Blanche, Trump’s defense lawyer, said it was out of his control.
“I have less than zero control over what is happening on anything or anyone that’s behind me when I am crossing a witness,” he said.