Georgia Judge Allows Streaming of Trump Hearings, Trial

A Georgia judge confirmed Thursday that all of the hearings and trial for former President Donald Trump in Fulton County will be livestreamed on the court's YouTube channel.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued the ruling, making it the first time in U.S. history that cameras will be allowed inside a courtroom for the trial of a former president. The decision also conforms to Georgia state court policy.

"In line with the spirit of transparency here ... we have been livestreaming all of our major proceedings on a Fulton County-provided YouTube channel," McAfee said. "And our plan was to do that with this case as well. So there's going to be a YouTube feed the entire time."

Cameras were also allowed inside the courtroom when the indictments against Trump and 18 co-defendants were handed down.

The court will operate the YouTube coverage, though computers and other electronic devices will also be allowed, all falling under Rule 22. McAfee has allowed pool cameras for local TV and media outlets as well.

Trump on Thursday pleaded not guilty to all counts and waived his arraignment, originally scheduled for next week, which also would have been televised.

Trump, of course, has long been familiar with TV cameras albeit in a far different context.

Famed for his wealth and business acumen, he occasionally snagged cameos in major motion pictures and TV series, usually playing a version of himself.

He dramatically raised his profile with a long stint as star of The Apprentice," a top-rated reality TV series in which contestants ran through a multitude of business-oriented challenges for a shot at a full-time job with the real estate tycoon. The show debuted in 2004 and he remained with it until 2015.

More recently, he has used cameras on social media to deliver messages on news, politics and policy directly to supporters via his social media platform, Truth Social.