Donald Trump’s hush money trial has wrapped up for the week after a day of heated cross-examination of key witness Michael Cohen by defense attorney Todd Blanche. The former “fixer” for the defendant spent the whole day on the witness stand in Judge Juan Merchan’s Manhattan courtroom.
Much of the questioning revolved around previous occasions in which he had lied under oath. These had been previously brought up by the prosecution with Cohen noting that his lies were to protect Mr Trump, then his boss.
Blanche zeroed in on whether Cohen, who received tens of thousands of calls per year, could specifically remember what was discussed in a 90-second call in 2016.
The witness remained calm and steadfast during his testimony, also walking the jury through the strategy allegedly employed by Mr Trump’s inner circle to delay making the $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in October 2016 to buy her silence about the sexual encounter she claims he had with the politician in July 2006.
As court ended on Thursday, Judge Merchan asked both sides to prepare for closing arguments on Tuesday.
Alex Woodward is covering the trial from Manhattan Criminal Court.
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Gustaf Kilander has the details…
Oliver O’Connell17 May 2024 04:15
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Mike Johnson branded Trump’s ‘prop’
Congressman Jim McGovern has condemned House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson as a “prop of Donald Trump” after he attended the former president’s hush money criminal trial.
The Democrat delivered the scathing criticism after Mr Johnson skipped a House session, to instead be 200 miles north in Manhattan to attend Mr Trump’s criminal trial as Mr Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Micahel Cohen took the stand.
Mr McGovern, who’s a fellow House member, branded Mr Johnson’s presence at Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday as a “stunt”.
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Sketchy characters: The best courtroom drawings from Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial
But with no cameras permitted inside Manhattan Criminal Court, it has been left up to the courtroom sketch artists to give life to the proceedings, with the drawings of professionals Jane Rosenberg, Elizabeth Williams and Christine Cornell capturing the key moments and helping to illustrate the many twists and turns.
Joe Sommerlad looks at some of the best of the work:
Oliver O’Connell16 May 2024 23:15