Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial resumed on Monday at Manhattan Criminal Court, with the former president’s estranged ex-lawyer Michael Cohen concluding his testimony and the prosecution resting its case against the former president.
Cohen endured something of a rocky ride on the stand when he was accused of lying by Trump attorney Todd Blanche and challenged over inconsistencies in his public statements about the Stormy Daniels payoff at the heart of the case.
Mr Trump denies having an affair with the adult film star and all of the 34 felony charges he faces over the $130,000 payment made to her in October 2016 to ensure her silence during his presidential campaign.
It is unlikely but not certain if the defendant himself plans to testify but the defense has begun to present its case. Closing arguments were expected on Tuesday but have now been pushed to next week.
Over the weekend, Mr Trump addressed the National Rifle Association (NRA) in Dallas, Texas, and pledged to roll back all anti-gun legislation introduced by Joe Biden should he win in November.
Alex Woodward is covering the trial for The Independent at Manhattan Criminal Court.
Biden says 2020 election loss left Trump ‘unhinged’
Joe Biden described Donald Trump as “unhinged” following the Republican’s loss of the 2020 presidential election. The US president was delivering commencement address at Morehouse College, a historically Black men’s college in Atlanta, in a visit to the battleground state of Michigan on Sunday, 19 May. Discussing the January 6 Capitol insurrection, Mr Biden said: “Surely something snapped in Trump… That’s why on January 6, what happened? Every legal avenue Trump tried to challenge the election failed. “He’s not only obsessed about losing 2020. He is clearly unhinged… He calls the insurrectionists who stormed Capitol Hill – patriots.”
Oliver O’Connell21 May 2024 03:15
Did a 14-year-old prank caller blow up Michael Cohen’s testimony?
Alex Woodward reports on a call the defence claims is at the center of the case against Donald Trump:
Oliver O’Connell21 May 2024 02:15
After blaming 2020 loss on mail balloting, Trump tries to convince GOP voters it’s ok now
Marta Moehring voted the way she prefers in Nebraska’s Republican primary Tuesday — in person, at her west Omaha polling place.
She didn’t even consider taking advantage of the state’s no-excuse mail-in ballot process. In fact, she would prefer to do away with mail-in voting altogether. She’s convinced fraudulent mailed ballots cost former President Donald Trump a second term in 2020.
“I don’t trust it in general,” Moehring, 62, said. “I don’t think they’re counted correctly.”
But now Republican officials — even, sometimes, Trump — are encouraging voters such as Moehring to cast their ballots by mail. The GOP has launched an effort to, in the words of one official, “correct the narrative” on mail voting and get those who were turned off to it by Trump to reconsider for this year’s election.
ICYMI: Trump surrogates drowned out by protesters outside court
Oliver O’Connell21 May 2024 00:45
Cohen ‘stealing’ is ‘more serious’ than Trump’s charges claims CNN legal analyst
During CNN’s coverage, legal analyst Elie Honig said that the practice, which is considered larceny in New York state, was “crushing” the prosecution’s credibility.
Oliver O’Connell21 May 2024 00:15
It’s been another long day in court…
Here’s a music break courtesy of Randy Rainbow:
Oliver O’Connell20 May 2024 23:45
All the GOP lawmakers who have signalled they won’t accept election results
The next presidential race is already all but certain to be a rematch of the 2020 contest between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, which ended with a clear victory for the Democrat that the incumbent refused to accept.
Oliver O’Connell20 May 2024 23:15
Trump biopic investor ‘furious’ with portrayal of ex-president ahead of Cannes premiere
A new biopic about Donald Trump’s early years under the mentorship of lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival tonight (20 May), but some of the film’s backers are reportedly unhappy about how the former president is portrayed.
Kevin E G Perry has the story:
Oliver O’Connell20 May 2024 23:00
More hallway remarks: Trump appears to violate gag order by talking about witness Robert Costello
Trump named witness Bob Costello by name in his remarks. “You saw what happened to a highly respected lawyer today, Bob Costello. Wow,” Trump said.
“Thank you very much. You saw what you saw. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. A tyrant, and everyone’s talking about it. This is what we have. We have an active judge, an appointed judge by Democrats by the club. This is our fourth week…”
“You saw what happened, what just took place in that court. Hopefully, the motion to dismiss this trial will go through because this is a disaster for our country. It’s a disaster for New York state, New York City.”
“The press I imagine is not happy they just got thrown out of a courthouse. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it.”
“You saw what happened to a highly respect lawyer today, Bob Costello. Wow. I’ve never seen anything like that. Highly respected.”
Alex Woodward notes: Trump appears to be testing the fences after his surrogates got away with defying the gag order, so he’s now right back to talking about witnesses.
Oliver O’Connell20 May 2024 22:43
Trump’s hallway remarks
Trump exited the courtroom at 5:08 p.m. and opened by talking about the courtroom fireworks.
“You saw what we saw,” he said. “That was an incredible display.” He seemed to call the judge “a tyrant.”
“You saw what happened, what just took place in that court.”
Members of his entourage stand behind him as he speaks.
Trump is currently addressing reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom. A few top lines from the former president:
“You saw what we saw. That was an incredible display … a tyrant.”
“This trial is a disaster for our country. It’s a disaster for New York City, New York State.”
“The press I imagine is not happy they just got thrown out of a courthouse. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it.”
“This is a show trial, there’s no actual crime or evidence.”
He’s now opining on various pundits who have commented about the trial, including director Oliver Stone.
There was also this bizarre movie reference:
Oliver O’Connell20 May 2024 22:35
