Trump to appear via video to hear warning about sharing evidence in Manhattan DA case

Former President Trump is scheduled to appear virtually in New York criminal court Tuesday afternoon to hear new rules that will bar him from using evidence to attack witnesses.

Judge Juan Manuel Merchan agreed to take the extra step of personally instructing the former president on the terms, which were outlined in a protective order May 8.

Prosecutors requested the order shortly after Trump’s arraignment, citing what they described as a history of making “harassing, embarrassing, and threatening statements” toward individuals involved in legal disputes. 

Trump’s scheduled appearance will be his first since April 4, when he pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to payments his company made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels via his former lawyer Michael Cohen. 

While Trump’s lawyers and the prosecutors are required to attend the hearing in person Tuesday, Trump will be connected by video conference, avoiding the security precautions taken last month. 

Merchan made clear that Trump is allowed to speak publicly about the case, insisting the protective order should not be construed as a gag order and that he has the right to defend himself publicly. 

Trump is, however, prohibited from using evidence turned over in the pretrial discovery process to target witnesses. The former president and his lawyers are also not allowed to disseminate evidence to third parties or social media — and certain evidence is accessible only to his lawyers.

The hearing is scheduled to take place at 2:15 p.m.