Trump's 'P---y' Comments Fair Game in Trump University Trial, Judge Says

U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel denied President-elect Donald Trump’s bid to exclude both media coverage around Trump University and controversies that surfaced during his bid for the White House.

The preliminary ruling came down on Thursday citing a “lack of specificity” in the defense team’s request to exclude such evidence. The trial is set to begin on Nov. 28.

Trump’s attorney also requested a trial delay citing the president-elect’s “monumental” obligations, according to New York Daily News reporter Nancy Dillon, who was seated in the San Diego courtroom.

At #TrumpUniversity hearing in SD. @realDonaldTrump's atty Petrocelli asking 4 trial delay. "His obligations right now are just monumental."

— NancyDillonNYDN (@NancyDillonNYDN) November 10, 2016

“The court is prepared to deny defendants’ request to exclude all other media coverage of TU [Trump University] for lack of specificity,” read Curiel’s tentative ruling.

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The ruling went on: “Defendants have not identified specific evidence that they wish to exclude. Accordingly, the Court declines to issue a blanket ruling at this time.” The judge issued the ruling without prejudice, meaning the defense can submit another request, presumably with more detail.

Trump was heavily criticized, including by some leading Republican figures, for previously suggesting that Judge Curiel could be biased against him because the San Diego jurist had Mexican immigrant parents.

Curiel was born in Indiana and is an American citizen.

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Trump is being sued by former students who claim that the education provided at his self-titled university was worthless.

The president-elect has defended himself against claims made in the suit, saying in part: “Throughout the litigation my attorneys have continually demonstrated that students who participated in Trump University were provided a substantive, valuable education based upon a curriculum developed by professors from Northwestern University, Columbia Business School, Stanford University and other respected institutions … Over a five year period, more than 10,000 paying students filled out surveys giving the courses high marks and expressing their overwhelming satisfaction with Trump University’s programs.”

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

Anti-Trump Protest Erupts on a Los Angeles Street Corner (Photos)

As protesters cheered and car horns honked incessantly in protest of President-elect Donald Trump, actress Laura Innes, known for "E.R.," joined roughly 45 other people on a Los Angeles street corner on Wednesday night. "I've known Hillary Clinton forever because I worked on her senate campaign," she told TheWrap. "Most of the people I know were literally crying all day. It does feel good to be out here."
Meriah Doty/TheWrap
"Trump is truly a villain," Zach Shivers (far right) said, also noting that the silver lining to his upset win against Hillary Clinton is that "it will reignite the progressive movement."

The protest happened on the corner of National Blvd. and Venice Blvd., organized by MoveOn.org. It served as a proxy to a larger protest in downtown L.A. -- the biggest city in the largely blue state of California.

Meriah Doty/TheWrap
"My feelings didn't come out until this afternoon when I realized what we were up against in our LGBTQ community," said Casey (left, who did not reveal his last name). He noted Trump's campaign promise to dismantle President Obama's signed Executive Order 13672. "That added employment protection for LGBTQ people."
Meriah Doty/TheWrap
"We should not forget for one second that more than 59 million people voted for Clinton and that is by no means a mandate for Trump," said one protester (center). "We're going to hold him accountable every single f---ing day."
Meriah Doty/TheWrap
Married couple Matt Simon and Danielle Williams both noted their key concern with Trump as president is racism. "Trump is an authoritarian racist. It feels like a different election to me," Simon said. "We're very sad but then you have to start fighting and organizing," Williams said, adding, "I think about all my friends who no longer feel safe in this country and that devastates me."
Meriah Doty/TheWrap
"It feels really good to be out here," South African native Lyndsey Jones said (not pictured), who said she voted to end Apartheid in her birth country. "It's been a really devastating day."
Meriah Doty/TheWrap
"I want to show my children there are things we can do," Jodie Fratantuno (second from left) told The Wrap. "I fear for our future," said the mother, who was joined by her two children.
Meriah Doty/TheWrap
"This is the best I've felt all day," said Tom Murray, who indicated the demonstration was helping him cope with the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. "I felt like I was kicked in the stomach and felt like I needed to do something," he told TheWrap. "This is different because it's not about policy. It's about fundamental values about respect for other people, decency."

Meriah Doty/TheWrap
"That's my base reaction," said Rose Besone (far left), commenting on the idea of a California secession that grew popular on Twitter on Wednesday. "I don't understand the rest of the country, but I do understand that wouldn't be good for the country either."

If you want to join them, they're tentatively planning to gather again on Trump's inauguration day.
Meriah Doty/TheWrap

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“We’re going to hold him accountable every single f—ing day,” one demonstrator says of president-elect

As protesters cheered and car horns honked incessantly in protest of President-elect Donald Trump, actress Laura Innes, known for "E.R.," joined roughly 45 other people on a Los Angeles street corner on Wednesday night. "I've known Hillary Clinton forever because I worked on her senate campaign," she told TheWrap. "Most of the people I know were literally crying all day. It does feel good to be out here."

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