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Donald Trump will be in Florida on Friday for the high school graduation of his teenage son Barron Trump before jetting out for a fundraising dinner in Minnesota.
The Republican presidential candidate’s hush money trial wrapped up for the week on Thursday after a day of heated cross-examination in which key witness Michael Cohen was grilled by defense attorney Todd Blanche.
The former “fixer” for the defendant spent the entire day on the stand in Judge Juan Merchan’s Manhattan courtroom, with much of the questioning revolving around previous occasions in which he had lied under oath.
Mr 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, 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.
Judge Merchan has now asked both sides to prepare for closing arguments on Tuesday.
Alex Woodward is covering the trial from Manhattan Criminal Court.
New York hush money trial: The best sketches from Trump’s five weeks in court
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.
Here’s a look at some of their best work.
Trump’s dinner with oil executives sparks inquiry by House Democrats
House Democrats are investigating Trump’s alleged promise that he will undo certain all-important climate policies to please the fossil fuel sector if its denizens agree to bankroll his return to the White House.
Here’s Stuti Mishra’s report.
Tim Scott enlists Kellyanne Conway to boost chances of becoming Trump’s veep
Former 2024 Republican candidate and South Carolina senator Tim Scott is lobbying hard among Trump’s inner circle in the hope of becoming his pick for vice president.
Scott is leaning on Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s 2016 campaign manager, as he pushes himself as the top choice, The Daily Beast reported on Thursday.
His private lobbying effort is coupled with a very public one – Scott has hit cable news and declared in recent days that he would do “whatever it takes” for the man who worked to overturn the 2020 election and is facing 88 felony counts.
John Bowden has more.
Kamala Harris agrees to debate with Trump’s running mate
The US vice president has agreed to take part in a veep debate with Trump’s so-far-unnamed running mate just a day after the Republican candidate and President Joe Biden agreed to two showdowns.
The Biden-Harris campaign said on Thursday that it had accepted an invitation from CBS News to take part in a VP debate either on 23 July or 13 August.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
‘Stand back and stand by’: Matt Gaetz invokes Trump’s infamous call to Proud Boys at trial
MAGA Republican Matt Gaetz invoked Trump’s notorious – and widely condemned – call to the far-right group the Proud Boys as he showed up in court in Manhattan to support the former president at his hush money trial.
“Standing back and standing by, Mr President,” Gaetz wrote on X, along with an image of himself at the courthouse.
The phrase echoed Trump’s infamous comments on stage at one of the 2020 presidential debates against now-president Joe Biden.
Other fringe GOP goons present at court yesterday including representatives Lauren Boebert (who was booed and heckled with cries of “Beetlejuice!”), Andy Biggs, Anna Paulina Luna, Mike Waltz and Eli Crane.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
New York hush money trial: Key takeaways from Day 18
Here’s Alex Woodward and Ariana Baio with yesterday’s wrap.
New York hush money trial: Jury hears audio of Cohen celebrating Trump’s indictment
Scathing audio played to the jury yesterday revealed Cohen celebrating his former boss’s indictment on criminal charges, saying “I hope he rots” in jail “for what he did to me”.
During a tense morning of cross-examination on Thursday, Todd Blanche worked hard to undermine the witness’s credibility, painting the former lawyer as a revenge-seeking liar.
The defence played audio from an October 2023 episode of Cohen’s podcast Mea Culpa, in which he excitedly says he “truly f***ing hopes” that Trump “ends up in prison”.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold,” he is heard to say in the clip.
Alex Woodward reports from the courthouse.
New York hush money trial: Trump attorney screams at Cohen over critical phone call
Let’s have a quick recap of yesterday’s events in Judge Merchan’s courtroom.
Trump’s defence attorney unleashed a furious line of questions to accuse star witness Michael Cohen of lying about his testimony that he spoke to Trump after finalising a deal to pay Stormy Daniels hush money in 2016.
Todd Blanche, after spending several hours painting the former “fixer” as a serial liar, raised his voice and screamed from inside the courtroom after grilling him about a pivotal phone call that connected the former president to a conspiracy at the centre of the case.
“That’s a lie!” he fumed.
Alex Woodward watched proceedings on Thursday.
What we know about Donald Trump’s youngest son Barron
Here’s a brief introduction to the young man whose high school leavers’ ceremony Trump so desperate to attend.
Trump to headline political fundraiser after crying off court to attend son’s high school graduation
Somewhat outrageously, Trump is planning to headline a political fundraiser today, the very same day he demanded a break in the hush money trial so that he could attend his youngest son Barron’s high school graduation.
The Minnesota Republican Party has announced that the former president will headline its annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner event on Friday 17 May, the same day that Barron Trump graduates from Oxbridge Academy in the Sunshine State.
“We are thrilled to welcome President Trump back to Minnesota,” state GOP chairman David Hann said in a statement. “I can think of no one more fitting to join us this year than President Trump.”
The fundraiser will be held in St Paul, Minnesota, a roughly three hour and 45 minute flight from West Palm Beach, where Barron’s graduation ceremony will take place.
Here’s more from Graig Graziosi on Trump being given an inch and taking a yard.
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2024-05-17 12:26:05Z
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