Trump’s Lawyer Tries to Use COVID to Get Out of Court

By: Lauren Fokas | Published: Nov 03, 2023

Earlier this week, the trial of former President Donald Trump continued in New York, and something pretty surprising happened.

On Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers attempted to postpone the trial due to a COVID-19 outbreak, even though neither the lawyers nor Trump himself were wearing a mask.

A Packed Room on Trump’s First Day in Court

On Tuesday morning, the courtroom at the Louis J. Lefkowitz State Office Building was set up and ready to try Donald Trump for his alleged crimes.

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Court security at Louis J. Lefkowitz State Office Building, where Donald Trump is on trial

Source: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

With a room full of media correspondents, security guards, onlookers, lawyers, and courtroom staff, it was absolutely packed with anticipation of what would happen to the former president.

Trump’s Lawyers Made a Surprising Announcement

And with all eyes on them, Trump’s lawyers made quite an interesting and surprising announcement: They wanted the trial postponed due to an outbreak of COVID-19 at the attorney general’s office.

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Attorney Christopher Kise and Donald Trump at Trump’s trial for fraud

Source: Mary Altafeer-Pool/Getty Images

It’s important to note that the reason why so many are considering their request surprising is because Trump is famously haphazard about COVID restrictions and almost never wears a mask in public.

Trump Wasn’t Even Wearing a Mask in Court

Watching Trump’s lawyers argue that they and their defendant felt unsafe in the courtroom due to the possibility of contracting COVID was especially unbelievable as they weren’t even wearing masks while they did so.

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Allen Weisselberg wears a mask while sitting in the courtroom at Trump’s trial

Source: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

While several people in the courtroom had decided to wear masks for personal reasons, Trump’s face was suspiciously bare.

The Judge Denied Trump’s Request for Postponement

Almost immediately, the judge presiding over the case, Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, denied the request for postponement.

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New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron sits in his courtroom while former president Donald Trump stands trial for fraud

He told Trump and his lawyers in no uncertain terms that if they were nervous about staying healthy, they could easily take one of the N95 masks available in the courtroom.

Trump Still Didn’t Mask Up

Then the story gets even more silly because even after the judge offered Trump and his team masks due to their proclaimed worry about their safety, no one opted in.

Man in a suit holds a white surgical mask in front of him

For the rest of the day, Trump and his team remained unmasked, essentially proving to the court and the world that their request was solely based on the need for a postponement and not for fear of COVID at all.

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Some Are Saying Trump’s Lawyers Exaggerated the Situation Unnecessarily

Trump’s team, Christopher Kise and Alina Habba, didn’t just leave the situation behind after the judge ruled against the request to postpone. In fact, the two lawyers continually used the attorney general’s COVID outbreak as ammo throughout the day.

Donald Trump speaking to the press before heading into the courtroom to stand trial

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

At one point, Habba asked for a second microphone so she wouldn’t have to use the same one as the attorney general’s office. And Kise told Attorney General (AG) Louis Solomon, “Everything in this courtroom concerns me, including your health.”

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Was There Any Truth to Their Claim?

Although most people believe that Trump and his lawyers were not really afraid of getting the virus, it’s important to note that there was certainly truth in their claim that there had been an outbreak at the AG’s offices.

New York Attorney General Letitia James watches from the gallery at Donald Trump’s trial

Source: Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images

However, while some members of the office had contracted COVID, a spokesperson told the press, “As always, the Attorney General’s Office has followed and complied with CDC guidelines. Our office properly notified the court and defendants’ counsel, and the court decided to proceed with trial today.”

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Trump’s Decisions in Trial Are Wildly Important

With the entire world watching, how Donald Trump behaves during this trial is incredibly important if the former President wants to win the next election as he says he does.

Former president Donald Trump during a round of golf wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat

Source: Robert Perry/Getty Images

As of now, there is a giant divide between people who want to see Trump behind bars and those who argue that he shouldn’t be on trial in the first place.

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Trump Has an Incredible Amount of Enemies

Maybe more than any president in history, a large portion of the American public believes that Donald Trump is evil and has no business even running for president, let alone sitting in the oval office.

Protester holds sign outside New York court house as Donald Trump’s trial begins

Many of those people showed up outside the courthouse with signs that read “Trump Is Guilty” and “Trump Digs His Own Grave.”

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Others Would Give Anything to See Trump President Once Again

On the other hand, millions of people feel as though Trump is the best possible candidate for the job and blame the Democrat party for this “joke” of a trial.

Supporters of former President Donald Trump wave signs in Pickens, South Carolina

Source: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Trump supporters also gathered outside the courthouse, but their signs said “Witch Hunt” and “Trump 2024.”

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Trump’s Trial Will Continue to Make Headlines

No matter what happens next during Donald Trump’s trial, there is no doubt that the media will be covering every possible detail.

Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower after the first day of his trial with his hand held high

Source: James Devaney/Getty Images

As one of the biggest and arguably most important cases of the century, the world will be watching to see what Trump does next in the courtroom and outside of it.

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