Video of Trump's under-oath statements about Mexicans and Latinos could be released as early as today


Update Oct. 1: The deposition videos were released and are available for viewing at Politico. Our original post appears below.
Footage of Donald Trump testifying under oath about his comments concerning Mexicans and Latinos could be released to the public as early as Friday, potentially providing valuable fodder for Democratic ad-makers in the short weeks before election day. While Trump's lawyers had argued that the tapes of Trump's deposition, as well as those of his son Donald Jr. and daughter Ivanka, be kept sealed, D.C. Superior Court Judge Brian Holeman denied their request, Politico reports.
"This Court finds that Plaintiff has not demonstrated that any subject video deposition contains scandalous, libelous, or other unduly prejudicial material warranting denial of media access. The public shall not be held captive by the suggested eventuality of partisan editing in a manner unfavorable to Plaintiff or the deponents," Holeman wrote.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump's testimony comes from lawsuits he filed last year in relation to two chefs pulling out of restaurant deals for his D.C. hotel after Trump called Mexicans "rapists" and made other remarks about Latinos. In transcripts from the deposition, which have already been released, Trump claimed that his comments could have helped business: "If he had the restaurant, it would have helped," Trump said of one of the restaurateurs, Geoffrey Zakarian. "I've tapped into something. And I've tapped into illegal immigration."
In a separate case concerning a lawsuit over Trump University, U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel ruled against the media's request for video of Trump's depositions, saying there was not substantial public interest in their release.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Thunderbolts*: Florence Pugh stars in 'super-silly' yet 'terrific' film
The Week Recommends This is a Marvel movie with a difference, featuring an 'ill-matched squad of antiheroes'
-
Five best ways to save money at the petrol pump
The Explainer You don't have to wait for petrol prices to fall to reduce your fuel costs
-
Exurbs: America's biggest housing trend you haven't heard of
Under the Radar Northeastern exurbs were the nation's biggest housing markets in 2024
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Trump is not sure he must follow the Constitution
speed read When asked about due process for migrants in a TV interview, President Trump said he didn't know whether he had to uphold the Fifth Amendment
-
Trump judge bars deportations under 1798 law
speed read A Trump appointee has ruled that the president's use of a wartime act for deportations is illegal
-
Trump ousts Waltz as NSA, taps him for UN role
speed read President Donald Trump removed Mike Waltz as national security adviser and nominated him as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
-
Trump blames Biden for tariffs-linked contraction
speed read The US economy shrank 0.3% in the first three months of 2025, the Commerce Department reported
-
Trump says he could bring back Ábrego García but won't
Speed Read At a rally to mark his 100th day in office, the president doubled down on his unpopular immigration and economic policies