He was once a prosecutor and a registered Democrat – now Todd Blanche is defending former President Donald Trump in court. Financially it is lucrative. But his reputation and integrity are also at stake.
The more Todd Blanche dares to argue back, the more the judge loses patience with him. “I keep asking you for a specific example and I don’t get an answer,” says Judge Juan Merchan. He points out to the lawyer that time is short. “The public prosecutor can talk for as long as they want,” complains Blanche – after which the situation escalates.
Todd Blanche is Donald Trump’s chief attorney and is representing him in the first criminal trial in American history against a former US president. The exchange between judge and defense attorney is about the question of whether Trump violated a court requirement not to intimidate witnesses.