In response, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said his client was defending himself against “salacious, repeated, vehement attacks” and had not violated the gag order.

Merchan did not immediately rule on the request.

Lawyers for the two sides spent much of the first hour of Monday’s proceedings arguing about evidence.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Merchan said he would allow prosecutors to introduce evidence of Trump’s alleged 2015 agreement with The National Enquirer concerning the magazine’s efforts to hurt his competitors and allegations of McDougal’s monthslong affair with him, which Trump’s attorney Blanche argued would create “a side trial we can’t do anything about.”

The judge said he would not permit the jury to hear that Trump’s wife Melania was pregnant at the time of his alleged tryst with Stormy Daniels, finding it would be overly prejudicial.

The judge similarly wouldn’t budge on his previous denial of prosecutors’ request to show the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape that recorded Trump boasting about grabbing women by the genitals because he’s a “star.” But Merchan said jurors could read Trump’s comments on it.

He also rejected prosecutors’ request to show footage of Trump’s contentious deposition in litigation with E. Jean Carroll, the writer who claimed she was raped by Trump, when he said it was “historically” true that famous men could grope women by their genitals, “unfortunately or fortunately.”

Merchan denied Trump’s second recusal motion after summarizing its main arguments, including unfounded claims about Merchan’s daughter, a political consultant for Democrats. Trump’s lawyers claimed the daughter’s job at a digital agency that works on campaigns for Democrats would impact his impartiality.

“The court will not address this matter further,” Merchan said, noting that it’s now in the hands of the appellate courts.

Of Trump’s claims about his daughter, Merchan said, “to say that these claims are attenuated is an understatement.”

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