Trump storms out of NY fraud trial after $10k gag order fine: Live

On a dramatic day in court in Lower Manhattan, Donald Trump appeared on the witness stand for the first time in his multitude of civil and criminal trials.

The former president was called to testify after remarks he made outside the courtroom in a break from his civil fraud trial in New York were reported by the Associated Press and broke the gag order imposed by Justice Arthur Engoron.

Those involved in the trial were forbidden from speaking or posting about members of the court staff after a post by Mr Trump in the first week of the trial. Having already violated that order once, the defendant was called to testify by the judge after he said: “This judge is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps more partisan than he is.”

The former president claimed he had been speaking about witness Michael Cohen, his former lawyer. Judge Engoron found this testimony “not credible” and fined him $10,000.

Later, when a move for a directed verdict by his legal team was denied by the judge, a clearly frustrated Mr Trump stood and left the courtroom mumbling: “Unbelievable. Unbelievable.”

Key Points

• Trump called to witness stand and fined $10k for violating gag order in fraud trial

• Trump attorneys target Michael Cohen in heated trial fraud testimony

• Meadows told Trump that 2020 election fraud claims were bogus, report says

• Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis pleads guilty in Georgia election subversion case

• Trump congratulates speaker nominee Mike Johnson after slamming Emmer

Court sketch artists capture a first: Donald Trump under oath in witness box

13:45 , Oliver O'Connell

House finally has a speaker as Trump ally Mike Johnson wins after weeks of chaos

13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

House Republicans overwhelmingly elected Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) to be the next speaker of the House after 22 days where the House of Representatives had no leader amid turmoil across the globe and the need to pass spending bills next month.

Mr Johnson, the former deputy whip for House Republicans, won 220 votes on the floor after House Republicans coalesced around him on Tuesday evening. His ascent came after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer dropped out a mere four hours after the House Republican conference nominated him to be speaker.

Republicans from all factions of the conference cheered Mr Johnson and whistled on the floor, chanting his name.

After conservatives, led by former president Donald Trump, revolted against Mr Emmer, he removed himself from the running and after another contest, Mr Johnson emerged victorious.

Eric Garcia filed this report from Capitol Hill.

House finally has a speaker as Mike Johnson wins after weeks of chaos

13:15 , Oliver O'Connell

ACLU calls for re-evaluation of Trump’s federal election subversion case gag order

13:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Speaking of gag orders... the American Civil Liberties Union has come out against the gag order imposed on Donald Trump in his federal election interference case by Judge Tanya Chutkan.

The rights organization explains:

Former President, and now Defendant, Donald Trump has said many things. Much that he has said has been patently false and has caused great harm to countless individuals, as well as to the Republic itself. Some of his words and actions have led him to this criminal indictment, which alleges grave wrongdoing in contempt of the peaceful transition of power. But Trump retains a First Amendment right to speak, and the rest of us retain a right to hear what he has to say. Thus, any restraint this Court imposes on Defendant’s future speech must be precisely defined and narrowly tailored to protect the impartial administration of justice. Respectfully, the Court’s October 17 gag order fails that test, and Amici urge the Court to re-evaluate it.

You can read the ACLU’s full argument here.

Trump loses final bid to stop Colorado case that could see him barred from ballot

12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has lost his final bid to stop a Colorado lawsuit that could see him kicked off the ballot for the 2024 presidential election.

A judge in the state has ruled that the lawsuit brought to block the one-term president from the ballot next year can go ahead next week.

Mr Trump had asked for the lawsuit, which was filed on 22 September by Republican and unaffiliated voters represented by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, to be dismissed.

Similar cases have been filed around the US, including in Michigan and Minnesota, where oral arguments will take place on 2 November.

In the lawsuit, the advocacy group states that Mr Trump incited an insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6 with their lawyers arguing that his actions on that day were a violation of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

That amendment was introduced after the US Civil War and states no one can run for public office if they “engaged in an insurrection or rebellion.”

Graeme Massie reports.

Trump loses final bid to stop Colorado case that could see him barred from ballot

Watch: Christie comments on Meadows immunity and Trump’s 2024 prospects

12:15 , Oliver O'Connell

DeSantis trolls Trump and compares him to Biden over teleprompter use

11:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis is finally turning his fire on Donald Trump, though admittedly in a much more cautious manner than have some others.

The Florida governor was back on the campaign trail this week and spoke to reporters in New Hampshire on Tuesday, where alongside the state’s Republican governor he is attempting to capture some momentum and break out from the pack of Trump alternatives running for the GOP 2024 nomination.

“This is a different Donald Trump than in 2015 and 2016,” he told a small crowd of voters assembled in a restaurant, while claiming that the ex-president was “wedded” to the teleprompter.

“In 2016, he was freewheeling, he’s out there barnstorming the country, doing all this. Now, it’s just a different guy, and it’s sad to see,” said the governor.

John Bowden has the story.

Ron DeSantis trolls Trump and compares him to Biden over teleprompter use

Trump files longshot bids to dismiss election interference case

10:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s lawyers fired a shotgun blast of legal motions overnight aimed at seeing the Justice Department’s case against him for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election thrown out of court or significantly reduced in scope.

In four motions filed to Judge Tanya Chutkan, the Trump legal team made a smattering of arguments aimed at hindering or thwarting his prosecution entirely. His attorneys put forth arguments on the grounds of prosecutorial bias, insufficient evidence, improper procedure and even double jeopardy.

The motions were filed on a day that saw yet another blow to the former president’s legal defence efforts: A fourth guilty plea, and the third from a member of his legal team, in Georgia where a state-run prosecution of the Trump campaign’s efforts to alter the election results is well underway.

John Bowden filed this report from Washington, DC.

Trump files series of bids to have election interference case tossed

Trump brings unique Georgia Senate strategy to New Hampshire: Don’t vote

09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Josh Marcus writes:

During his own 2020 presidential campaign, and a close US Senate race in Georgia that ended in an upset for the Republicans, some blamed Mr Trump’s unrelenting election conspiracies for GOP losses.

“Telling everyone that the race was stolen when it wasn’t, cost the Republicans two Senate seats,” conservative Georgia political commentator Erick Erickson said at the time. “The going all-in on the cult of personality around President Trump hurt them as a result. They had to play up this, ‘There’s no way Donald Trump could have lost. It had to be stolen from him.’”

At the time of the elections, Mr Trump was leading an all-out public campaign against the 2020 results, and Trump campaign allies like attorney Lin Wood suggested people shouldn’t vote in the Georgia Senate race.

Read the full article.

ICYMI: Christie lashes out at House GOP ‘embarrassment’ over speaker chaos

08:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Chris Christie berated members of his own party for their failure to elect a Speaker of the House on Monday as the GOP enters its fourth week of chaos in the lower chamber.

The GOP presidential candidate appeared on MSNBC where he urged the chamber to pick a Republican and unify around them before the essential functions of government were threatened by the stalemate.

As of Tuesday, the Republicans seemed no closer to selecting a leader. GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer was nominated by his caucus in a closed-door session only to see his bid begin dissolving minutes later, with more than two dozen holdouts materialising against him. Potentially his greatest opponent: Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination, who denounced Mr Emmer in a social media posting on Tuesday.

Mr Christie, who has hinged his bid for the Republican nomination on a total repudiation of the far right and Donald Trump, took aim at that chaos the evening prior.

John Bowden has the full story.

Christie lashes out at House GOP ‘embarrassment’ over speaker chaos

Trump boasts he ‘killed’ Tom Emmer’s speaker bid

06:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Tom Emmer’s public display of gratitude towards Donald Trump for backing his bid for House Speaker did not age well, after the former president boasted online that he had in fact “killed” his chances of winning the coveted position.

The GOPcongressman won his party’s nomination early on Tuesday, but immediately faced steadfast opposition from a number of right-wing members of the House Republican conference. He dropped out of the race four hours later.

It came just over 24 hours after he sycophantically posted online thanking Mr Trump for an apparent endorsement. Mr Trump was asked on Monday if he would endorse Mr Emmer for House Speaker, despite the latter not always having been “his biggest fan”.

Mike Bedigan reports.

Trump boasts that he ‘killed’ Tom Emmer’s speaker bid

How did Trump react to report on Meadows speaking with prosectuors?

04:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The former president was not impressed, as Andrew Feinberg and Rachel Sharp report.

Trump lashes out at Meadows as ‘he’s granted immunity in Jan 6 case’

Trump loses final bid to stop Colorado case that could see him barred from ballot

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has lost his final bid to stop a Colorado lawsuit that could see him kicked off the ballot for the 2024 presidential election.

A judge in the state has ruled that the lawsuit brought to block the one-term president from the ballot next year can go ahead next week.

Mr Trump had asked for the lawsuit, which was filed on 22 September by Republican and unaffiliated voters represented by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, to be dismissed.

Similar cases have been filed around the US, including in Michigan and Minnesota, where oral arguments will take place on 2 November.

In the lawsuit, the advocacy group states that Mr Trump incited an insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6 with their lawyers arguing that his actions on that day were a violation of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

That amendment was introduced after the US Civil War and states no one can run for public office if they “engaged in an insurrection or rebellion.”

Graeme Massie reports.

Trump loses final bid to stop Colorado case that could see him barred from ballot

ICYMI: Meadows told Trump that 2020 election fraud claims were bogus, report says

03:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Mark Meadows, the ex-North Carolina congressman who served as Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff during his last year in office, has told prosecutors that he personally warned Mr Trump that claims of fraud tainting the 2020 election had no basis in reality.

According to ABC News, Mr Meadows admitted that the then-president had been “dishonest” with the American public when he began floating the outrageous allegations in the wake of his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden during one of several sessions with prosecutors — including sworn testimony before a federal grand jury”.

The former top White House aide reportedly told prosecutors: “Obviously we didn’t win”.

Read the full report by Andrew Feinberg.

Watch: Today in court

02:40 , Oliver O'Connell

George Santos goes to war with Elon Musk

02:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Truly, a man with nothing left to lose...

New York Rep George Santos fired shots at Elon Musk after X, previously known as Twitter, provided additional context in a note below the embattled Republican’s incendiary tweet.

On Tuesday, Mr Santos posted a photo of himself on X with text over it that read: “They’re not after me. They’re after you. I’m just in the way.”

Below the post, a note from X stated: “They are in fact after Representative Santos, who is accused of stealing money from his own donors, among other offenses.” The note also included a link to the series of fraud charges against the congressman filed by the Eastern District of New York.

On Wednesday, Mr Santos acknowledged X’s addition, writing: “The way Elon came after my meme with that community note is abhorrent.” Mr Musk has yet to respond.

George Santos goes to war with Elon Musk over ‘abhorrent’ note

Full story: Trump called to witness stand and fined $10k for violating gag order in fraud trial

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s first turn on the witness stand during the multiple criminal and civil cases against him arrived on 25 October, when the former president was called to testify about his comments outside the courtroom during his fraud trial in New York.

He was fined $10,000 after the judge presiding over the case found that the former president violated the case’s gag order, again, with disparaging comments about his chief clerk steps away from the courtroom’s doors in lower Manhattan.

Mr Trump was called to the witness stand by Judge Arthur Engoron to testify about statements he gave to reporters on 25 October, in which he criticised a “very partisan judge” and “a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside of him,” what the judge determined was a comment aimed at his chief clerk.

The former president and his attorneys argued that Mr Trump was referring to Michael Cohen, his former lawyer who was testifying against him.

Alex Woodward reports from the New York Supreme Court in Lower Manhattan.

Trump called to witness stand and fined $10k for violating gag order in fraud trial

Ramaswamy teams up with Alex Jones after Fox News ‘disaster’

01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy has stoked more controversy after taking part in an interview with notorious conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

The 38-year-old is an outside contender to clinch the GOP nomination but is gaining attention for his outspoken and attention-grabbing views.

Earlier this month Mr Ramaswamy was widely panned for an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, a topic which took centre stage when he sat down with Jones for an episode of his Truth podcast.

Holly Hales has the story.

Vivek Ramaswamy teams up with Alex Jones after Fox News ‘disaster’

Fall of the House of Usher makes sly dig at Donald Trump

Thursday 26 October 2023 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Mike Flanagan’s new horror series has been out on Netflix for over a week now, but fans may have missed a subtle Donald Trump reference.

The Fall of the House of Usher follows Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood), the CEO of a corrupt pharmaceutical company, who must face his murky past when each of his children begins to die in a mysterious and brutal fashion.

Meanwhile, Carla Gugino plays Verna, a shape-shifting demon who torments the Usher family, playing a significant role in their demise.

Tom Murray has the story.

Fall of the House of Usher makes blink-and-you-miss-it dig at Donald Trump

Voices: The House GOP civil war that delivered Trump is over. The radicals won

Thursday 26 October 2023 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Mr Johnson is a zealot of the highest order, someone who worked for the hard-right Alliance Defending Freedom; an ardent opponent of abortion who wants to restrict the rights of LGBT+ people and who served as Donald Trump’s Howitzer in Congress to overturn the 2020 election results.

But his fervor for theocratic policies did not impede his ability to unite nearly every faction of the very divided House Republican conference. Indeed, many of the Republicans who had previously raised serious objections to creeping fanaticism in the party brushed off these concerns as technicalities.

Read more...

The House GOP civil war that delivered Trump is over. The radicals won

Biden unconcerned over new House Speaker’s election subversion record

Thursday 26 October 2023 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he is not concerned that newly installed House Speaker Mike Johnson will attempt to unlawfully block him from serving a second term if he wins next year’s presidential election.

Mr Biden was asked about the possibility during a press conference alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the White House Rose Garden, just minutes after the House’s Republican majority voted unanimously to install Mr Johnson as successor to ousted former speaker Kevin McCarthy after a chaotic 22-day interregnum.

The Louisiana congressman was a staunch supporter of former president Donald Trump during the ex-president’s attempt to remain in office despite having lost the 2020 election. He frequently promoted outlandish conspiracy theories about non-existent voter fraud and rigged voting machines which Trump allies had floated to explain his loss, and marshalled House GOP support for a failed lawsuit that sought to have the US Supreme Court throw out electoral votes from swing states won by Mr Biden.

Read Andrew Feinberg’s full report.

Wednesday 25 October 2023 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Earlier: Trump shares screenshot of private texts from House speaker candidate

Wednesday 25 October 2023 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Former president Donald Trump shared private texts between himself and short-lived Speaker of the House hopeful Congressman Chuck Fleischmann on Truth Social.

The texts claimed that all of the GOP Speaker hopefuls were backing Mr Trump, according to Fox Chattanooga.

Mr Fleischmann was among six candidates who were under consideration for House speaker after Majority Whip Tom Emmer exited the race on Tuesday.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Trump shares screenshot of private texts from House speaker candidate

Court sketch artists capture a first: Donald Trump under oath in witness box

Wednesday 25 October 2023 22:24 , Oliver O'Connell

DeSantis trolls Trump and compares him to Biden over teleprompter use

Wednesday 25 October 2023 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis is finally turning his fire on Donald Trump, though admittedly in a much more cautious manner than have some others.

The Florida governor was back on the campaign trail this week and spoke to reporters in New Hampshire on Tuesday, where alongside the state’s Republican governor he is attempting to capture some momentum and break out from the pack of Trump alternatives running for the GOP 2024 nomination.

“This is a different Donald Trump than in 2015 and 2016,” he told a small crowd of voters assembled in a restaurant, while claiming that the ex-president was “wedded” to the teleprompter.

“In 2016, he was freewheeling, he’s out there barnstorming the country, doing all this. Now, it’s just a different guy, and it’s sad to see,” said the governor.

John Bowden has the story.

Ron DeSantis trolls Trump and compares him to Biden over teleprompter use

Cohen explains discrepancy in testimony over inflating numbers on financial statements

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s attorneys and Colleen Faherty with the attorney general’s office grew increasingly frustrated with one another over Michael Cohen’s prior statements and testimony.

“This counsel is repeatedly trying to impeach the witness,” Faherty said.

Cohen had been sitting in silence on the stand with reading glasses on reviewing a document in front of him.

“I think we’re making a mountain out of a molehill. We’ve spent hours and hours … talking about the witnesses’ credibility or lack thereof,” Judge Engoron said

Cohen went on to explain a response he gave on cross-examination about Mr Trump directing him and Allen Weisselberg to inflate valuations in the financial statements to increase his net worth — at the heart of the discrepancy between his earlier testimony and what he is saying now.

“When I was asked the question, ‘Did he ask you to inflate the numbers,’ he did not specifically say ‘Go inflate the numbers.’ As I’ve said before Donald Trump speaks like a mob boss,” Cohen said.

“So when he said to me, ‘I’m actually worth like six billion, seven maybe eight — Allen Weisselberg and I understood he was stating what he wanted.”

Cohen was then dismissed as a witness and court adjourned for the day.

Full story: Trump called to witness stand and fined $10k for violating gag order in fraud trial

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s first turn on the witness stand during the multiple criminal and civil cases against him arrived on 25 October, when the former president was called to testify about his comments outside the courtroom during his fraud trial in New York.

He was fined $10,000 after the judge presiding over the case found that the former president violated the case’s gag order, again, with disparaging comments about his chief clerk steps away from the courtroom’s doors in lower Manhattan.

Mr Trump was called to the witness stand by Judge Arthur Engoron to testify about statements he gave to reporters on 25 October, in which he criticised a “very partisan judge” and “a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside of him,” what the judge determined was a comment aimed at his chief clerk.

The former president and his attorneys argued that Mr Trump was referring to Michael Cohen, his former lawyer who was testifying against him.

Alex Woodward reports from the New York Supreme Court in Lower Manhattan.

Trump called to witness stand and fined $10k for violating gag order in fraud trial

Trump leaves court as directed verdict denied by judge

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:24 , Oliver O'Connell

Cross-examination of Michael Cohen continued, with questioning by Clifford Robert, representing Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.

He asked Cohen about his 2019 congressional testimony in which he had said he did not recall if Donald Trump had asked him to inflate the numbers in financial statements.

Cohen confirms that was his testimony.

The former president throws his hands up in the air and after a brief huddle with his legal team, a directed verdict was requested based on that testimony. It was immediately denied by Judge Engoron.

Mr Trump then stood and left the room, mumbling: “Unbelievable. Unbelievable.”

He was followed by his Secret Service detail and son Eric.

Trump legal team objects to fine

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:18 , Oliver O'Connell

All three attorneys in the Trump defence team — Christopher Kise, Alina Habba, and Clifford Robert — complained about the fine imposed on their client for violating his gag order for a second time.

Specifically, they complained that they had to litigate in front of “two judges” — Justice Arthur Engoron and his law clerk.

The judge said he valued the input of both his law clerks but he makes the final decisions.

After further protestation, he said the ruling stands and warns the former president: “Don’t do it again!”

Next time the penalty could be more severe and jail time has been mentioned as one punishment in the past.

Trump fined $10,000 for violating New York fraud trial gag order

Wednesday 25 October 2023 21:01 , Megan Sheets

As court resumed after lunch, Judge Arthur Engoron returned to the remarks made by Donald Trump outside the courtroom that appeared to defy the gag order on speaking about the court staff. Here’s the scene:

The judge calls on Trump to testify. He identifies himself: “Donald John Trump. New York. Trump Organization.”

Judge Engoron reads the statement he made about the judge and the person sitting next to him — widely interpreted as the court clerk.

“To whom were you referring?”

“You, and Cohen.”

He is asked specifically about the clerk.

“I think she is a very biased … We put up a picture and you didn’t want that up. I think we got if off our website. … We have so many different sites … I believe it was one of the political groups, one of the PACs.”

“The witness is excused. I have no further questions.”

The judge suggested that his comments were “ambiguous, at best” whether they were referring to Cohen or his clerk.

“I find the witness is not credible.”

Judge Engoron fines Trump $10,000 for violating the gag order.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill...

Wednesday 25 October 2023 19:19 , Oliver O'Connell

House Republicans overwhelmingly elected Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) to be the next speaker of the House after 22 days where the House of Representatives had no leader amid turmoil across the globe and the need to pass spending bills next month.

Mr Johnson, the former deputy whip for House Republicans, won 220 votes on the floor after House Republicans coalesced around him on Tuesday evening. His ascent came after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer dropped out a mere four hours after the House Republican conference nominated him to be speaker.

Republicans from all factions of the conference cheered Mr Johnson and whistled on the floor, chanting his name.

Eric Garcia reports for The Independent from Capitol Hil.

House finally has a speaker as Mike Johnson wins after weeks of chaos

ACLU calls for re-evaluation of Trump’s federal election subversion case gag order

Wednesday 25 October 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Speaking of gag orders... the American Civil Liberties Union has come out against the gag order imposed on Donald Trump in his federal election interference case by Judge Tanya Chutkan.

The rights organization explains:

Former President, and now Defendant, Donald Trump has said many things. Much that he has said has been patently false and has caused great harm to countless individuals, as well as to the Republic itself. Some of his words and actions have led him to this criminal indictment, which alleges grave wrongdoing in contempt of the peaceful transition of power. But Trump retains a First Amendment right to speak, and the rest of us retain a right to hear what he has to say. Thus, any restraint this Court imposes on Defendant’s future speech must be precisely defined and narrowly tailored to protect the impartial administration of justice. Respectfully, the Court’s October 17 gag order fails that test, and Amici urge the Court to re-evaluate it.

You can read the ACLU’s full argument here.

Watch: Christie comments on Meadows immunity and Trump’s 2024 prospects

Wednesday 25 October 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch: Trump responds to reporters about whether he broke gag order

Wednesday 25 October 2023 18:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Wednesday 25 October 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Alina Habba asks Cohen to confirm his testimony from yesterday: that Donald Trump directed him and CFO Allen Weisselberg to alter annual financial statements to boost Trump’s net worth.

Cohen agrees that’s what he said.

“In February 2019, two years after leaving the Trump Organization... [you testified] to the [Congressional] Permanent Select Committee that you couldn’t recall President Trump ever asking you to inflate [his financial statements]?” Habba asks.

Habba pulls up the deposition transcript, in which Cohen does indeed say, “Not that I recall.”

“I was in the camp of Donald Trump,” Cohen explains and goes on to say he was lying at the time.

“Did you ever ask President Trump to pardon you?”

“No,” Cohen says.

“He didn’t pardon you, did he?

“No.”

Court breaks for lunch and will resume at 2.15pm.

Cliff Robert, attorney for Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr, will have more questions for Cohen when court resumes.

Full story: Trump narrowly avoids another gag order sanction in fraud trial

Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:39 , Oliver O'Connell

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York nearly hit the former president with another penalty for what appeared to be a violation of the gag order against him in the case.

In a morning break on 25 October during the second day of trial testimony from Michael Cohen, Mr Trump berated Judge Arthur Engoron and appeared to once again attack the court clerk.

Alex Woodward reports from the New York Supreme Court in Lower Manhattan:

Trump narrowly avoids another gag order sanction in fraud trial

Habba continues cross-examination of Cohen

Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:36 , Oliver O'Connell

Alina Habba is continuing a line of questioning to suggest that Michael Cohen makes a lot of money from criticising Donald Trump and, in turn, that the news media makes a lot of money off of the former president.

“You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump haven’t you,” Habba asks.

“Yes,” Cohen replied.

At one point she called Mr Trump “the most famous person in the world” to run for the presidency.

Habba also asked about an interview Cohen gave to ABC News, in which he said: “I’ve been admiring Donald Trump since I was in high school.”

The story says that he read The Art of the Deal twice.

Habba asked if it was true that he read The Art of Deal twice while in high school.

“No,” Cohen says. “I read it twice when I was in college.”

Trump skirts violating gag order with comments outside courtroom

Wednesday 25 October 2023 17:07 , Oliver O'Connell

As court returns from the morning break, Judge Arthur Engoron had something to say...

“I’m very protective of my staff,” Judge Engoron says.

“It was just brought to my attention that the Associated Press reported that … Mr Donald J Trump just gave the following to the press gaggle outside the court: ‘This judge is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him, perhaps more partisan than he is.’”

Mr Trump’s attorneys tried to speak up, but the judge told them not to interrupt him.

“Why should there not be severe sanctions for this blatant, severe” violation of the order, the judge asks.

Mr Kise says Mr Trump was referring to the witness, Michael Cohen, not the chief clerk sitting next to the judge, who has come under fire from the former president before, leading to a gag order concerning comments about the court staff.

Judge Engoron says he will take the matter “under advisement”.

Here’s our earlier reporting on his previous violation of the gag order.

Trump threatened with jail time for ‘blatant’ violation of gag order

What do Team Trump hope to achieve with cross-examination of Cohen?

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:57 , Oliver O'Connell

What does Donald Trump’s defence team hope to achieve with its cross-examination of Michael Cohen? There is no jury to sway, so are they playing to an audience of one, and is that the judge or the former president?

Alex Woodward writes:

The question is whether any of this stuff matters to the judge, who doesn’t solely need Cohen’s testimony to make a judgment about the scope of fraud alleged in the lawsuit.

But it’s an attempt to bury him in front of Trump. Cohen doesn’t seem fazed. He knows Habba. He’s already been to jail and lost his law license. He now makes a good chunk of change from his anti-Trump audience and book sales.

Watch: Trump again complains about basis for trial in shadow testimony

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:43 , Oliver O'Connell

Cohen asked if he turned on Trump for not being brought to White House

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:29 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports:

Habba has pressed Cohen whether he wanted a job as White House chief of staff, suggesting he has lied on the witness stand about that.

She brings up text messages to an unknown person saying that Trump “needs to ask. I would never.”

“And you were never given a position in the White House, were you Mr Cohen?” Habba asked.

“There was no shame being personal attorney to the president,” he said. “I didn’t ask for a position.”

The questioning so far has intended to undermine Cohen’s previous testimony and paint him as a turncoat, motivated by Trump not hiring him for the administration, who then used Trump as leverage to save his skin from harsher criminal penalties in his own separate cases.

Habba also asks Cohen whether he then “cashed in” on his connections to Trump and, later, his fallout from his former boss.

“Do you have significant animosity towards him?” she asks.

“Yes, I do,” he says.

“You have made a career out of publicly attacking President Trump, haven’t you?” she asks.

There’s a pause. Cohen says, “Yes.”

She asks whether a substantial amount of his income comes from criticising Trump.

“And other people … [his podcast, Mea Culpa] discusses the news of the day,” he responds. “It would be a no.”

Court takes its mid-morning break.

Wednesday 25 October 2023 16:25 , Oliver O'Connell

There are several back-and-forths between attorneys over articles from Politico and Reuters being shown to the court.

The former — which includes Cohen as a Trump employee praising his boss’s $10bn empire — raises an objection from prosecutors because it was never admitted into evidence leading the defence team to accuse the NYAG’s office of “grandstanding”.

Alina Habba then asks about Mr Cohen’s quotes about Mr Trump from the 2015 Reuters article, which is all about how Trump has exaggerated throughout his career.

NYAG counsel Colleen Faherty interjects to make the point that the article Habba is using against the witness says “exaggerating has always been a frequent impulse” for the man sitting just a few feet away.

Habba tries to show Cohen working with NYAG on case

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:58 , Oliver O'Connell

The court is shown a tweet from Michael Cohen in which he thanks New York Attorney General Letitia James “for acknowledging my participation and assistance in bringing accountability to the Mandarin Mussolini!”

He acknowledges thanking Ms James in a tweet, but not personally.

The court is shown an excerpt from his book Revenge, in which he explains his testimony before seven different congressional committees and meetings with the Manhattan District Attorney, the New York Attorney General, and the Department of Justice.

“I gave them a roadmap. I gave them everything I knew about Donald Trump,” he wrote.

“I explained the various roles of their executives and countless acts of illegal activities,” including providing personal financial statements, copies of checks and other documents, he wrote.

Habba is trying to argue that Cohen was working with Ms James in this case.

“When I was in conversation with the Manhattan DA, the attorney general’s office participated in those meetings,” Cohen replies.

“There were no specific AG meetings. They were present with my meetings with the Manhattan district attorney.”

Cohen is not a defendant in this case, which must mean that the attorney general “must not believe your story is credible, is that correct?” Habba asks.

“You can ask Ms James,” Cohen replies.

“Object,” Ms James says from her seat in the courtroom, which gets a laugh.

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:48 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports:

We’re seeing a clip of Cohen from CNN from July 2016, when he was still working for the Trump Organization.

In the clip, he said he considered himself to be a real estate expert and that Donald Trump’s net worth was north of $10bn.

Cohen, asked by Habba about that, says: “I recall that’s what Mr Trump wanted me to say, yes.”

Habba: “You went through a couple of properties in that clip owned by the Trump Organization, correct? … You stated that those properties are second to none … and that the Trump brand has value as well, correct? … The Trump brand was worth billions of dollars, correct Mr Cohen?”

Cohen: “I don’t know that to be the answer … I’m not a brand expert, Ms Habba.”

Cohen then testifies that neither he nor Mr Trump or Allen Weisselberg ever included the “brand” value in any of those statements of financial condition.

Questioning moves on to Cohen’s direct testimony

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:32 , Oliver O'Connell

Habba is questioning Cohen now on that key line of testimony from yesterday, trying to undermine his claims about the crafting of fraudulent statements of financial condition.

He told the court on Tuesday that Donald Trump instructed him and Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg to “reverse engineer” the statements to reach an “arbitrary” net worth number that Mr Trump came up with for the year.

Clips of Cohen’s deposition testimony are shown as Habba grills him over perceived inconsistencies.

Cross-examination of Cohen continues... and is quickly interrupted by an objection...

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports:

New York Attorney General’s Office counsel Colleen Faherty is objecting to Alina Habba repeatedly accusing Michael Cohen of perjury after yesterday’s hearing when Cohen admitted to lying to the federal judge in his plea hearing in an unrelated case.

“That’s a fair question. He admitted … that he lied to Judge Pauley, right across the street,” Trump Attorney Christopher Kise said.

“The fact the witness admitted to perjury … couldn’t be more relevant to the case,” Clifford Robert (representing Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump) added.

Mr Kise accused the attorney general’s office of trying to “cover for a defective witness” who lacks credibility.

Ms Faherty – who called yesterday’s hearing a “little bit of a circus” – pleaded with the judge to tone it down.

“That type of showmanship should not be permitted,” she said. “I would just ask for the courtesy and respect that we proceed without this showmanship with words like perjury … Please, can we please proceed?”

Judge Arthur Engoron allows Trump’s team to go after Cohen for lying and dishonesty, but accusing him of perjury – a legal term and a crime – seems to be off the table.

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:21 , Oliver O'Connell

Habba complains about eye-rolling during cross-examination

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:17 , Oliver O'Connell

Trump attorney Alina Habba tells Judge Arthur Engoron that it’s “incredibly distracting” when the court clerk is whispering and rolling her eyes from the bench during cross-examination. He grants her request to… not let her do that.

In Pictures: Trump, Cohen, and James arrive at court

Wednesday 25 October 2023 15:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Did Cohen incriminate Trump in direct examination?

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:55 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports:

The central piece of testimony during Michael Cohen’s time on the stand yesterday came pretty early in the day, as Cohen outlined how the former president tapped him to come up with fraudulent statements of financial condition that reflected what Trump wanted.

Under questioning from counsel with the New York Attorney General’s office, Cohen said he was “tasked by Mr Trump to increase the total assets based upon a number that he arbitrarily elected.”

Cohen and convicted former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg were instructed to “reverse engineer the various different asset classes – increase those assets – in order to achieve the number that Mr Trump had tasked us with,” Cohen said.

Asked by counsel for the attorney general’s office what that number was, Cohen replied: “Whatever number Mr Trump told us to.”

The scene in court this morning

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward sent this report from the New York Superior Courthouse in Lower Manhattan as we await the beginning of proceedings on the sixteenth day of Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial.

When he left his civil fraud trial on Tuesday, Donald Trump learned that one of his codefendants in Georgia pleaded guilty and that his former White House chief of staff has agreed to an immunity deal in a federal case against the former president.

Inside the courtroom, Trump spent the day watching testimony from his former attorney Michael Cohen, who appeared unfazed by Trump’s attorneys’ attempts to humiliate him into admitting crimes he had already gone to prison for. On the stand, Cohen repeatedly pinned the blame on fraudulent financial documents at the centre of the case on the man staring at him from just a few feet away.

It was a bit like bowling with the bumpers on. Trying to undermine the credibility of a convicted felon on the witness stand would play well to a jury, but there is none in this case. New York Judge Arthur Engoron knows all about Michael Cohen, and he has already determined that a trial isn’t necessary to show that Trump, his adult sons and chief associates spent years defrauding banks and insurers by using financial statements that grossly inflated his net worth and assets.

The former president is returning to the courtroom in lower Manhattan for a second consecutive day in the trial’s fourth week, as his attorney Alina Habba is set to resume her cross-examination of Cohen after several heated exchanges on Tuesday afternoon.

New York Attorney General Letitia James took her seat one row behind her team inside the courthouse on Wednesday morning as Secret Service and New York court officers surveyed the room. The former president’s attorneys trickled in shortly after 9.30am.

Trump, meanwhile, has used the trial’s large press pool to speak out against the witnesses, the judge and Ms James, while raising money for his campaign and relying on his attorneys to delay and deflect.

In a post on his Truth Social as reporters were queueing outside the courthouse, he once again blasted a “very partisan and angry” judge, the “corrupt” attorney general, and the “rigged” trial against him and his business empire. He claimed that Republicans now “have the right” to target their political opponents “when we assume office”.

Read Alex’s full account of Tuesday in court.

Full story: Trump congratulates speaker nominee Mike Johnson after slamming Emmer

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump congratulated Rep Mike Johnson (R-LA) after he became the fourth Republican nominee for speaker in three weeks following the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

Mr Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday morning, just a day after he helped end the speakership bid of Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) after just a few hours following his nomination earlier on Tuesday.

The vote on the House floor on the speakership of the fourth Republican nominee for the top job in the lower chamber is expected at noon.

After three weeks of infighting, backstabbing, and chaotic wrangling, Republicans appear more unified behind Mr Johnson than behind any of those that came before him – including Reps Steve Scalise (R-LA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Tom Emmer (R-MN) – but nothing is certain in this Republican Party.

The House GOP has churned through 14 candidates, and now four nominees – including Mr Johnson – in 22 days since the ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on 3 October.

Late on Tuesday night, Mr Johnson crossed the threshold needed within the Republican conference when he received 128 votes in an internal ballot – far from the 217 votes he needs in a chamber with 433 out of 435 seats currently filled.

Read more of Gustaf Kilander’s report from Washington, DC.

Trump congratulates speaker nominee Mike Johnson after slamming Emmer

As heads back to court, Trump claims even fake news sees facts on his side, threatens reciprocal trials

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:30 , Oliver O'Connell

In another post on Truth Social this morning before he heads back to court, a boisterous Donald Trump claims that “the good news, that even the Fake News is seeing, is that the facts are ALL on my side!”

Big talk considering the judge has already ruled against him and his company in a pre-trial ruling.

Nevertheless, while also claiming that it is a “RIGGED TRIAL, right out of a Banana Republic” it means that Republicans have “the right to do the same thing when we assume office” before specifically naming President Joe Biden.

Here’s that post in full as he heads back to Lower Manhattan:

I will soon be leaving for Crooked Joe Biden’s “Political Opponent Court” in Lower Manhattan. I have a very partisan and angry Judge, a Corrupt Attorney General, and am not allowed a Jury Trial under the Statute they have chosen to use (for the very first time ever!). The good news, that even the Fake News is seeing, is that the facts are ALL on my side! I BUILT A GREAT COMPANY, FAR BIGGER & STRONGER THAN ANYONE HAD ASSUMED! This is a RIGGED TRIAL, right out of a Banana Republic, but sadly, it gives the Republicans the right to do the same thing when we assume office…And remember, Crooked Joe Biden is the most CORRUPT (and Incompetent!) President in the history of the U.S., VERY FERTILE GROUND THERE, but very bad for our Country! This unfair political Witch Hunt is causing companies to leave New York at a record pace. They don’t want this to happen to them!

Yesterday in court: Trump attorneys target Michael Cohen in heated trial fraud testimony

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:20 , Oliver O'Connell

On his first day on the witness stand in his former employer’s blockbuster fraud trial, Donald Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen ended his testimony with a heated exchange with the former president’s attorneys determined to undermine Mr Trump’s one-time “fixer” and now star witness in the sprawling case against him.

Trump attorney Alina Habba, pacing the front of a lower Manhattan courtroom with a series of direct questions on 24 October, pressed Cohen to admit he previously lied to a federal judge and asked him whether his wife knew he committed tax crimes – an exchange that drew thunderous objections from Cohen and counsel with the office of New York Attorney General, whose lawsuit threatens to blow up Mr Trump’s business empire.

“Your honour, this witness is completely out of control,” Trump attorney Christopher Kise said.

Alex Woodward filed this full report from the courthouse:

Trump attorneys target Michael Cohen in heated trial fraud testimony

Trump sends love to House GOP, says he won’t endorse a candidate... but backs Johnson for Speaker...

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump began his day by offering his congratulations and sending his love to House Republicans for their “big and very important day” on Tuesday, claiming that “even the Fake News Media is impressed” with how they chose a fourth nominee for Speaker [which begs the question of what media he was consuming].

The former president added that he was not going to make an endorsement but his “strong SUGGESTION” was for members to back leading candidate Mike Johnson.

Here’s the post in full:

Congratulations to Congressional Republicans! Yesterday was a big and very important day. It gave us a quick and easy way forward with 5 candidates who are beyond reproach, and represent the absolute best there is in the Republican Party. Even the Fake News Media is impressed with what took place yesterday and, more importantly, with the Candidates themselves. Congratulations to Reps. Byron Donalds (Florida), Charles J. “Chuck” Fleischmann (Tennessee), Mark Green (Tennessee), & Roger Williams (Texas), & the ultimate winner of yesterday’s vote, by a significant margin, Mike Johnson (Louisiana). I am not going to make an Endorsement in this race, because I COULD NEVER GO AGAINST ANY OF THESE FINE AND VERY TALENTED MEN, all of whom have supported me, in both mind and spirit, from the very beginning of our GREAT 2016 Victory. In 2024, we will have an even bigger, & more important, WIN! My strong SUGGESTION is to go with the leading candidate, Mike Johnson, & GET IT DONE, FAST! LOVE, DJT

Meadows told Trump that 2020 election fraud claims were bogus, report says

Wednesday 25 October 2023 14:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Mark Meadows, the ex-North Carolina congressman who served as Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff during his last year in office, has told prosecutors that he personally warned Mr Trump that claims of fraud tainting the 2020 election had no basis in reality.

According to ABC News, Mr Meadows admitted that the then-president had been “dishonest” with the American public when he began floating the outrageous allegations in the wake of his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden during one of several sessions with prosecutors — including sworn testimony before a federal grand jury”.

The former top White House aide reportedly told prosecutors: “Obviously we didn’t win”.

Mr Meadows’ admissions that Mr Trump had lost the election and his concession that the loss was not tainted by fraud contradicts much of what he has recounted about that time period in his book, The Chief’s Chief.

He has also repeatedly parroted the ex-president’s baseless claims in interviews with right-wing media outlets.

Read more...

Full story: GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer drops speaker bid after four hours

Wednesday 25 October 2023 13:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s speaker bid lasted only four hours before he dropped out in the face of steadfast opposition from a number of right-wing members of the House Republican conference.

Mr Emmer won the nomination on Tuesday for speaker after five rounds of internal voting, but it quickly became clear that he wouldn’t reach the 217 votes needed on the floor of the House.

Mr Emmer and Rep Mike Johnson were the final two in the internal ballot after Rep Kevin Hern was booted in the fourth round and Rep Byron Donalds dropped out voluntarily.

Shortly after Mr Emmer received the backing of fellow Republican congressmen, former President Donald Trump – who had spent the day sitting in a New York courtroom where he is accused of fraud – launched a furious attack on him.

Read more...

GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer drops speaker bid after four hours

Protester chants ‘lock him up’ at Trump ahead of NH rally

Wednesday 25 October 2023 12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump was greeted by a protester chanting “lock him up” as he arrived in New Hampshire to file for the state’s Republican primary ahead of a rally with supporters in the afternoon.

The ex-president was seen greeting supporters as he stepped out of a black vehicle, surrounded by Secret Service agents. A man was heard chanting “lock him up! Donald Trump!” into a megaphone for a few seconds before journalists were shooed away by handlers with the Trump campaign.

Mr Trump filed his name as a candidate in the 2024 election on Monday ahead of a rally in Derry, New Hampshire, where he is likely to address his ongoing legal battles as well as, potentially, some of his GOP rivals for the nomination. But he has largely depicted the 2024 Republican primary as decided, even going as far as refusing to attend debates with candidates who significantly trail him in the polls.

Read the full story.

ICYMI: Trump claims he is ‘genius’ for realising ‘us’ is spelled the same as ‘US’

Wednesday 25 October 2023 12:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump bemoaned the fact that he was never described as “genius” after revealing to his followers that he had recently realised that the word “us” was spelled the same as “US”.

The former president questioned whether anybody else had ever thought to make the connection before, as he addressed supporters in New Hampshire on Monday, amid several ongoing criminal investigations into his conduct during his time in office.

During his rambling speech, Mr Trump compared himself to Nelson Mandela and later backed Jesus Christ to be the next Speaker of the House.

Mike Bedigan has the full story.

Trump claims he is ‘genius’ for realising ‘us’ is spelled the same as ‘US’