It was a headline writers’ dream of a trial: A porn star describing sex with a future president, a look inside the seediest kind of journalism and a disgraced lawyer dishing the dirt on his former boss.
Throughout it all, Donald Trump gave the air of a man who could care less, leaning back in his leather seat, eyes closed, in an act of either sleep or disdain.
The defense rested its case on Tuesday morning without the defendant taking the stand.
The result is that for all the dirt dished, and the evidence presented by 22 witnesses, the Republican candidate for president came through largely unscathed.
A survey conducted by DailyMail.com pollster J.L. Partners revealed that few Americans are paying attention and, among those that are, the former president’s approval rating even saw a tiny uptick.
The defense rested its case Tuesday. Defendant Donald Trump did not take the stand. It leaves his fate in the hands of 12 jurors who are due to begin their deliberations next week
The jury is still days away from delivering its verdict, but Trump can claim victory in the court of public opinion.
Throughout it all, Trump and his allies have kept up attacks on Judge Juan Merchan and his court, depicting the trial as a political show trial.
Trump’s son Don Jr. said it would have been a mistake for his father to testify in those circumstances.
‘You don’t justify that insanity,’ he told reporters.
‘Look at the clowns they put on there. You don’t subject yourself to that nonsense.
‘You’re going into a kangaroo court, nothing more nothing less.’
Yet critics pointed out that Trump had previously said he would have ‘no problem’ testifying in his own defense.
‘Just a reminder: the jury absolutely cannot hold it against Trump for not testifying,’ posted Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell on X.
‘BUT YOU CAN. If Trump promised you at a press conference that he’d testify and then doesn’t, you should conclude he’s guilty as hell.
Donald Trump Jr spoke to journalists outside court. He said it would have been a mistake for his father to testify. ‘There’d be absolutely no reason, no justification to do that whatsoever. Everyone sees it for the sham that it is,’ he said
Trump arrived on Tuesday with an entourage of supporters. From left, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, former Acting United States Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, Donald Trump Jr., U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and radio host Sebastian Gorka
Trump denies 34 counts of falsifying business records as part of an effort to hide a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Prosecutors accused him of trying to buy and bury negative and salacious stories ahead of the 2016 election.
Of the four criminal cases facing Trump, it was considered perhaps the weakest. Yet with the other three cases all stalled, it has become the most consequential, and the only one likely to be concluded before November’s election.
‘They have no case,’ said Trump on Tuesday morning, before the court adjourned.- ‘There’s no crime.’
The Trump campaign complained throughout that it kept its candidate off the campaign trail to deliberately help President Joe Biden.
Instead the campaign came to Trump. For the past week, several of his potential VP picks (including Sen. J.D. Vance, Gov. Doug Burgum, and Vivek Ramaswamy) as well as a slew of members of Congress sat behind him in the courtroom, before stepping outside during the morning break to slam proceedings in front of the waiting cameras.
Yet for all the fire and fury, there are signs that the American public is not paying much attention.
Barely more than one in ten (13 percent) said they were paying ‘a great deal’ of attention to it, according to the J.L. Partners poll.
Supporters of former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump protest near the Manhattan Criminal Court
Adult film star and director Stormy Daniels delivered sensational evidence during the trial
Trump’s former fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen described his role in the hush money payment
It has had little impact on people’s views of Trump, said James Johnson, who conducted the poll of 897 likely voters.
Just 11 percent said it would make them view him less favorably, while 12 percent said they would view more positively.
Johnson said that Trump had been constant attack for things that been disproved, such as links to Russian election interference or questions over Hunter Biden’s laptop, or for misrepresenting his remarks at rallies. The public was weary and wary.
‘The effect of the trial on Trump’s reputation? Our polling finds it hasn’t made the blindest bit of difference,’ he said.
‘People are either locked into their views on Trump, whether positive or negative – and those that have taken a more negative view have been offset by those who feel more sympathetic towards Trump since the trial began.
‘There are numerous factors at play — the perceived political motivation behind the trial being a large factor — but also a public weariness with attacks on the former president. Trump’s opponents have bored the voters into tolerance of Trump.’
The Trump campaign has even seen a surge in fundraising, despite the candidate being stuck in the courtroom.
Figures released Tuesday showed Biden failed to match Trump’s numbers for the first time, after the former president held a series of big-money events. So while Biden and the Democratic machine raised more than $51 million in April, Trump raked in $76 million.
The next question is whether a conviction will move the dial.
The jury is due to return next Tuesday to hear closing arguments and then begin their deliberations.