Monday’s Donald Trump court appearance demonstrated exactly why these historic sessions should be televised live. He claims the proceedings, (like the election he clearly lost) are rigged. He belligerently insulted the judge and the District Attorney sitting in the audience. And after causing a scene, went on to incriminate himself, as he often does.
At first, the twice impeached, four times indicted former President refused to answer direct questions, and when the judge admonished him to do so, threatening to remove him from the stand and strike his entire testimony, Donald Trump argued with the man in black robes who has the power to fine him $275 million dollars and stop him from doing business in New York State.
Few but Trump himself have claimed he is brilliant, and this obvious strategy to provoke the judge in his own courtroom into making a reversible error did not work.
After a break, the judge seemed to realize what was happening and let Trump ramble on, admitting he was involved in the valuations of his inflated properties, saying he had “suggestions”. A statement that undercut his lawyers’ defense, that it was the appraisers Trump hired who should be responsible for the fake loan documents the Trump Organization routinely filed with lenders, insurance companies, and the IRS.
The former, now disgraced President railed at prosecutor Letitia James, calling her a political hack while on the stand, as she sat only a few feet away in the audience. He loudly claimed the judge was unfair and had already labeled him a fraud.
The judge has already ruled Trump’s documents are fraudulent. “He called me a fraud, and he doesn’t know anything about me”, pointing at the judge sitting only a few feet away. The judge returned the disrespect with what those in the courtroom described as a grin. Refusing to let the defendant get under his skin.
So why should the public witness this historic embarrassment to our democracy in action? First, he is the leading candidate for the Republican nomination and currently leads President Joe Biden in the polls. The voting public needs to see Donald Trump away from the campaign, in a courtroom where he does not control the setting or the audience.
Those listening to his tirades are not sycophants, not members of his cult-like MAGA nation. Instead, he is under oath, in a high-stakes setting, where his reputation is legitimately questioned and he does not set the rules.
Secondly, how Steve Bannon and Sean Hannity cover this trial, through a right-wing “Trump as victim lens”, is dangerous. Those in the media bubble of Fox “News” and other pseudo-journalists from the right will never see the accounts of what really happened in that courtroom and the overwhelming evidence against him.
Live television should be the unvarnished mirror that exposes Donald Trump’s courtroom conduct. Will it make a difference to the 30% of the voting public who believe he does no wrong? Doubt it, but it will make a difference to the students of democracy and journalism to come. And it will make a difference to the independent voter that decide the election and are now leaning to Donald Trump.
As Bill O’Reilly famously screamed in an internet favorite, “Let’s do it live”.
Jim Avila previously served as a weekly columnist for Barrett News Media. An Award-winning journalist with four decades of reporting and anchoring experience, Jim worked as Senior National Correspondent, 20/20 Correspondent, and White House Correspondent for ABC News. Prior to his time with ABC, he spent a decade with NBC News, and worked locally in Los Angeles and Chicago for KNBC, and WBBM. He can be found on Twitter @JimAvilaABC.
