Trump trial live: Michael Cohen prepares to take stand as Trump dubs prosecutor ‘corrupt’ at wild NJ rally

Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial is set to hear from his former lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen on Monday after the former president spent the weekend railing against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggat a wild Jersey Shore rally.

Cohen, who is said to have helped orchestrate the alleged “catch and kill” scheme to bury unfavorable stories about Mr Trump ahead of the 2016 election, is a key witness in the case.

On Friday, Cohen, who was convicted of fraud in 2018, and has blasted Mr Trump continuously on social media, was ordered by Judge Juan Merchan to stop talking about his former boss publicly in advance of his testimony.

On Saturday, Mr Trump took a break from the courtroom and headed to the beach, addressing a massive crowd of MAGA faithful at the Jersey Shore.

The rally turned nasty at times when Mr Trump dubbed President Joe Biden a “total moron” and coined a new derogatory nickname for Mr Bragg – “fat Alvin”.

Alex Woodward is covering Mr Trump’s trial and will be providing regular updates on proceedings

Key Points

• Hush money judge says Michael Cohen needs to stop talking about Trump

• Michael Cohen expected to begin testimony Monday in Trump hush money trial

• Stormy Daniels: 'Real men respond to testimony by being sworn in and taking the stand in court’

• Porn star shoots down Trump attorney’s claims she made up sex story

• Judge denies Trump’s attempt to lift gag order so he can ‘respond’ to explosive testimony

• Trump hush money trial: Key takeaways from Day 15

Giuliani loses radio show for peddling false claims about 2020 election

19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

In memoriam: The Rudy Giuliani Show.

No flowers.

Michelle Del Rey reports:

Rudy Giuliani has been suspended from his radio show for peddling false claims about the 2020 presidential election live on air.

WABC’s billionaire owner John Catsimatidis, who is also a Republican donor, told The New York Times that he had axed the former New York City mayor from “The Rudy Giuliani Show” and the radio show has been cancelled because he failed to comply with the station’s policy around the election.

Mr Catsimatidis said that Mr Giuliani had been given repeated warnings before his ousting.

Read on...

Rudy Giuliani loses radio show for peddling false claims about 2020 election on air

Conservative plan calls for Trump to kill everyone on federal death row in second term

13:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A conservative plan for Donald Trump’s potential second term calls for the swift execution of everyone on federal death row, continuing the historic federal execution spree that took place during the Trump administration.

Buried in a 2023 plan from the Heritage Foundation, dubbed Project 2025, former Trump Department of Justice official Gene Hamilton urges a second-term Trump to “do everything possible” to execute the remaining 40 people on federal death row, arguing the White House should push for these killings “until Congress says otherwise through legislation.”

Josh Marcus reports:

Conservative plan calls for Trump to kill everyone on federal death row

Live: Trump holds rally at the Jersey Shore

Saturday 11 May 2024 21:33 , Louise Boyle

Live: Trump holds campaign rally in Wildwood, N.J.

How the Stormy Daniels scandal unfolded

Saturday 11 May 2024 18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

John Bowden on the key moments in a seven-year saga that has led to Trump’s indictment and trial on criminal charges:

What did Trump do? Inside the Stormy Daniels case that led to Trump’s arrest

What would jail be like for Trump?

Saturday 11 May 2024 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

As the third week of testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money trial draws to a close, the former president continues to face the possibility of an unwelcome predicament: that he could see the inside of a jail cell.

James Liddell reports:

What would jail be like for Trump over further gag order violations?

Biden trolls Trump with major swing-state jobs boost

Saturday 11 May 2024 16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Nearly six years after then-president Donald Trump promised Racine, Wisconsin residents that the “eighth wonder of the world” would rise there in the form of a chip factory operated by Taiwanese semiconductor giant Foxconn, President Joe Biden delivered on his own, competing promise.

Biden announced the construction of a $3.3bn artificial intelligence data center on the site where the planned Foxconn plant never materialized on Wednesday.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Biden trolls Trump by replacing his ‘eighth wonder of the world’ in Wisconsin

Trump hush money trial: Key takeaways from Day 15

Saturday 11 May 2024 15:45 , Ariana Baio & Alex Woodward

Prosecutors in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial presented a marathon of witnesses and experts to jurors on Friday to corroborate evidence of phone conversations and records in the case ahead of calling their final witnesses, including Mr Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen.

In a relatively quiet day for the hush money trial, jurors heard from a former Trump administration aide and three analysts who introduced phone records, text messages and other evidence that will tee up Cohen’s expected testimony next week.

Cohen, a star witness in the case, played a central role in helping the former president suppress politically damaging stories in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.

He coordinated with former tabloid publisher David Pecker to catch and kill stories and ultimately paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 for her silence over a sexual encounter she allegedly had with Mr Trump in 2006. The former president is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records over the $130,000 payment.

Cohen could take the stand to testify as early as Monday with Manhattan prosecutors telling New York Justice Juan Merchan they are on track to rest their case as soon as next Friday.

Here are the key moments from today’s day in court:

Key takeaways from day 15 of Trump’s hush money trial

ICYMI: Judge denies Trump’s attempt to lift gag order

Saturday 11 May 2024 15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial in New York has shot down his latest attempt to lift a gag order after his legal team argued he should be able to respond to testimony from adult film star Stormy Daniels.

New York Justice Juan Merchan said he was not only concerned about attacks against Ms Daniels and other witnesses but with “protecting the integrity of these proceedings as a whole.”

The order is in effect “precisely because of the nature of these attacks, the vitriol,” he said on Thursday.

“These were real, very threatening attacks on these witnesses,” he added.

Alex Woodward and Mike Bedigan report:

Judge denies Trump’s attempt to lift gag order so he can ‘respond’ to Stormy Daniels

A prediction proves accurate...

Saturday 11 May 2024 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s usually episode ofThe Simpsons that predict the future, but today it fell to someone else entirely.

Lawyer, comedian and cable news contributor Dean Obeidallah made a solidly accurate prediction about one of the tweets shown to the court today, being proven right almost exactly six years ago to the day.

Then-president Donald Trump tweeted on 3 May 2018 at 6.46am:

Mr Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA. These agreements are.....

[The tweet was incorrectly threaded and so does not lead directly onto the next post]

Obeidallah replied:

This will be marked as an exhibit in trump’s criminal trial

Clearly, he saw the train coming down the tracks from a very long way off...

How did a porn star become one of the most powerful people in politics?

Saturday 11 May 2024 14:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Io Dodds takes a look at how Stormy Daniels came to be at the centre of a political firestorm that has landed Donald Trump in court for a historic criminal trial...

How Stormy Daniels became one of the most powerful people in politics

ICYMI: Here’s how Day 14 went down at Trump’s hush money trial

Saturday 11 May 2024 13:15 , Oliver O’Connell & Alex Woodward

Another day in the Manhattan Criminal Court, another day of bombshell testimony.

Adult film star Stormy Daniels resumed — and concluded — her testimony on day 14 of Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial before the court heard from the woman known as the “gatekeeper” to the Oval Office in the early years of his administration.

There was also an attempt to at least partially lift the gag order on the former president and another run at a mistrial by the defence team. Amid all that was some unexpected celebrity namedropping, a revelation about who would be testifying, and a trip down memory lane to the “Make America Horny Again” strip club tour.

As with most days of the trial, Mr Trump left the courtroom and angrily lashed out at the judge to the assembled media.

Here are our top takeaways from the fourteenth day of testimony in the historic criminal trial of the former president:

Takeaways from Trump trial day 14 as Stormy Daniels fiery cross-examination concludes

Georgia court agrees to hear Trump’s appeal of Fani Willis disqualification ruling

Saturday 11 May 2024 12:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A Georgia appeals court has granted Donald Trump’s request for an appeal challenging the ruling that Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis can stay on the state’s election interference case against the former president and his allies.

After weeks of contentious hearings centred around the district attorney’s romantic relationship with a fellow prosecutor, Judge Scott McAfee decided in March that Ms Willis could remain on the sprawling Rico case.

The former president and eight of his co-defendants then filed for permission to appeal against the decision, calling the court’s refusal to disqualify her a “plain legal error”.

Kelly Rissman reports:

Georgia court agrees to hear Trump’s appeal of Fani Willis disqualification ruling

Jimmy Kimmel roasts Trump as he revels in details from Stormy Daniels’ testimony

Saturday 11 May 2024 10:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Jimmy Kimmel revelled in some of the salacious details that came to light in Stormy Daniels’ testimony about her alleged encounter with Donald Trump in 2006 in his opening monologue on Tuesday night.

Amelia Neath has the story:

Jimmy Kimmel roasts Trump as he revels in details from Stormy Daniels’ testimony

RFK Jr says a worm ate part of his brain and then died inside his head

Saturday 11 May 2024 08:15 , Oliver O'Connell

No, really...

Anti-vaccine activist turned independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has revealed that a worm ate part of his brain and then died inside his head.

According to The New York Times, Mr Kennedy made the bizarre admission during a deposition held as part of his 2012 divorce proceeding.

Andrew Feinberg has the story:

RFK Jr says a worm ate part of his brain and then died inside his head

Trump called out for ‘cursing audibly’ during Stormy Daniels testimony

Saturday 11 May 2024 06:15 , Oliver O'Connell

New York Justice Juan Merchan, presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money trial, warned the former president’s lawyer about his client’s “contemptuous” behaviour as the former president was “cursing audibly” while adult film star Stormy Daniels testified in court.

Amelia Neath reports:

Judge calls Trump out for ‘cursing audibly’ during Stormy Daniels testimony

Key takeaways from Stormy Daniels’ first day of testimony

Saturday 11 May 2024 04:15 , Kelly Rissman & Alex Woodward

Stormy Daniels’ hotly anticipated testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money trial finally got under way in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday, with the adult film star revealing intimate details about the alleged affair at the heart of the case.

The Manhattan jurors and Mr Trump alike sat, rapt, listening as she testified about how her meeting with the then-60-year-old real estate mogul at a celebrity golf tournament turned sexual.

Her testimony was so detailed — providing comments about everything from what the floor tiles looked like to Mr Trump’s Hugh Hefner-like pajamas — that the judge warned her to stop including any “unnecessary narrative.”

In the afternoon, the defense team also took issue with Ms Daniels’ testimony, calling for a mistrial. The judge denied the request.

For almost four hours on the 13th day of his hush money trial, Mr Trump was forced to listen to her memory of the romantic liaison that ultimately led to his alleged criminal activity.

The former president is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to Ms Daniels before the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her keeping quiet over their alleged 2006 affair.

Here are the key takeaways from the dramatic day in court:

‘I swatted him on the butt’: Key takeaways from Stormy Daniels’ Trump trial testimony

Melania’s office walks back plans for Barron Trump to be delegate at Republican convention

Saturday 11 May 2024 03:38 , Graeme Massie

Barron Trump to not appear as delegate at Republican convention

ICYMI: Stormy Daniels shoots down Trump attorney’s claims she made up sex story

Saturday 11 May 2024 03:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Over two hours of fierce cross-examination from Donald Trump’s legal team on Thursday, Stormy Daniels fought off attacks designed to undermine her credibility and cast her as a liar and opportunist.

In a series of quippy relies to Mr Trump’s attorney, she told the court that if if her account of having sex with the former president was a fabricated story, “I would’ve written it better.”

Alex Woodward filed this story from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan:

Stormy Daniels shoots down Trump attorney’s claim she made up sex story

Trump reveals youngest son Barron likes to give him ‘political advice’

Saturday 11 May 2024 02:41 , Graeme Massie

Trump reveals youngest son Barron likes to give him ‘political advice’

Rikers Island ‘prepared’ for Trump if former president jailed, says NYC mayor

Saturday 11 May 2024 02:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Rikers Island jail is “prepared to deal with the situation”, should Donald Trump be given prison time over continued violations of his gag order, the New York City mayor has insisted.

Eric Adams was quizzed about the unprecedented situation on Tuesday, but told reporters that the prison would “adjust to whatever comes our way”.

Mike Bedigan reports:

Rikers Island ‘prepared’ for Trump if former president jailed, insists New York mayor

The View host puts sordid twist on OJ Simpson’s infamous line for Trump: ‘If the condom don’t fit, then you must acquit’

Saturday 11 May 2024 01:43 , Graeme Massie

The View host puts sordid twist on OJ Simpson’s infamous trial line for Trump

Ex-Oval Office ‘gatekeeper’ cries on stand as she testifies about Trump firing her

Saturday 11 May 2024 01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

One of Donald Trump’s chief White House aides sobbed on the witness stand while testifying at his hush money trial as she remembered her former boss firing her from his administration after what she called a “regretful youthful indiscretion”.

Alex Woodward has the story:

Ex-White House ‘gatekeeper’ cries on stand as she testifies about Trump firing her

‘Real men’ respond to testimony by taking the stand, says Stormy Daniels

Saturday 11 May 2024 00:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Stormy Daniel has taunted Donald Trump about “real men” taking the witness stand, just a few hours after she finished testifying against the former president in his Manhattan hush money trial.

“Real men respond to testimony by being sworn in and taking the stand in court. Oh...wait. Nevermind,” she wrote on X.

Her comments came after Mr Trump blasted the judge in the case for refusing a request by his attorneys for a mistrial based on Ms Daniels’ testimony.

Martha McHardy has the story:

Stormy Daniels taunts Trump by saying ‘real men’ respond to testimony by taking stand

Why Stormy Daniels’ testimony could be damning to Donald Trump

Saturday 11 May 2024 00:31 , Graeme Massie

Why Stormy Daniels’ testimony could be damning to Donald Trump

Trump and Biden both have a Nikki Haley problem now

Saturday 11 May 2024 00:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden need to woo over Nikki Haley’s former voters, given that polling shows the two candidates running neck-and-neck. The existence of a significant amount of “double haters” who dislike the fact that they’re being asked to show up, once again, for the same two men from 2020 only makes this issue more severe.

But this week showed that both men will face an uphill struggle.

Continue reading...

Trump and Biden both have a Nikki Haley problem now

Key moments from week four of Trump trial as Stormy Daniels testified about hotel night together

Friday 10 May 2024 23:44 , Graeme Massie

Key moments from week four of Trump hush money trial

Republican congressman caught claiming KKK is the ‘military wing’ of Democratic party

Friday 10 May 2024 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Newly-obtained audio has captured Republican congressman Scott Perry claiming that the Ku Klux Klan is “the military wing of the Democratic party” in a closed-door meeting with other lawmakers.

In the audio, obtained by CNN, the Pennsylvania lawmaker also pushed the right-wing “replacement theory” – the baseless conspiracy theory that white people are slowly being replaced by minorities and immigrants – and claimed that migrants coming to the US “have no interest in being Americans.”

Amelia Neath has the story:

Audio captures Republican claiming KKK is the ‘military wing’ of Democratic party

Trump hush money trial: Key takeaways from Day 15

Friday 10 May 2024 22:30 , Ariana Baio & Alex Woodward

Prosecutors in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial presented a marathon of witnesses and experts to jurors on Friday to corroborate evidence of phone conversations and records in the case ahead of calling their final witnesses, including Mr Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen.

In a relatively quiet day for the hush money trial, jurors heard from a former Trump administration aide and three analysts who introduced phone records, text messages and other evidence that will tee up Cohen’s expected testimony next week.

Cohen, a star witness in the case, played a central role in helping the former president suppress politically damaging stories in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.

He coordinated with former tabloid publisher David Pecker to catch and kill stories and ultimately paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 for her silence over a sexual encounter she allegedly had with Mr Trump in 2006. The former president is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records over the $130,000 payment.

Cohen could take the stand to testify as early as Monday with Manhattan prosecutors telling New York Justice Juan Merchan they are on track to rest their case as soon as next Friday.

Here are the key moments from today’s day in court:

Key takeaways from day 15 of Trump’s hush money trial

Trump’s historic criminal trial produces vulgar court record

Friday 10 May 2024 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Joe Sommerlad writes:

When Justice Juan Merchan, the judge presiding over Donald Trump’s historic hush money trial in New York, found him in contempt of court for a tenth violation of the gag order, he warned the former president that he could face jail time if he continues to offend.

The judge acknowledged the momentousness of jailing a presidential candidate in an election year but told Mr Trump: “At the end of the day I have a job to do, and part of that job is to protect the dignity of the justice system.”

Unfortunately for Judge Merchan, “dignity” has been a commodity in short supply in the trial.

Read on...

The vulgar court record in Trump’s historic criminal trial

Giuliani loses radio show for peddling false claims about 2020 election

Friday 10 May 2024 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

In memoriam: The Rudy Giuliani Show.

No flowers.

Michelle Del Rey reports:

Rudy Giuliani has been suspended from his radio show for peddling false claims about the 2020 presidential election live on air.

WABC’s billionaire owner John Catsimatidis, who is also a Republican donor, told The New York Times that he had axed the former New York City mayor from “The Rudy Giuliani Show” and the radio show has been cancelled because he failed to comply with the station’s policy around the election.

Mr Catsimatidis said that Mr Giuliani had been given repeated warnings before his ousting.

Read on...

Rudy Giuliani loses radio show for peddling false claims about 2020 election on air

Listen: Trump claims stock market would be 30 per cent lower if he wasn’t leading in polls

Friday 10 May 2024 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Full story: Steve Bannon faces four months in jail after losing appeal

Friday 10 May 2024 21:27 , Oliver O'Connell

Katie Hawkinson reports:

Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon could soon be heading to jail after a federal court of appeals upheld his contempt of Congress conviction for failing to testify about the January 6 Capitol riot.

In a ruling on Friday morning, a three-judge panel with the Washington DC Court of Appeals denied Bannon’s appeal.

Continue reading for the full details...

Steve Bannon faces jail time after losing appeal for contempt of Congress charge

It’s been quite a week...

Friday 10 May 2024 21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Joe Khalil, White House correspondent for NewsNation, hit the nail on the head with the following tweet and helped out this reporter with a summary of just a portion of the craziness this week:

Our coverage is linked below:

Defiant Stormy Daniels comes face to face with Trump in court for tense testimony about ‘jump scare’ hotel sex

Kristi Noem loses cool with Fox host over dog killing story

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s very public bid to oust Mike Johnson fails minutes after she files motion

RFK Jr says a worm ate part of his brain and then died inside his head

Watch: ‘The View’ panel debate if Trump will go to prison

Friday 10 May 2024 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Prosecutors could wrap their case by next Friday

Friday 10 May 2024 20:25 , Alex Woodward

Manhattan prosecutors anticipated wrapping up their case in chief by 21 May. But they could finish several days earlier, according to Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass.

He told the judge that there were only two witnesses left – including Michael Cohen. It’s possible the prosecution could rest its case by the end of next week.

The next few weeks of the trial will take up three days each, rather than four (Wednesdays are “off” the calendar). Mr Trump convinced Judge Merchan to adjourn on 17 May so he could attend his son’s high school graduation, and the trial will also be “off” on 24 and 27 May. If the defense doesn’t present a case, or presents an abbreviated one, jurors could begin deliberating as soon as the first week of June.

Seth Meyers mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene over Trump’s ‘backhanded compliment’

Friday 10 May 2024 20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Comedian Seth Meyers used a comment from Donald Trump on Marjorie Taylor Greene, in which he called her smart, to mock the Georgia representative, following her failed attempt to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Speaking on his NBC Late Night show, Meyers threw back to a rally speech from Mr Trump in 2021, where he called Ms Taylor Greene “so smart” and one of his “favourite people”.

Dan Gooding has the story...

Seth Meyers mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene over Trump’s ‘backhanded compliment’

Allen Weisselberg could end up testifying after all

Friday 10 May 2024 19:51 , Alex Woodward

Allen Weisselberg, the twice-convicted former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, is currently in Rikers Island jail after pleading guilty to perjury in another case involving his former boss.

Weisselberg was sentenced to five months in jail after reaching a plea deal with Manhattan prosecutors to admit that he lied to state investigators and a judge probing the former president’s real estate empire in a sprawling civil fraud case.

Last year, he spent 100 days at the notorious New York jail after he was convicted on a range of tax crimes in another separate case stemming from a sweeping criminal investigation into the business.

Manhattan prosecutors now want to explain to jurors in Mr Trump’s criminal trial why he won’t be making an appearance, despite his name appearing throughout trial documents and on the lips of nearly every witness.

But Mr Trump’s attorneys don’t want jurors to know. It’s not the jail part that bothers them – it’s a severance agreement from the Trump Organization. Inside? A promise that he won’t “denigrate” the company “verbally or in writing or any of its entities.”

In other words, Weisselberg could lose out on his $750,000 severance if he testifies against his former boss.

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy suggested, half-jokingly, that the court could instead explain to jurors that he’s not appearing in court because he’s in jail for perjury.

“I think that would be one way to solve the problem,” the judge replied.

Judge Merchan said attorneys on both sides were “trying to jump the gun.”

“We’re trying to explain why he’s not here without making an effort to get him here,” he said.

He suggested that Weisselberg could be called into court to answer questions under oath but without a jury present. He’ll reserve a decision at a later date.

Watch: Trump continues to push bookkeeping as defence

Friday 10 May 2024 19:40 , Oliver O'Connell

A prediction proves accurate...

Friday 10 May 2024 19:22 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s usually The Simpsons that predicts the future, but today it fell to someone else entirely.

Lawyer, comedian and cable news contributor Dean Obeidallah made a solidly accurate prediction about one of the tweets shown to the court today, being proven right almost exactly six years ago to the day.

Then-president Donald Trump tweeted on 3 May 2018 at 6.46am:

Mr Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA. These agreements are.....

[The tweet was incorrectly threaded and so does not lead directly onto the next post]

Obeidallah replied:

This will be marked as an exhibit in trump’s criminal trial

Clearly, he saw the train coming down the tracks from a very long way off...

Hello, Fashion Police? I’d like to report a crime in progress

Friday 10 May 2024 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

New Yorkers probably thought the Met Gala was the biggest fashion event of the week but meanwhile, downtown...

As every Savile Row tailor doubtless recommends: a piece of sticky tape on the back of a tie will really elevate a look for the modern gentleman.

[Please don’t do this}

Full story: Hush money judge says Michael Cohen needs to stop talking about Trump

Friday 10 May 2024 18:57 , Oliver O'Connell

The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial in Manhattan has instructed prosecutors to tell Michael Cohen to stop talking about the case and about the former president.

Mr Trump’s attorneys have repeatedly suggested that New York Justice Juan Merchan find away to gag the former president’s one-time “fixer” turned nemesis and shameless critic.

Alex Woodward reports from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan:

Hush money judge says Michael Cohen needs to stop talking about Trump

Jimmy Kimmel roasts Trump for ‘falling asleep while Stormy Daniels testified'

Friday 10 May 2024 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has roasted Donald Trump for “falling asleep while Stormy Daniels testified about sleeping with him”, after jurors heard revealing testimony about the former president’s alleged tryst with the adult film star.

During his opening monologue on Thursday night’s show, Mr Kimmel relished what marked the second day that Ms Daniels took to the witness stand to testify in the former president’s hush money trial in New York.

Joe Sommerlad has the story...

Jimmy Kimmel roasts Trump over Stormy Daniels’ trial testimony

Friday 10 May 2024 18:26 , Oliver O'Connell

Per the pool in the hallway, here’s what Trump said:

Trump walked into hall at 1:09. Spoke for 10min.

Stood next to Blanche near pool.

Everyone else in his posse hung back, including Susie Wiles.

Asked by your pooler what he thought of the judge’s gag order on Michael Cohen.

“There is no gag order on Michael Cohen but what the judge did was amazing actually.”

Criticized Merchan and complained everyone is allowed to criticize him, while he remains gagged.

“The only thing he gives us to look a little bit good” called Merchan “a disgrace”

Touts various press clippings.

Complains about inflation under Biden.

Says Biden lies about everything “including his golf game.”

Talks about Biden’s Israel policy, says his donors are anti-Israel.

Criticized case.

“I would be very proud to go to jail for our Constitution.”

Talks at length about Mark Pomerantz and how the case is illegitimate.

Says a “very good bookkeeper” marked things as “a legal expense.”

Complains about how he can’t campaign while stuck in court. Calls Merchan a corrupt “thug.”

Says he thinks he can win the state of New Jersey. Rally tomorrow.

Claims the stock market is up because he’s leading in polls. If he loses, we’ll have a crash “like 1929"

I’ve been right about everything.”

Did not answer:

- should Allen Weisselberg testify?

- will you testify?

- Mr Blanche, what did you think of the judge’s gag order on Michael Cohen?

Trump appeared to mutter the word “Jeanine” on the way out (Pirro is in court), after he turned around and started leaving, but neither poolers nor pool microphone captured what he said.

‘I’d be very proud to go to jail for our constitution’ says Trump

Friday 10 May 2024 18:20 , Oliver O'Connell

...and yet he appears to be sticking very closely to the rules of the gag order.

Friday 10 May 2024 18:17 , Oliver O'Connell

The printouts are really not a good look...

Watch: Trump attacks Biden... over his golf game?

Friday 10 May 2024 18:16 , Oliver O'Connell

Trial adjourns for the weekend

Friday 10 May 2024 18:13 , Oliver O'Connell

The trial has now adjourned for the weekend.

Stand by for Trump’s inevitable hallway comments and our key takeaways from the day.

Court resumes at 9.30am on Monday, but stay tuned for all the latest news and analysis from Trumpworld.

Friday 10 May 2024 18:09 , Alex Woodward

“We have no control over what they do, and we have repeatedly, repeatedly, asked the witnesses to do that. Not just Mr Cohen. All the witnesses,” ADA Joshua Steinglass says.

“If Mr Blanche is asking the court to order the people not to do something, we have already done that,” he adds.

Judge Merchan finds a compromise.

“I will direct the People to communicate to Mr Cohen that the judge is asking him to refrain from making any more statements about Mr Trump or anything else related to this case.”

“That comes from the bench,” he adds, telling prosecutors to tell Cohen that the judge is “communicating that from the bench.”

Friday 10 May 2024 18:06 , Alex Woodward

Now lead defence lawyer Todd Blanche has some concerns about Michael Cohen, who “continues to speak publicly about this trial and President Trump,” on “TikTok, this time… wearing a white T-shirt with a picture of President Trump behind bars” and “announcing that he’s running for Congress”.

He wants Cohen “prohibited from talking” in the same way that Trump is by the gag order.

“It’s becoming a problem every single day that President Trump is not allowed to respond to this witness, but this witness is allowed to continue to talk,” Blanche says.

Friday 10 May 2024 18:05 , Alex Woodward

Prosecutors want to explain to jurors why Allen Weisselberg is not appearing at this trial.

He is in jail — as we noted earlier — But that’s not the sticking point.

Emil Bove doesn’t want prosecutors to introduce his separation agreement from the Trump Organization.

ADA Christopher Conroy suggests, sort of jokingly, that they could instead explain to jurors that he’s in prison for pleading guilty to perjury.

“I think that would be one way to solve the problem,” Judge Merchan says.

He then suggests there is a way to get Weisselberg on the stand, telling counsel that they’re maybe “trying to jump the gun.”

“We’re trying to explain why he’s not here without making an effort to get him here.”

He suggests bringing him forward without the jury but under record and under oath.

Jury excused for weekend

Friday 10 May 2024 17:55 , Alex Woodward

Jarmel-Schneider is off the stand and the jury is excused for the weekend.

Next week, prosecutors plan to introduce two more witnesses — one of whom we know is Michael Cohen.

There are only three days of court next week, but theoretically, they could be resting their case in chief next week, ahead of schedule.

Friday 10 May 2024 17:50 , Alex Woodward

One of the biggest things scrutinized in these custodian witness testimonies is trying to explain why a phone call appeared to interrupt a phone recording on Cohen’s phone. This is the recording he took where he asked Trump about the catch-and-kill scheme, which we heard a snippet of earlier in the trial.

We see a phone record for the call, and this is where defence attorney Emil Bove digs in, claiming that Jarmel-Schneider was only making a “hypothesis” for the two calls back to back.

Jarmel-Schneider notes the timestamps. “I’m not sure if the recording … would’ve automatically cut off if it would be answered if not,” he says.

Friday 10 May 2024 17:30 , Alex Woodward

Emil Bove, on cross-examination, suggested that the work Jarmel-Schneider was tasked with was boring and tedious.

“Honestly” he replied, “I kind of enjoyed it.”

“Respect,” Bove said with a laugh.

Friday 10 May 2024 17:29 , Oliver O'Connell

New witness: Jaden Jarmell-Schneider

Friday 10 May 2024 17:10 , Oliver O'Connell

The next witness for the prosecution is Manhattan DA’s office paralegal Jaden Jarmel-Schneider.

He wrote reports based on what could be established from Michael Cohen’s phone records.

Friday 10 May 2024 16:58 , Alex Woodward

Lead defence attorney Todd Blanche is up now, clarifying that Longstreet is just reading things that were written down.

No further questions.

Friday 10 May 2024 16:56 , Alex Woodward

At one point, Dylan Howard said he got into it with his CEO (presumably David Pecker), and “explained that 2 people saved his ass today and i’m leading this call with this people and i’m going to tell them how it’s going to be”

He said he is “not going to burn my lifelong contact for these f***ers.”

Another round:

Rodriguez: They didn’t pay and she doesn’t believe it and she’s doing her press conf in the morning she hired another attorney

Howard: What deadline did they have?

Rodriguez: This morning

And then, on October 26:

Howard: Good news I hear

We previously saw emails between Michael Cohen and Keith Davidson, with Cohen blowing past deadlines for payment and Davidson threatening to walk.

Davidson also said Cohen was making up excuses that he assumed was an attempt to wait until after the election to pay up.

Friday 10 May 2024 16:52 , Alex Woodward

October 9

Howard: I’m at dinner I will email contract when back at hotel or by first thing AM

Rodriguez: Daily mail is offering 200

Rodriguez some days later: Never heard from you and stormy leaves tomorrow to go back home. … DM wants it too

Howard: Ok i will call in a few hours

October 17 2016:

Rodriguez: We’re not doing the trump deal

Howard: Keith gave me a heads up. What happened?

Rodriguez: They didn’t pay when they said they would … Daily mail wants it bad so we’re doing it

October 19 2016

Howard: Spoke to Keith last night and we’re all good

Rodriguez: Ok

Howard: Sorted out?

Rodriguez: :[redacted]

Howard: Good

Friday 10 May 2024 16:51 , Alex Woodward

October 9 2016

Rodriguez: Daily mail too

Howard: Well I will buy it but I ain’t got 250k Lol. GMA can’t pay her - they can license pix etc. I will tie up ASAP if we can get a realistic price

Rodriguez: How much

Howard: I can get 100

Rodriguez: Lol

Rodriguez:: Ok what about 150k?

Howard: 110.

Rodriguez: 125k

Howard: Lol

Rodriguez: 120

Howard: Sold

Friday 10 May 2024 16:44 , Alex Woodward

October 8 2016:

Rodriguez: Stormy Daniels and Trump with her is up on The Dirty and Fox News has been calling. Stormy has not confirmed or spoken are you interested?

Howard: She will confirm on record?

Rodriguez: Yes

Howard: Can you email me the pitch on Stomy? I need to elevate it to my CEO

Howard: He likely will pay

Rodriguez: Yes I’ll send to you

Howard: Ok

Howard: How much for Stormy?

Rodriguez: 250k

Howard: You have that bid?

Rodriguez: Yes working on it

Rodriguez: GMA wants her too

Friday 10 May 2024 16:41 , Alex Woodward

We see email exchanges from Dylan Howard and “G” (with the rest redacted, though we know G is Gina Rodriguez, and Longstreet just said her name).

Longstreet did the redactions in that exchange.

And now messages on 7 April 2016 between Howard and Rodriguez.

Rodriguez: But stormy daniels was his mistress

Howard: I bet she was

Howard: Can u email what u have on that

Rodriguez: Yes I will send you have I have

Howard: Great

It’s the first of several exchanges between them, mostly trying to nail down a time to meet to discuss Stormy.

Portions of these messages have been seen before during the trial.

Friday 10 May 2024 16:28 , Alex Woodward

Further tweets are shown to the court:

And then this one which appears to describe the case Mr Trump is currently answering to:

[It’s not threaded properly but obviously there was more to that one]

Friday 10 May 2024 16:24 , Alex Woodward

Next, the court is shown this tweet:

Friday 10 May 2024 16:22 , Alex Woodward

Longstreet (who works for the Manhattan DA’s office) previously explained that she was tasked with identifying publicly available materials like social media posts and news articles relevant to the case.

As part of her job, she reviewed somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 social media posts, and then used a screenshot app to save them, note them, and “hash” them, which gives them a digital footprint to preserve their integrity.

The court is shown this thread from 2018:

Next witness: Georgia Longstreet

Friday 10 May 2024 16:18 , Alex Woodward

Judge Merchan informs the jurors that they may end early today.

The next witness on the stand is Georgia Longstreet, the paralegal who researched tweets ahead of the trial and who testified right before Hope Hicks last week.

Court resumes

Friday 10 May 2024 16:14 , Alex Woodward

Court is back in session.

Judge Merchan sides with the defense on an objection to the inclusion of a clip from The Larry King Show in 1999 in which Donald Trump says he knows all about campaign finance.

There are two witnesses left today and the prosecution has roughly an hour left on the clock.

Merchan plans to keep working through until 1pm and see how we’re doing.

Potentially court could end early for the day.

What would jail be like for Trump if judge seeks prison time over gag order violations?

Friday 10 May 2024 16:00 , Joe Sommerlad

As the third week of testimony in Trump’s hush money trial draws to a close, the former president continues to face the very real possibility that he might end up seeing the inside of a jail cell.

But what on earth would that look like for him?

James Liddell reports.

What would jail be like for Trump over further gag order violations?

Friday 10 May 2024 15:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Court breaks for the morning recess.

Friday 10 May 2024 15:52 , Alex Woodward

Tomalin is breaking down another set of phone records. This set belongs to Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.

Weisselberg is currently serving time in New York’s infamous Rikers Island prison for perjury.

Ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg begins perjury sentence at notorious Rikers Island

Breaking: Steve Bannon will be jailed after court upholds contempt of Congress charge

Friday 10 May 2024 15:47 , Oliver O'Connell

Katie Hawkinson reports:

A federal court of appeals upheld Steve Bannon’s contempt of Congress charge after he appealed the conviction.

Bannon, an ex-adviser to Donald Trump, will now begin his four-month jail sentence.

This is a developing story...

Steve Bannon faces jail time after losing appeal for contempt of Congress charge

New witness: Jenny Tomalin

Friday 10 May 2024 15:45 , Alex Woodward

The next witness is Jenny Tomalin of Verizon.

Her job is to basically comply with subpoena requests to the company and testify as a custodian witness about records in evidence, which is what she’s doing now.

We have to have these kinds of witnesses because from what I understand the defense has objected to the admission of anything without them.

Friday 10 May 2024 15:33 , Alex Woodward

The court is shown user information for Michael Cohen, teeing up the admission of evidence from Cohen’s phones to be used in his testimony.

New witness: Daniel Dixon

Friday 10 May 2024 15:21 , Alex Woodward

“The People call Daniel Dixon.”

Dixon works as a lead compliance analyst for AT&T.

He’s a custodian witness under subpoena to AT&T. One of his job duties is working with law enforcement to pull records.

Friday 10 May 2024 15:20 , Alex Woodward

Prosecutor Rebecca Mangold begins redirect by mentioning that Westerhout previously said that Trump did not “freak out” about the Access Hollywood tape.

“I don’t recall saying that.”

That tape came out in October 2016.

“You did not meet Trump until November? … You didn’t spend any real time until January 2017? … So you have no firsthand knowledge of his reaction?”

She admits she has no firsthand knowledge.

With her testimony done, Westerhout is excused.

Friday 10 May 2024 15:17 , Alex Woodward

Westerhout says Trump “was very upset” during a conversation about Stormy Daniels after the Wall Street Journal story in early 2018.

“In my understanding, he knew it would be hurtful to his family,” she says.

He said that to you?

“I don’t believe he specifically said that but I could just tell the whole situation was unpleasant,” she says.

(Objection, sustained, and answer stricken.)

“Meaning,” she says, “he didn’t specifically mention his family in that conversation.”

No further questions.

Friday 10 May 2024 15:12 , Alex Woodward

“In your experience Rhona Graff [Trump’s executive assistant in New York] was very careful about not wanting to spend the president’s money without his approval, right?” asks Necheles.

Yes.

(Yesterday, Westerhout said she made an “executive decision” about whether to approve the purchase of a Tiffany frame for the Oval Office — “Sorry, sir,” she joked with Trump from the stand.)

“You understood he was too busy to be dealing with this kind of thing, right?” Necheles asks.

(All the questions end with “right?” so they’re technically all “yes or yes” questions.)

Friday 10 May 2024 15:08 , Alex Woodward

Necheles is arguing via her line of narrative-building yes or no questions that Trump had a problem getting mail to the White House, so he used Keith Schiller, who then relied on Westerout, to get mail to him.

“And that’s what this whole testimony of FedEx packages was about, right?” Necheles asks. “Is it your understanding that this workaround existed in prior administrations as well?”

Objection. Sustained.

She tries again.

“I can’t imagine it would be any different,” Westerhout says.

Trump is slouched back, smiling and nodding while Westerhout smiles and laughs answering “yes” to questions about meeting with Trump while he was signing checks.

What you need to know about Michael Cohen as his testimony looms next week

Friday 10 May 2024 15:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Kelly Rissman writes:

Michael Cohen was once so close to Donald Trump that he “would take a bullet for” him, he said.

In the seven years since professing this unwavering loyalty, the former lawyer and “fixer” has suffered his own very public downfall and criminal conviction, and is now recast as star witness in the Manhattan district attorney’s hush money case against the former president.

It is a role that Cohen both relishes — as reformed “truth-teller” who enthusiastically pulls back the curtain on the alleged murky dealings of Trump world — and reviles.

Some of those close to Cohen recently told The Independent that he faces significant risks by taking the stand against his former boss.

Continue reading...

Michael Cohen was Trump’s inside man. Now, he’s on the stand and at risk, friends say

Friday 10 May 2024 14:59 , Alex Woodward

Prosecutor Rebecca Mangold steps in to voir dire.

She asks Westerhout if she has any specific recollection of seeing these documents.

“Yes, my lawyer showed me.”

Mangold meant whether she had ever seen them in 2016, when the schedules were created. Does she have any recollection of receiving these personally? No.

She says her lawyer showed them this morning.

Merchan denied the motion to admit them into evidence.

Friday 10 May 2024 14:57 , Alex Woodward

She only “vaguely” remembers Trump talking to Weisselberg about a check, but Necheles says it might not even have happened. She agrees.

“He spoke to so many people,” Westerhout says.

An objection from prosecutors and a sidebar before a piece of evidence is shown to jurors.

Necheles is showing her travel schedules (we can’t see them yet) that she asks Westerhout to confirm were created every day during his campaign and shared with the RNC and campaign.

Would you see them?

“Probably yes.”

Friday 10 May 2024 14:51 , Alex Woodward

That contacts list included “people he spoke to a lot before he became president,” Necheles asks.

“Or might be interested in speaking to,” Westerhout says.

The list included “many people on that list who never called the Oval Office” as well as people Trump “never called while he was in the Oval Office,” Necheles asks. Westerhout confirms.

Westerhout is smiling and excitedly nodding along when asked about how exciting it was for Trump to board AF1 for the first time, an image captured on the front of The New York Times and then clipped up and shared with a lot of his friends and associates.

Cross-examination of Madeleine Westerhout resumes

Friday 10 May 2024 14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward is reporting live from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan:

The jury is back in.

Cross-examination of Madeleine Westerhout by defence attorney Susan Necheles resumes.

Yesterday, Westerhout said that the RNC (where she worked before Trump) had “conversations” about “how to replace him as a candidate if it came to that” after the Access Hollywood tape.

Necheles opens by confirming that the RNC and Trump worked closely together after he won the nomination, before getting into some travel details – but she didn’t have her exhibit ready so “we’ll come back to that”.

We’re now looking at the Trump contacts list, which had a wide range of notable names on it.

Trump bashes out a quick post on his way to court

Friday 10 May 2024 14:39 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump posted a quick all-caps rant on Truth Social on his way to the courthouse this morning:

THERE IS NO CRIME, ACCORDING TO ALMOST EVERYONE, AND IT IS TOO LATE FOR OUR CORRUPT GOVERNMENT TO CREATE ONE!

What about the 34 criminal charges then? 🤔

Watch: Defendant Trump has printed out his favourite parts of the internet again

Friday 10 May 2024 14:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Court resumes

Friday 10 May 2024 14:34 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is seated in the courtroom wearing a big red tie — his more traditional choice.

Judge Juan Merchan is at the bench and things will get rolling shortly.

Here’s the pool report on the former president’s hallway remarks:

Trump entered the hall at 9:22. Spoke for 6min.

Standing next to Todd Blanche, who held a binder in one hand and clenched his fist with the other. The rest of his legal team hung back in the hall.

Ignored questions about whether he would accept Stormy’s challenge to testify.

Said campaign rally in Wildwood NJ was coming on Saturday.

Complained about supposed unfairness of case, touted opinion articles from pundits.

“Certain words I’m not allowed to read” he commented as reading from articles. Said he’s “not a friend of Alan Dershowitz” while citing one article he wrote.

“If I put one wrong word in, they’re gonna put me on jail” he said while trying to read from Byron York column.

“They don’t like it when I talk during the day because they don’t want me talking at all.”

Said yesterday was “incredible” and trial is ’so horrible.”

“I’ll go now sit in that freezing courtroom for 8 or 9 hours and think about being on the campaign all day”

Ignored question about how he’ll vote in Florida’s abortion referendum

Merchan blocks Trump’s attempt to subpoena Mark Pomerantz

Friday 10 May 2024 14:29 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Juan Merchan has ruled in favour of the prosecution to quash a subpoena of former special assistant district attorney Mark Pomerantz by the Trump defence team.

Mr Pomerantz joined the people’s motion against defendant Donald Trump on 4 April and has provided documentation and materials to the prosecution that are pertinent to the case which have been shared with the defendant.

Judge Merchan found the defendant’s request for a subpoena too broad and at times not relevant to the case in hand.

Mr Pomerantz was hired by the former Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance to investigate the allegations against Mr Trump but he failed to make a case.

It was only when Alvin Bragg took was sworn in as Manhattan DA in January 2022 that the case was revived and presented to a grand jury resulting in the charges against Mr Trump that the current trial concerns.

Read his full ruling here.

Trump gets own son Barron’s age wrong

Friday 10 May 2024 14:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Perfect. Of course he did.

Here’s Martha McHardy on some seriously poor parenting.

Donald Trump gets own son Barron’s age wrong

Michael Cohen expected to begin testimony on Monday in Trump hush money trial

Friday 10 May 2024 14:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Ariana Baio reports:

Michael Cohen, a former lawyer for Donald Trump who is now a central witness in the New York election interference case against the ex-president, is expected to begin his testimony on Monday for the trial, according to reports.

This is a developing story...

Alex Woodward, reporting for The Independent from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, notes:

David Pecker was on the stand across four days of the trial at the beginning of testimony. Michael Cohen will likely take up a similar amount of time, if not more. The defense team is expected to try to torch his credibility in the case, particularly after blowing it with Stormy Daniels this week.

Roy Cohn: The ruthless McCarthy lieutenant-turned-Trump mentor so loathed he was branded ‘a new strain of sonofab****’

Friday 10 May 2024 14:00 , Joe Sommerlad

If you’re looking for a little pre-trial reading, here’s Sheila Flynn’s profile of the man who taught Trump everything he knows about publicity and litigation, the subject of a new film starring Jeremy Strong.

Roy Cohn, the ‘evil’ McCarthy lieutenant who got Trump elected

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s fire was suddenly extinguished this week. She has made herself irrelevant

Friday 10 May 2024 13:45 , Joe Sommerlad

The Georgia populist made sure to milk every moment of the six weeks since she filed her motion to vacate against Republican House speaker Mike Johnson, perhaps fully aware that it was a desperate act that threatened to leave her even further adrift from the mainstream of her party.

Here’s Eric Garcia to reflect on the attention-seeking missile and her next move.

Marjorie Taylor Greene has officially made herself irrelevant

Lara Trump: Former president will accept election results ‘if’ he feels they are fair

Friday 10 May 2024 13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Is she ever off the TV these days?

Seriously though, this is disturbing and should be taken at face value.

Trump turns to oil industry for $1bn towards campaign

Friday 10 May 2024 13:15 , Joe Sommerlad

The Republican candidate solicited a $1bn donation from oil executives during a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort last month, a new report reveals

Oil executives met with Trump to discuss environmental regulations when the former president vowed to reverse many of President Joe Biden’s policies if elected, The Washington Post reports.

He then asked for a $1bn donation to his 2024 presidential campaign from the attendees, according to the outlet.

Katie Hawkinson has more details.

Trump turns to oil industry for $1bn as they draft executive orders for him

Jim Mattis called Trump ‘a madman in a circular room screaming’

Friday 10 May 2024 13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Away from the courtroom (briefly), Trump’s one-time secretary of defense, Jim “Mad Dog” Mattis, has, rather brilliantly, described the former president as “a madman in a circular room screaming”, according to a new book.

The quote comes via Tom Bossert, Trump’s homeland security adviser from 2017 to 2018, and is carried in the forthcoming hardback The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis.

The new book from journalists George Stephanopolous and Lisa Dickey (the former, in particular, hated by Trump) discusses the history of presidential crises since John F Kennedy and is set to be published next week.

Katie Hawkinson reports.

Jim Mattis described Trump as ‘a madman in a circular room screaming’, book reveals

New York civil fraud case: Trump’s trial judge under investigation over unsolicited advice to attorney

Friday 10 May 2024 12:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Remember that other Big Apple court case involving the Republican presidential candidate?

No, not E Jean Carroll. The other one. The one that ended with Trump being found liable for the illegal inflation of Trump Organization assets and fined $355m plus $110m in interest and asked to place a $175m bond.

Well, the presiding justice, Judge Arthur Engoron, is now under investigation by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct after a New York real estate attorney claimed he gave him unsolicited advice ahead of the multi-million-dollar ruling.

Here’s Kelly Rissman to explain.

Trump’s fraud trial judge faces probe after attorney claims he advised him on case

Live: Donald Trump’s hush money trial continues at Manhattan Criminal Court

Friday 10 May 2024 12:44 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s our latest livestream from New York.

New York hush money trial: Trump attack dog Habba complains about media ‘snarking’

Friday 10 May 2024 12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Alina Habba rebuked some high-profile correspondents on Fox last night for enjoying themselves at Trump’s trial but (just about) stopped herself from going after the jury too, having commenced a dicey diatribe about their alleged giggling.

On the same channel (where else?), Daniels came under fire from the likes of Jeanine Pirro and Laura Ingraham, with self-awareness in short supply from the pundits.

Truth Social: Trump attacks George Conway after he labels cross-examination ‘complete disaster and a fiasco’

Friday 10 May 2024 12:15 , Joe Sommerlad

The lawyer ex-husband of Kellyanne Conway is unlikely to let this one pass without retaliation. To be fair to him, he looks like he was taken hostage by his wife in the first one.

Incredibly, a live, hard copy version of this petty attack apparently took place in court yesterday!

The defendant was presumably not too happy to catch an undeterred Conway’s dismantling of his lawyers’ performance against Stormy Daniels on CNN last night.

New York hush money trial: What else did we learn yesterday?

Friday 10 May 2024 12:12 , Joe Sommerlad

A few miscellaneous points from Alex Woodward below on details we heard for the first time on Thursday:

• Karen McDougal is not testifying. Trump’s team tried to file a motion about the former Playboy model, but it appeared to be bait to get prosecutors to say whether she will make an appearance. She won’t.

• Does dinner mean food? Defense attorneys spent several minutes interrogating Stormy Daniels about what she meant when she said “dinner” with Trump.

• Doing porn for a living means you shouldn’t be surprised when a nearly naked man more than twice your age asks for sex, according to Trump’s attorneys.

• Susan Necheles entered the phrase “orange turd” into the record several times, quoting a tweet from Daniels responding to someone calling her a toilet: “Pretty sure that it’s hyperbole, if someone calls me a toilet, that I can flush somebody,” she replied. “I’m also not a toilet.”

• The Republican National Committee had “conversations” about “how to replace him as a candidate if it came to that” after the Access Hollywood tape, Madeleine Westerhout said.

• Judge Merchan was stunned that defense attorneys totally fumbled their cross examination of Daniels by either forgetting or declining to object to parts of her testimony – particularly her multiple references to the fact that Trump didn’t wear a condom: “That shouldn’t have come out. I wish that didn’t come out… For the life of me I don’t know why she didn’t object.”

New York hush money trial: What to expect on Day 15

Friday 10 May 2024 12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s the latest from Alex Woodward outside Manhattan Criminal Court once more:

“We’re at the end of a third week of witness testimony and nearly a full month of Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan.

“There are roughly seven days left in the prosecution’s self-appointed countdown clock in the case against Trump, and a shrinking pool of witnesses to fill in the gaps.

“Stormy Daniels – whose grim account of having sex with Trump in a 2006 hotel room is partially the reason we’re all here – testified for nearly seven hours over two days, coming to a climax with the defense’s aggressive suggestions that she lied about and extorted from the former president to enrich herself. But the adult film star wasn’t buying it, and she fired quick-witted answers right back at Trump’s attorney Susan Necheles.

“Her time on the stand went so badly for Trump’s team that his attorneys once again tried, and failed, to get a mistrial, arguing that her testimony was too damaging for jurors to separate her vivid details from the facts of the case.

“Prosecutors on Thursday argued that those very same ‘messy details’ explain exactly what Trump sought to hide in the hush money scheme, giving jurors the full and proper context to understand why a presidential candidate would want to bury her allegations in the weeks before Election Day, and then cover it up in his company’s accounting.

“We’ll finish hearing more about that accounting paper trail on Friday morning when former White House aide Madeleine Westerhout returns to the stand. On Thursday, she explained how she handed FedEx packages full of personal checks for Trump to sign while he was in office – including the reimbursements to Michael Cohen at the heart of this case.

“Cohen himself is due to make his debut on the stand as soon as today, but we’re all still in the dark about the order of witnesses. He is expected to link all the events described by witnesses and documents thus far: how we handled ‘catch-and-kill’ for Trump, his negotiations with Daniels’ attorney, setting up a shell company to wire her money, and then pleading with Trump to pay him back, in a scheme to cover up his payments as ‘legal expenses’ to cover it all up.”

Trump says Jewish people should be ‘ashamed’ to vote for Biden

Friday 10 May 2024 11:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Before Trump even entered the courtroom yesterday, he took the opportunity to stoke controversy by declaring that Jewish American voters should be “ashamed” to cast their ballot for Joe Biden in November’s presidential election.

“What Biden is doing with respect to Israel is disgraceful,” he proclaimed.

“If any Jewish person voted for Joe Biden, they should be ashamed of themselves. He’s totally abandoned Israel and nobody can believe it.”

Katie Hawkinson reports.

Trump says Jewish people should be ‘ashamed’ to vote for Biden

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website