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☆ Trump trial: Hush money case resumes with testimony from Michael Cohen's ex-banker
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media at Manhattan criminal court in New York, U.S., on Friday, April 26, 2024. The New York criminal trial of Donald Trump is set to resume Tuesday with more testimony from a banker who worked with the former president's lawyer on a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. That payment is at the heart of Manhattan prosecutors' case accusing Trump of falsifying business records as part of a scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election. Gary Farro, a former senior managing director at First Republic bank, took the stand Friday and is poised to continue testifying Tuesday. The historic trial kicked off in state Supreme Court last week with opening statements and testimony from the first witnesses, including former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker and Trump's longtime personal secretary Rhona Graff.

Persons: Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Gary Farro, David Pecker, Rhona Graff, Pecker Organizations: U.S, New, First, National Enquirer, American Media Locations: Manhattan, New York, U.S, First Republic

☆ Supreme Court won't let former Trump aide Peter Navarro out of jail while he appeals sentence
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former Donald Trump adviser Peter Navarro holds a press conference before turning himself into a federal prison on March 19, 2024, in Miami, Florida. The Supreme Court on Monday denied a request by Peter Navarro, a former advisor to ex-President Donald Trump, to get out of jail while he appeals his four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Navarro claimed that the doctrine of executive privilege shielded him from responding to the subpoena. But much of the information sought by the committee was not covered by executive privilege, and Trump did not assert executive privilege in the first place, noted U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar in a March filing to the Supreme Court.

Persons: Donald Trump, Peter Navarro, Neil Gorsuch, Navarro, Trump's, Joe Biden, Trump, Elizabeth Prelogar Organizations: U.S . Capitol, Supreme Locations: Miami , Florida, Miami, U.S

☆ Trump trial split screen: Hush money case resumes with David Pecker testimony as Supreme Court hears immunity claim
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump waits for the start of proceedings in Manhattan criminal court on April 23, 2024. The New York criminal trial of Donald Trump is set to resume Thursday with more testimony from David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer and a key player in the former president's alleged hush money scheme. Trump is required to be in Manhattan Supreme Court for his criminal trial. Judge Juan Merchan denied Trump's request to skip at least part of the trial day Thursday to attend the Supreme Court oral arguments. "I made the decision to buy the story because of the potential embarrassment to the campaign and Mr. Trump," he testified.

Persons: Donald Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump, Joe Biden, Judge Juan Merchan, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen Organizations: U.S, The New, National Enquirer, Trump, Washington , D.C Locations: Manhattan, The New York, Washington ,

☆ Supreme Court to hear Trump immunity claim in election interference case
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Supreme Court on Thursday is set to consider whether former President Donald Trump is immune from federal prosecution on criminal election interference charges. Along with Smith's case in Washington, D.C., Trump is charged in Georgia with attempting to reverse his loss to Biden in that state's 2020 contest. Trump will not be at the Supreme Court to hear the oral arguments because he is required to attend his New York criminal trial. ET before the nine justices, three of whom were nominated by Trump during his one term as president. The Supreme Court agreed to take up the case after two lower courts rejected Trump's claim that he is immune from the indictment being prosecuted by Smith.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith's, Joe Biden, Trump, Smith Organizations: Defense Department, HHS, White, Trump, Washington , D.C, Biden, Supreme Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington ,, Georgia, Manhattan, York

Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, speaks during an impeachment inquiry hearing in Washington, Nov. 13, 2019. Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes on Tuesday urged House Republican committee leaders to investigate possible "unlawful manipulation" of the company's stock. Trump Media, which began trading on the Nasdaq on March 26 after completing a lengthy public merger, was far and away the most expensive U.S. stock to short as of early April. The letter comes as the stock price of Trump Media, which created the social media app Truth Social and is majority-owned by former President Donald Trump, continues to trend down in volatile trading sessions. The stock dropped nearly 5% early Wednesday but turned positive before noon, trading around $33 per share.

Persons: Devin Nunes, Nunes, Patrick McHenry, Jim Jordan, Jason Smith, James Comer, Donald Trump, DJT Organizations: House Intelligence, Trump Media, Republican, GOP, Nasdaq, Financial Locations: Washington, R, Ohio, Spokespeople

☆ Trump trial: Hearing on gag order violations; David Pecker to resume testimony
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The New York hush money trial of Donald Trump is set to resume Tuesday with testimony from its first witness, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. Most either referenced, or linked to articles referencing, Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen, a key witness in the Manhattan Supreme Court trial. The posts "unquestionably relate to known witnesses and prospective jurors in this criminal trial" in violation of Trump's gag order, a state prosecutor wrote in a court filing Thursday. Defense lawyer Todd Blanche fired back, "I have a spoiler alert: There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accuses Trump of carrying out the hush money scheme in order to influence the 2016 election, which he would go on to win.

Persons: Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump's, Michael Cohen, Jesse Watters, Juan Merchan, Trump, Matthew Colangelo, Todd Blanche, It's, Cohen, Daniels, Attorney Alvin Bragg Organizations: National Enquirer, Manhattan Supreme, Fox News, Liberal, Trump, Manhattan, Attorney Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, York

☆ Trump trial set for opening statements and first witness testimony: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Prosecutors and defense lawyers in the New York hush money trial of Donald Trump are set Monday to deliver opening statements and start calling witnesses to testify. Cohen paid $130,000 to Daniels less than two weeks before the election, which Trump went on to win. American Media earlier in 2016 also allegedly paid $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also says she had an extramarital affair with Trump. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in order to conceal his reimbursement to Cohen for paying off Daniels. Trump in a post Monday morning on Truth Social defended those payments to Cohen as he railed against the DA.

Persons: Donald Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump's, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, Daniels, Trump, Karen McDougal, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bragg Organizations: U.S, Manhattan Criminal, National Enquirer, American Media, NBC News, Trump, Republican, Daniels . Manhattan, Attorney, Social, DA Locations: New York City, New York, Daniels

☆ Trump trial set to pick final alternate jurors for hush money case
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears ahead of the start of jury selection at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 15, 2024 in New York City. The New York criminal hush money trial of Donald Trump is poised to get its final five alternate jurors Friday after a full 12-person panel and one alternate were seated a day earlier. Judge Juan Merchan anticipates opening arguments in the Manhattan Supreme Court trial to begin Monday. Trump has said that he would testify in the hush money trial. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has fumed that the trial is a "scam" and a "witch hunt" aimed to damage his electoral chances against President Joe Biden.

Persons: Donald Trump, Juan Merchan, Alvin Bragg's, Trump, E, Jean Carroll, defaming, Carroll, Merchan, Sandoval, Joe Biden Organizations: U.S, Manhattan Criminal, New, Manhattan Supreme, Trump, Manhattan Locations: New York City, New York, Manhattan

Fire extinguishers (R) are left at the park across from Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City after a man reportedly set himself on fire during the trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump, in New York City on April 19, 2024. A man set himself on fire Friday outside of the New York courthouse where a jury was being picked for the criminal hush money trial of former President Donald Trump. NBC News reported that the man was in an area across from Manhattan Supreme Court that is cordoned off for protestors. Judge Juan Merchan had been scheduled to hold a hearing Friday afternoon on the admissibility of past conduct by Trump as evidence at the trial. On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams was spotted just outside the building.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Judge Juan Merchan, Eric Adams Organizations: Manhattan Criminal, NBC News, Manhattan Supreme, Flames, Trump, Brooklyn Bridge, CNBC, New York Police Department, New York City Locations: Manhattan, New York City, York, Brooklyn, New York

☆ Trump trial: Full jury chosen for New York hush money case
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Former US President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom at Manhattan criminal court in New York, US, on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Jeenah Moon | ReutersA full jury of 12 people was seated Thursday at the New York criminal hush money trial of former President Donald Trump. "The whole world is watching this New York scam," Trump said. Trump has denounced the trial as a political "witch hunt" and complained that it keeps him off the campaign trail. Former President Donald Trump visits a bodega in the Harlem neighborhood of upper Manhattan where a worker killed a man who had assaulted him in 2022, on April 16, 2024 in New York City.

Persons: Donald Trump, Juan Merchan, Trump, Alvin Bragg's, Joe Biden, Stormy Daniels, Brendan McDermid, Merchan, Chris Conroy, Conroy, Jesse Watters, Elizabeth Williams, Reuters Conroy, Watters, Silvio Berlusconi, Berlusconi, Judge Juan Merchan, Spencer Platt Organizations: Reuters, New, Former U.S, Prosecutors, Fox News, Liberal, Manhattan Criminal, Trump, Via Reuters Trump, Getty Locations: Manhattan, New York, York, New York City, U.S, Italy, Italian, bodega, Harlem

☆ Trump gripes he can't reject 'unlimited' jurors in New York hush money trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump complained Wednesday that his lawyers were not given "unlimited" chances to reject prospective jurors at his New York criminal hush money trial. Trump suggested that New York City, which leans heavily Democratic, is only better than Washington, D.C. Trump also faces criminal election interference charges in federal court in Washington. Trials for Class E felonies, which include the charges of falsifying business records that Trump faces, get the fewest number of challenges. Trump's complaint on Truth Social demonstrates "his willful ignorance of the law," said Jeremy Saland, another New York criminal defense attorney. Trump's lawyers and prosecutors can make an unlimited number of requests to Judge Juan Merchan to strike a potential juror for cause.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Samantha Chorny, Jeremy Saland, Saland, doesn't, Juan Merchan, Merchan Organizations: U.S, Manhattan Criminal, New, D.C, Trump, CNBC Locations: New York City, York, Washington, Manhattan, New York

☆ Trump trial: Jury selection continues day after no members picked in hush money case
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press after the first day of his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, U.S. on April 15, 2024. Jury selection in the New York criminal hush money trial of former President Donald Trump is set to continue Tuesday, after the first day ended without anyone on the 12-person panel being seated. Monday's session in Manhattan Supreme Court revealed some of the many challenges of prosecuting Trump, the highly polarizing presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Of the first 96 potential jurors brought in for the proceeding, more than half were excused after saying that they could not be fair or impartial to Trump. Trump then griped outside of court after the session that Merchan was preventing him from attending Barron Trump's graduation.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Judge Juan Merchan, Merchan, Barron Trump's Organizations: U.S, Manhattan Criminal, New Locations: New York City, U.S, New York, Manhattan

Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends a campaign event on April 02, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Spencer Platt| Getty ImagesThe hush money trial of Donald Trump is set to kick off Monday in New York with jury selection, the first time a former U.S. president has ever faced a criminal trial. Trump's lawyers last week repeatedly sought to delay Monday's start date with last-ditch efforts in an appeals court, but those efforts all failed. Trump, who is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is charged with nearly three dozen counts of falsifying business records in Manhattan Supreme Court, where he will be required to be in the courtroom every day for the trial. Former attorney for former U.S. President Donald, Michael Cohen, leaves after attending the Trump Organization civil fraud trial, in New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, October 24, 2023.

Persons: Donald Trump, Spencer Platt, Trump, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, Daniels, Donald Organizations: U.S, Getty, Manhattan, Attorney, Trump Organization, Court Locations: Grand Rapids , Michigan, New York, U.S, Manhattan, New York City

☆ Trump Media shares plunge after company files to issue additional DJT stock
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

This photo illustration shows an image of former President Donald Trump reflected in a phone screen that is displaying the Truth Social app, in Washington, DC, on February 21, 2022. Shares of Trump Media plunged more than 17% in premarket trading Monday after the company filed to issue millions of additional shares of stock. Trump Media's dramatic slide came as Donald Trump headed to a Manhattan court to begin jury selection for his criminal trial on hush money-related charges. Trump is the majority stakeholder in the company. Trump Media, which created the Truth Social app and trades under the stock ticker DJT on the Nasdaq, fell nearly 20% last week.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: Trump Media, Trump, Nasdaq Locations: Washington ,, Manhattan

☆ Trump says he would testify in upcoming hush money trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Donald Trump said Friday that he would testify under oath in his criminal hush money trial, which is set to begin in New York on Monday. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee spoke at a press conference with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., at Trump's Florida resort home Mar-a-Lago. The trial — the first ever against a former president — centers on a hush money payment in late 2016 to porn star Stormy Daniels, who says she had an extramarital affair with Trump years earlier. Trump is expected to be in court throughout the trial, which could last over six weeks. Asked at Mar-a-Lago what he will be looking for when the jury selection process begins Monday, Trump said, "Jury selection is largely luck.

Persons: Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, Trump's, Trump, —, Stormy Daniels, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Juan Merchan Organizations: Mr, Manhattan, Attorney Locations: Lago, Palm Beach , Florida, New York, Trump's Florida

☆ Trump tries to boost support for Truth Social as his media stock tanks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump on Friday urged his followers to support his social media app Truth Social, as its parent company's stock continues to sink lower. "If people who believe in putting America First and want to Make America Great Again, support TRUTH," Trump wrote. Despite the fall in share price and the company's lack of revenue, Trump Media still boasted a market capitalization of more than $4.2 billion. Trump owns more than 57% of the company's stock, though he is barred from selling his stake until a six-month lockout period expires. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, defended Truth Social from its critics earlier in April.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Devin Nunes, Nunes Organizations: Trump, America, Trump Media & Technology Group, Nasdaq, Trump Media, Trump Media's, Republican, Fox

☆ Trump is about to face trial on criminal hush money charges. Here's what to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks from the hallway outside a courtroom where he is attending a hearing in his criminal case on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, in New York City on March 25, 2024. Michael Cohen, former attorney for Donald Trump, arrives to the New York Courthouse on March 13, 2023. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges related to hush money payments made to two women before the 2016 election. Trump has voluntarily attended numerous hearings in the hush money case and his other criminal cases, generating waves of mainstream media attention that his regular campaign events no longer muster. Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits with his lawyer Susan Necheles in the courtroom at a hearing in his criminal case on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, in New York City on March 25, 2024.

Persons: Donald Trump, Brendan Mcdermid, Reuters Donald Trump, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jane Rosenberg, Reuters Trump, Michael Cohen, Eduardo Munoz, Trump's, Cohen, Daniels, Bragg, Karen McDougal, David Pecker, Juan Merchan, Will Trump, Eric Trump, Angela Weiss, Judge Merchan, —, Norm Eisen, Eisen, Reuters Cohen, McDougal, Bradley Smith, Susan Necheles, Reuters Trump's Organizations: U.S, Reuters, Manhattan, Attorney, New, DA, Reuters Central, Trump, Trump Organization, National Enquirer, American Media Inc, Former U.S, Manhattan Criminal, Eric Trump Via Reuters, Trump Media & Technology Group, Manhattan Federal, AFP, Getty, Democrats, Court, NBC, Federal, Commission Locations: New York City, New York, Manhattan, Lago, Palm Beach , Florida

☆ Former Trump executive Allen Weisselberg sentenced to five months in jail for perjury
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg (C) arrives for sentencing at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 10, 2024, in New York City. Former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg on Wednesday was sentenced to five months in jail for lying under oath during the civil business fraud trial of Donald Trump. Weisselberg declined to speak before the judge in a brief hearing in Manhattan criminal court. He spent three months in jail at Rikers last year after pleading guilty to helping orchestrate a tax fraud scheme at the business. Weisselberg on March 4 admitted lying during his testimony in the civil fraud trial brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James against Trump, his two adult sons, his business and its executives.

Persons: Allen Weisselberg, Donald Trump, Weisselberg, Seth Rosenberg, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Trump, Letitia James Organizations: Trump Organization, Manhattan Criminal, Former Trump Organization, Attorney, Trump . New, New York Locations: New York City, Manhattan, Rikers, Trump . New York

☆ Trump Media director accused of 'hacking' files in attempted corporate 'coup': lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That blank-check company last month completed a merger to take Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. public, allowing it to trade on the Nasdaq. Those co-founders have sued Trump Media in Delaware Chancery Court over their stake in the company. Trump Media did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment on the lawsuit. Trump Media in an April 1 regulatory filing reported that ARC II owns 6.9%, or about 9.5 million shares, of the post-merger company. To access the account, which "stores the lifeblood" of both investment firms, Swider allegedly enlisted Cano, Orlando's former assistant.

Persons: Donald Trump, Stefani Reynolds, Donald Trump's, Eric Swider, Patrick Orlando, Swider, Orlando, Alexander Cano, DWAC's, he's, Cano, Orlando's, Brendan Mcdermid Organizations: AFP, Getty Images Investment, Benessere Investment Group, ARC Global Investments, Digital, Swider, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp, Nasdaq, Trump, DWAC, Securities and Exchange Commission, Trump Media, Wired, Orlando, collude, ARC II, ARC, Benessere, Truth Social, Trump Media & Technology Group Locations: Washington ,, South Florida, Orlando, Florida, Delaware Chancery, New York City, U.S

☆ Trump loses bid to delay hush money trial while he fights gag order
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A New York appeals judge on Tuesday knocked down yet another long-shot bid by Donald Trump to delay his criminal hush money trial, this time by seeking a pause while he challenges his court-imposed gag order. The swift rejection marked Trump's second failed attempt in less than 24 hours to postpone the Manhattan Supreme Court trial, which is set to begin jury selection in six days. The gag order bars Trump from speaking about likely witnesses in the case, and from making certain statements about other related figures including lawyers, court staff and their respective family members. Presiding Judge Juan Merchan last week expanded the gag order to stop Trump from targeting the family members of the judge and the D.A. Those witnesses are publicly attacking Trump and he is unable to respond, Bove told the judge, according to NBC.

Persons: Donald Trump, Cynthia Kern's, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Juan Merchan, Emil Bove, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Trump's, Bove, Matthew Colangelo, Bragg, Steven Wu, Kern, Wu Organizations: Manhattan Supreme, Trump, Manhattan, Attorney, NBC News, NBC, Department of Justice Locations: York, Manhattan

☆ Trump loses last-minute bid to halt hush money trial while he seeks new venue
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A New York appeals court judge on Monday swiftly rejected a last-ditch bid by Donald Trump to delay his upcoming criminal hush money trial while he seeks to move the case to another court. Trump has frequently targeted both groups in the run-up to the Manhattan Supreme Court trial, which is set to begin jury selection next week. At a hearing Monday afternoon, defense attorney Emil Bove urged appellate Judge Lizbeth Gonzalez to delay the hush money trial, according to NBC. Wu added that Trump, who regularly rails against the case on social media and the campaign trail, is responsible for the media frenzy. He cannot drum up a media circus and then use that publicity to seek a change of trial venue, Wu told Gonzalez.

Persons: Donald Trump, LIV, Judge Lizbeth Gonzalez, Trump's, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Emil Bove, Lizbeth Gonzalez, Bove, Steven Wu, Wu, Gonzalez Organizations: U.S, Miami, Trump National Doral Miami, NBC News, Trump, NBC, Manhattan Supreme, Attorney Locations: Doral , Florida, York, New York, Manhattan

In this photo illustration, an emergency alert is displayed from the national Emergency Broadcast System warning of an earthquake in the area on April 5, 2024 in New York City. Earthquakes of Friday's magnitude are relatively rare in the northeastern U.S., and the intensity and duration of Friday's quake startled people across the region. The National Tsunami Warning Center said there was no danger of a tsunami on the East Coast after the quake. The USGS said there was a 46% likelihood of another earthquake of magnitude 3.0 or greater in the next week. The Federal Aviation Administration inspected runways at the three major airports in New York City and Newark, New Jersey.

Persons: @NYSE, CNBC's Carl Quintanilla, X Organizations: . Geological Survey, Earthquakes, New York Stock Exchange, State, Tsunami Warning, Federal Aviation Administration, Newark Liberty International, United Airlines Locations: New York City, Allentown , Pennsylvania, Whitehouse, New Jersey, Boston, Baltimore, U.S, New York, Manhattan, East Coast, Newark , New Jersey, Newark, JFK, LaGuardia, Philadelphia

☆ Trump defends Truth Social as media company's skeptics grow, stock price whipsaws
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Trump on Thursday defended his social media platform Truth Social as a growing chorus of critics — and short sellers — view its parent company as a meme stock with a vastly overinflated share price. Trump Media has become by far the most expensive stock in the U.S. to sell short, according to data firm S3 Partners. Trump Media said it might eventually change its mind and report that data, but it also "may never collect, monitor, or report any or certain key operating metrics." Trump said his roughly 7 million followers on Truth Social is "very good for a startup, and growing fast." Truth Social saw roughly 5 million visits in February, according to an estimate by research firm Similarweb reported by the Associated Press.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, doesn't, Trump, Devin Nunes, DJT, Elon Musk Organizations: Trump, Radical Left Democrats, Trump Media & Technology Group, Trump Media, Partners, Nasdaq, Capitol, Associated Press, Facebook Locations: U.S

☆ Trump loses bids to dismiss classified docs, Georgia election cases on the same day
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump on Thursday afternoon lost two separate attempts to dismiss criminal charges against him in his Florida and Georgia cases. In Florida federal court, Judge Aileen Cannon rejected Trump's bid to drop charges against him related to his alleged mishandling of hundreds of classified documents after he left the White House. In a brief order, Cannon wrote that Trump's argument, which hinged on his interpretation of the Presidential Records Act, was an insufficient basis for dismissal. That ruling came about two hours after Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee denied Trump's attempt to dismiss his Georgia election interference case on the grounds that it violated his free speech rights. The twin losses came one day after New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan denied a request by Trump to delay his upcoming criminal hush money trial.

Persons: Donald Trump, Aileen Cannon, Trump's, Cannon, Scott McAfee, Juan Merchan, Trump, Cannon's, Jack Smith, Smith Organizations: White, Presidential Records, Fulton, New York, Records Locations: New York City, Florida, Georgia

☆ Trump loses bid to dismiss Georgia election interference case on free speech grounds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A judge on Thursday denied an effort by Donald Trump to dismiss his criminal election interference case in Georgia on grounds that the indictment violates his free speech rights. "Even core political speech addressing matters of public concern is not impenetrable from prosecution if allegedly used to further criminal activity," McAfee wrote. The defendants argued that their speech about Georgia's 2020 election results was political and that they cannot be prosecuted for making even false political statements. But the charges do not hinge solely on whether their election claims were true or false, McAfee wrote. "The allegations that the Defendants' speech or conduct was carried out with criminal intent are something only a jury can resolve."

Persons: Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Joe Biden, Scott McAfee, McAfee Organizations: U.S, Atlanta Hartsfield, Jackson International, Fulton County Superior Locations: Fulton County, Atlanta , Georgia, Georgia

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