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☆ Cohen on Cross: 5 Takeaways From Trump’s Criminal Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | Kate Christobek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Michael Cohen faced a fierce cross-examination on Tuesday afternoon in the criminal trial of Donald Trump, as the defense tried to tear down the prosecution’s key witness. Mr. Cohen was repeatedly attacked by Mr. Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, who suggested he was being evasive on the stand, had selective amnesia and was a jilted former employee profiting off his hatred of the former president. Mr. Cohen, once Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer, has testified that Mr. Trump directed him to pay $130,000 in hush money to Stormy Daniels, a porn star, to suppress her account of a sexual rendezvous with him in a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006. Mr. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement of Mr. Cohen. Mr. Trump, 77, has denied the charges and says he did not have sex with Ms. Daniels.

Persons: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, Cohen, Todd Blanche, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Daniels Organizations: Mr Locations: Lake

☆ Trump’s Defense Cast Michael Cohen as Untrustworthy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Todd Blanche, the lead lawyer defending Donald Trump in his New York criminal trial, wasted no time today before aggressively questioning the prosecution’s star witness, Michael Cohen. “Sure,” Cohen replied. The cross-examination, which will continue on Thursday after the trial takes a day off, could prove to be crucial. Cohen is the prosecution’s 19th and final witness, and likely the most important one. During his two days of testimony, he has claimed that Trump knew at the time that the 2016 hush-money payment, which is at the center of the felony charges against him, would be falsely labeled legal expenses.

Persons: Todd Blanche, Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Blanche, Trump’s, Trump, ”, ” Blanche, ” Cohen Organizations: Trump Locations: New York

“Sounds like something I would say,” responded Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer. The question set the tone for the cross-examination of the Manhattan district attorney’s key witness in the hush money trial against the former president. For roughly two hours, Blanche began a cross-examination to try to discredit Cohen’s allegations against Trump. Blanche then asked whether Cohen called Trump a “Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain.”“That also sounds like something that I said,” Cohen said. “You were telling the truth, correct?” Blanche asked in regards to the compliments Cohen gave Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Todd Blanche, Michael Cohen, Blanche, Cohen, Cohen “, ”, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Daniels, Joshua Steinglass, Juan Merchan, ” Cohen, “, Donald Trump, ’ ” Cohen, Trump Blanche, ” Blanche, Blanche . Trump, Robert Mueller’s, Jay Sekulow, –, Susan Hoffinger, Florida Sen, Rick Scott, Sen, J.D, Vance of Ohio, Doug Burgum, Mike Johnson, Byron Donalds, Cory Mills, Vivek Ramaswamy, Johnson, Lara Trump, Eric Trump, ” Ramaswamy, ” Trump Organizations: CNN, Trump, Trump . Assistant, Trump –, Federal, Commission, FBI, Trump Organization, North Dakota Gov, Republican National Committee Locations: Manhattan, Russia, United States, New York, Florida, Louisiana

AdvertisementDonald Trump sits next to his attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove during the former president's criminal hush-money trial in Manhattan. Eric Trump listens as his father, Donald Trump, speaks to the media in the courtroom hallway during the former president's criminal hush-money trial. Vance listens as Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Manhattan courthouse where his hush-money trial is taking place. AdvertisementFormer President Donald Trump speaks alongside his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, during a rare joint appearance as they arrived to vote in Florida's primary election. "There was no crime," Donald Trump railed Tuesday as he spoke to reporters in the courtroom hallway.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Michael Cohen —, Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Johnson, Doug Burgum, Byron Donalds, Cory Mills, Donald Trump's, Eric Trump, Lara Trump, Todd Blanche, Emil Bove, Craig Ruttle, Trump, Johnson, Cohen, Justin Lane, Susan Hoffinger, Ohio Sen, J.D, Vance, Nicole Malliotakis, Alabama Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Brenna Bird, Steve Marshall, Mark Peterson, Michael Cohen, Florida Sen, Rick Scott, Ken Paxton, Katie Phang, Jeanine Pirro, Andrew Guiliani, Rudy Giuliani, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, CNN's Anderson Cooper, Giorgio Viera, reimbursing Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, I've Organizations: Service, Trump, Business, GOP, Mike Johnson , North Dakota Gov, Florida Rep, cochair, Republican, Vance , New York, Alabama, Conservative, Fox News, Getty, Prosecutors, Manhattan, Attorney's Locations: York, Manhattan, Mike Johnson ,, Florida, Cory Mills of Florida, Washington, Donalds, Ohio, Vance ,, Alabama, Iowa, Texas, Tahoe

Blanche grilled Cohen — the prosecution's star witness in Trump's New York criminal hush-money trial — about the many times that Cohen insulted both Trump and himself on social media. Blanche said as he questioned Cohen about an April 23 TikTok Cohen made just days after the historic trial began. While questioning Cohen, Blanche then asked him about his referring to Trump as "a boorish cartoon misogynist." Michael Cohen, the ex-lawyer for former President Donald Trump, departs his home in Manhattan to testify in Trump's criminal hush-money trial. Prosecutors allege Trump illegally disguised records reimbursing Cohen for a $130,000 hush-money payment made to Daniels ahead of 2016 election.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Todd Blanche, Michael Cohen, Blanche, Cohen, Trump, douchebag, TikTok Cohen, Cohen deadpanned, Donald Trump, Mike Segar Cohen's, Juan Merchan, Jvlebw8A1O, Jacob Shamsian ⚖️, Cohen's, Susan Hoffinger, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, reimbursing Cohen Organizations: Service, Business, REUTERS, MeidasTouch Network, Trump, White, Prosecutors Locations: Trump's New York, Manhattan, ., Tahoe

☆ Opinion: Did Trump’s defense think this strategy would work on Cohen?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The forceful direct examination of former Trump fixer-turned-star prosecution witness Michael Cohen concluded Tuesday in the Manhattan criminal trial of former President Donald Trump. But the cross was uneven and Cohen, like Stormy Daniels before him, held his own. Whether that will change in the days ahead remains to be seen, but in any event, the cross of Cohen got off to an inauspicious start. ), his anti-Trump podcast (showing bias, but Cohen owned it) and even selling anti-Trump merchandise (showing financial motive, but again failing to get a rise out of Cohen). However, even when Blanche confronted Cohen with his most inflammatory social media comments, such as calling Trump a “dictator douchebag” and a “Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain,” Cohen was utterly unfazed.

Persons: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, Todd Blanche, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Allen, Weisselberg, Daniels, Norm Eisen, Susan Hoffinger, ”, Hoffinger, “, Blanche, ” Cohen, Susan Necheles, Necheles, Judge Juan Merchan, douchebag ”, mercifully, Blanche’s Organizations: CNN, Trump fixer, Trump, Trump Organization, Trump “, Twitter Locations: Manhattan

Prosecutors say it’s entirely possible they could rest their case by the end of this week. Cohen himself was federally charged with campaign finance violations, tax crimes and lying to Congress in previous testimony. Judge to Cohen: Please stop talking: Trump attorney Todd Blanche urged Judge Juan Merchan on Friday to order Cohen to stop talking about the trial and Trump. Trump is not allowed to talk about Cohen because of the gag order in place. Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass responded that prosecutors have repeatedly instructed Cohen and all of the other witnesses in the case not to speak publicly about it.

Persons: Donald Trump, Cohen, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, He’s, Trump, Alvin Bragg’s, Todd Blanche, Judge Juan Merchan, Blanche, Joshua Steinglass, ”, Merchan, White, Madeleine Westerhout, Westerhout, Daniels, she’d, Read Organizations: Trump, Manhattan, White, White House

Cohen’s testimony ties together the prosecution’s allegations that Trump broke the law by falsifying business records to reimburse Cohen and conceal the hush money payment that Cohen said he made at Trump’s direction. Cohen described his conversations with Trump during the Daniels hush money negotiations, which prosecutors backed up using Cohen’s phone records to show when the two had spoken. Trump,” Cohen said. “Reimbursement of my money,” Cohen said. They joined Trump for the high-profile Cohen testimony, sitting in the gallery behind the former president at the defendant’s table.

Persons: CNN — Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Cohen, Daniels, Susan Hoffinger, Todd Blanche, perjurer, David Pecker, Keith Davidson, Karen McDougal, Pecker, Davidson, Dylan Howard, Hope Hicks, “, ” Cohen, ”, Hoffinger, ” Hoffinger, “ Mr, Michael Cohen's, Melania, CNN “, Trump’s, reimbursements Cohen, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, “ David Dennison ”, Peggy Peterson ”, would’ve, ” –, McDougal, glanced, Hicks, Madeleine Westerhout, Cohen’s, wasn’t, Juan Merchan’s, Eric Trump, Susie Wiles, Sen, Rick Scott, J.D, Vance of Ohio, Tommy Tuberville, Nicole Malliotakis, Alina Habba Organizations: CNN, Trump, National Enquirer, Melania Trump, New York, Republican Locations: Yom Kippur, –, Trump, Cohen’s, Republic, Manhattan, Florida, Alabama, Staten, Iowa

☆ Trump’s former ‘thug’ Michael Cohen set for trial-defining testimony in hush money case
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Cohen’s testimony is set to be the critical moment of the hush money trial that could make Trump the first ex-president to be convicted of a crime. He has talked extensively about his desire to see President Trump go to prison. He has talked extensively about his desire to see President Trump’s family go to prison. He has talked extensively about President Trump getting convicted in this case,” Blanche said. While the hush money trial harks back to the 2016 election, its end game could play a significant role in the destiny of the White House eight years later.

Persons: CNN — Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s “, Trump, Stormy Daniels, —, Cohen, Daniels, ” Cohen, “, Matthew Colangelo, “ Cohen, ”, ” Colangelo, Anthony Scaramucci, Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Todd Blanche, Trump’s, ” Blanche, John Dean, Roy Cohn, He’s, Judge Juan Merchan, Fani Willis, Joe Biden, he’s Organizations: CNN, Trump, Republican, Trump Organization, House, Nixon White, “ CNN, Mr, Fulton, White House, GOP Locations: Russia, New York, Florida, Fulton County

AdvertisementThe unprecedented criminal trial of a former US president has delivered several stunning moments so far. Jurors get a peek at the 34 records at the heart of the caseTwo weeks into Trump's trial, jurors finally saw the paperwork at the heart of the matter. A courtroom sketch of Stormy Daniels on the witness stand in Donald Trump's hush-money trial. On the stand, Daniels said Trump told her she reminded him of his daughter, commenting on her blond hair and beauty. Trump's legal team requested a mistrial on the basis of Daniel's testimony.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen —, Hope Hicks, Cohen, Daniels, Hicks, Andrew Harnik, Jeffrey McConney, Deborah Tarassoff —, Alvin Bragg, Stephanie Clifford, Donald Trump's, Jane Rosenberg, Juan Merchan, audibly, Merchan, Judge Merchan, MARK PETERSON, Donald, Von ShitzInPantz, Todd Blanche, Joe Biden, Blanche, Cohen's Organizations: Service, Business, White House, Trump, White House Communications, AP, Trump Organization, Prosecutors, Reuters, Truth, Manhattan Criminal, Getty Locations: Manhattan, Lake Tahoe, New York City

“It was Michael Cohen,” Davidson responded. Cohen is the only witness who will testify about Trump’s alleged involvement in both the decision to pay Daniels and the plan to reimburse Cohen for advancing the money. Prosecutors allege that during the February meeting, Trump and Cohen agreed how Cohen would be paid back. Arguably the most negative assessment of Cohen came from Davidson, who negotiated the hush money deal with Cohen on Daniels’ behalf in 2016. “There were times where Mr. Cohen did things that you felt were not helpful to what you were trying to accomplish, right?” Bove asked Trump’s 2016 campaign press secretary.

Persons: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, David Pecker, Hope Hicks, “, Daniels, Keith Davidson, Daniels ’, Gina Rodriguez –, “ Gina, Keith, ’ ” Davidson, ”, Joshua Steinglass, ” Davidson, Trump, Trump’s, Pecker, ” Steinglass, Todd Blanche, Elie Honig, Cohen’s, antagonizing Trump, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Cohen ’, Emil Bove, ” Pecker, Bove, Gary Farro, ” Farro, Davidson, ” Cohen, Christ, I’m, I’ve, ’ ”, Jeff McConney, ” McConney, Matthew Colangelo, Hicks, –, ” Bove, ” Hicks Organizations: CNN, Trump, National Enquirer, American Media Inc, Prosecutors, Office, Daniels, Trump Organization Locations: Manhattan, Trump’s New York, Moscow, thedirty.com, Washington

☆ Trump's worst rebukes from NY judges were all for attacks on women who made him look bad in court
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Cowbells herald a third Trump outburstDonald Trump at his criminal hush-money trial with lawyers Todd Blanche, left, and Emil Bove. I will not tolerate that," state Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan complained of Trump to defense lawyer Todd Blanche, his voice raised. Then there was Stormy DanielsA courtroom sketch of Stormy Daniels on the witness stand in Donald Trump's hush-money trial. Defense lawyer Susan Necheles questions Stormy Daniels as Donald Trump and Judge Juan Merchan look on. Advertisement"As recently as, I believe, Wednesday night, he was on TikTok," Blanche, the defense lawyer, complained to Merchan before court broke for the week on Friday.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Trump, riled Trump, they're, Debbie Walsh, Walsh, Donald Trump's, Allison Greenfield, enemies.i Curtis, David Dee Delgado, Arthur Engoron, who'd, Greenfield, Jean Carroll Donald Trump, Jean Carroll, Andrew Kelly, Luiz C . Ribeiro, Lewis Kaplan, audibly —, Carroll, Roberta Kaplan, Cowbells, Todd Blanche, Emil Bove, Jabin, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniel, Joe Biden's, Juan Merchan, Stormy Daniels, Jane Rosenberg, Daniels, swatting Trump, Merchan, audibly, — Daniels, Blanche, Susan Necheles, Mary Altaffer, Michael Cohen Cohen — Trump's, fining Trump, Cohen, he's, MAGA Organizations: Service, Business, Trump, Center for American Women, REUTERS, New York Daily News, Tribune, Getty, Reuters, GOP, AP Locations: Manhattan, York, New, New York City, Lake Tahoe, New York

Here are the takeaways from day 15 of the Trump hush money trial:Cohen is on deckCohen is expected to take the stand Monday, putting him face-to-face with his former boss. With Cohen’s testimony implicating Trump, however, comes all of the baggage that accompanies the former president’s longtime fixer. Judge to Cohen: Please stop talkingAhead of Cohen’s expected testimony, Trump attorney Todd Blanche urged Judge Juan Merchan to order Cohen to stop talking about the trial and Trump. Video Ad Feedback Pollster: Trump's trial won't affect votes in November 03:46 - Source: CNNMerchan has already said he cannot gag witnesses in the case. Prosecutors introduce key text and call records into evidenceAfter Westerhout left the stand, prosecutors spent the rest of the day calling a series of custodial witnesses to introduce cell phone records into evidence.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Michael Cohen, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Cohen, Daniels, He’s, Alvin Bragg’s, Cohen’s, Todd Blanche, Judge Juan Merchan, Blanche, ” Blanche, Joshua Steinglass, ”, CNN Merchan, Merchan, “, ” Cohen, White, Madeleine Westerhout, Susan Necheles, Westerhout, didn’t, ” Westerhout, she’d, Allen Weisselberg, ” Necheles, she’s “, Weisselberg, Cohen reimbursements, Stormy Daniels ’, Gina Rodriguez, Dylan Howard, Howard, Rodriguez, David Pecker, “ We’re, ” Rodriguez texted Howard, “ Keith, Davidson, ” Howard, ” Rodriguez, Steinglass, ” Merchan, wasn’t Organizations: CNN, White, Prosecutors, Trump, Manhattan, White House, Trump Org ., National Enquirer, American Media Inc, Trump Org Locations: Manhattan

☆ Live Updates: Former White House Aide Will Return to Stand in Trump Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Matthew Haag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

The judge denied the request and Mr. Trump’s second motion this week for a mistrial. Mr. Trump, 77, has denied the charges and says he did not have sex with Ms. Daniels. Credit... Todd Heisler/The New York TimesThe defense did get Ms. Daniels to concede that she had made money from the scandal. When Ms. Daniels stepped down from the stand Thursday afternoon, Mr. Trump stared at a monitor, not glancing up as she walked by. Image Madeleine Westerhout described life in the Oval Office, including Mr. Trump signing checks there.

Persons: Donald J, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Susan Necheles, Daniels’s, Necheles, ”, Daniels, Trump’s, Todd Blanche, Juan M, Todd Heisler, Mr, Necheles’s, “, Ms, Lucas Jackson, Thursday’s, Madeleine Westerhout, Bill O’Reilly —, Erin Schaff, Westerhout, Michael D, Cohen Organizations: Trump, New York Times, Trump . Credit, Trump glowered, Prosecutors, White House, The New York Times Locations: Nevada, Lake Tahoe, Trump .

Donald Trump is heading into the most perilous phase of his hush money trial aside from the moment when the jury retires to consider its verdict. Merchan also instructed Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, to rein in his client after complaining that the defendant had cursed audibly and shaken his head during Daniels’ testimony. The judge was concerned that the jury might notice the witness being intimidated — which he warned he could not allow to continue. So far, Trump — who has launched searing attacks on the judge — has managed to refrain from openly attacking Daniels since she took the stand. And her appearance is only an appetizer for expected explosive evidence in the coming days of the biggest star witness, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen.

Persons: Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Judge Juan Merchan, Merchan, Todd Blanche, Daniels, —, Michael Cohen Organizations: Trump, Trump —

“If that story was untrue, I would have written it to be a lot better,” Daniels said of her encounter with Trump. “You have a lot of experience of making phony stories about sex appear to be real,” Necheles asked. “You’re celebrating the indictment by selling things from your store,” Necheles asked. “Not unlike Mr. Trump,” Daniels responded. Prosecutor Josh Steinglass said Trump was aware of the “messy details” of the encounter in 2016 and that shows motive for the hush money payment and cover up.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Susan Necheles, Trump, Daniels, ” Daniels, Juan Merchan, combatively, Necheles, ” Necheles, “, That’s, she’d, “ You’re, Madeleine Westerhout, Westerhout, Rhona Graff, Joe Scarborough, Jeanine Pirro, Serena Williams, Tom Brady, ”, ” Westerhout, Michael Cohen, Melania, Melania Trump, “ Madeline, it’s, Merchan, Todd Blanche, Blanche, ‘, ” Merchan, Trump’s, Josh Steinglass Organizations: CNN, Trump, White, Wing, ” Prosecutors, Daniels, NBC, White House, longtime Trump Organization, Trump Org, ” Trump Locations: New York

The "Access Hollywood" tape sent the RNC reeling, she testified of working there at the time. Westerhout said RNC officials were so concerned, they began planning how to replace Trump. AdvertisementThe "Access Hollywood" tape was so damaging to Donald Trump's 2016 campaign that the Republican National Committee began planning how to replace him as the GOP's presidential candidate, his ex-executive assistant testified on Thursday. Madeleine Westerhout, who worked as an assistant to a top RNC official before she served as Trump's assistant in the White House, described the post-tape tumult to the jury in Trump's New York criminal hush-money trial. The notorious 2005 tape, which circulated ahead of the 2016 presidential election, was highly damaging to the Trump campaign, prosecutors have told jurors.

Persons: Madeleine Westerhout, Westerhout, —, Donald Trump's, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, He's, Todd Blanche, Trump's, Michael Cohen, It's, Blanche, Cohen Organizations: White House, RNC, Trump, Service, Republican National Committee, Prosecutors, Attorney's Office Locations: Trump's New York, Manhattan, Lake

☆ Stormy Daniels Is Steady on the Stand: 5 Takeaways From Trump’s Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Kate Christobek | Jesse Mckinley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Eventually, Ms. Necheles went straight to the point. Ms. Daniels responded forcefully: “No.”At the conclusion of the day, Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, asked Justice Juan M. Merchan whether he would modify a gag order to let Mr. Trump respond publicly to Ms. Daniels’s testimony. The judge denied the request and Mr. Trump’s second motion this week for a mistrial. The former president is accused of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to Ms. Daniels just before the 2016 election, a payment meant to silence her story. Mr. Trump, 77, has denied the charges and says he did not have sex with Ms. Daniels.

Persons: Stormy Daniels, Donald J, Trump, Susan Necheles, Daniels’s, Necheles, ”, Daniels, Trump’s, Todd Blanche, Juan M Locations: Nevada, Lake Tahoe

☆ Trump lawyer calls Stormy Daniels' testimony 'a dog whistle for rape' in failed mistrial bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Laura Italiano | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Trump's lawyers argued that portions of Stormy Daniels' testimony warranted a mistrial. Daniels had testified Tuesday that Trump didn't use a condom during their sexual encounter in 2006. AdvertisementBlanche was complaining about multiple times in Daniels' testimony when she made graphic, highly salacious accusations against Trump that the lawyer said irreparably prejudiced the jury. Merchan said he wished the discussion of the condom didn't come into the trial and wasn't heard by the jury. Advertisement"For the life of me, I don't know why Ms. Necheles didn't object," he said, while the defense attorney looked toward the floor.

Persons: Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Trump's, Todd Blanche, —, Donald Trump, she'd, Trump, Blanche, — Daniels, Keith Schiller, audibly, Susan Hoffinger, Donald Trump's, Jane Rosenberg, Merchan, Necheles, wasn't Organizations: Trump, Service, Wicked Pictures, REUTERS Locations: Manhattan, Tahoe, California

☆ Critical days of Trump trial will test whether he can exercise discipline and restraint
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Her evidence on Tuesday was deeply embarrassing for Trump and drew an aggressive cross-examination from his attorney trying to shatter Daniels’ credibility. Merchan also instructed Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, to rein in his client after complaining that the defendant had cursed audibly and shaken his head during Daniels’ testimony. So far, Trump — who has launched searing attacks on the judge — has managed to refrain from openly attacking Daniels since she took the stand. And her appearance is only an appetizer for expected explosive evidence in the coming days of the biggest star witness, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen. The coming days will therefore require qualities that Trump has always struggled to demonstrate in a riotous life in business and politics: restraint and self-discipline.

Persons: Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Daniels, Judge Juan Merchan, Merchan, Todd Blanche, —, Michael Cohen, Cohen, he’d, ” Daniels, Sarah Matthews, CNN’s Jim Acosta, “, He’s, ” Matthews, Matthews, ” Trump, he’s, Arthur Engoron, Engoron, Trump’s, Jean Carroll Organizations: CNN, Trump, Trump —, White, Trump White House, Prosecutors, Trump Organization Locations: Florida, Lake Tahoe, misbehave

CNN —Judge Juan Merchan called out former President Donald Trump’s defense team during their motion for a mistrial Thursday afternoon, telling them there were many times they could have objected to Stormy Daniels’ testimony, but did not. For the second time this week, Merchan expressed surprise that Trump’s lawyers had not objected more when Daniels was on the stand. And for the second time this week, Merchan rejected their motion for a mistrial. Merchan specifically pointed to Daniels’ testimony about the trailer park, in which Daniels suggested Trump told her she would be stuck living in a trailer park before they had sex in 2006. Merchan also referred back to the defense’s opening statement when Blanche denied there was ever a sexual encounter between Daniels and Trump.

Persons: Juan Merchan, Donald Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Merchan, Daniels, Todd Blanche, Daniels ’, Trump, Susan Necheles, ” Merchan, Blanche, CNN’s Laura Dolan Organizations: CNN, Trump

Prosecutors cannot force Donald J. Trump to testify at his criminal trial in Manhattan, but that does not mean they can’t use his words against him. On Tuesday, the prosecutors unearthed a series of damaging excerpts from books that the former president wrote, plucking out passages to help make their case against Mr. Trump. In essence, they called a past version of Mr. Trump to testify against his future self. In his own words, Mr. Trump described how he kept a focus on minute details and watched every penny that left his accounts, corroborating a core component of the prosecution’s case as they argue that he knew that his company falsified business records to cover up a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels, a porn star. On cross-examination, Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, suggested that a ghost writer had been responsible for these words.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Trump’s, Todd Blanche Locations: Manhattan

☆ Judge said he won’t tolerate Trump’s cursing and headshaking during Daniels’ testimony, transcript shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Laura Dolan | Jack Forrest | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Merchan told Blanche they were speaking at the bench because the judge did not want to embarrass Trump. “One time I noticed when Ms. Daniels was testifying about rolling up the magazine, and presumably smacking your client, and after that point [Trump] shook his head and he looked down. Blanche said he would talk to Trump during the break. Daniels then told jurors that she “spanked” a “rude, arrogant and pompous” Trump “right on the butt” with a copy of one of his magazines. After which, she said, the former president “was much more polite.”CNN’s Jeremy Herb, Lauren del Valle and Kara Scannell contributed to this report.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, audibly, ”, Juan Merchan, Todd Blanche, Daniels, Trump, Michael Cohen, Merchan, Blanche, ” Merchan, ” Trump, “, Jeremy Herb, Lauren del Valle, Kara Scannell Organizations: CNN, Trump Locations: Lake

☆ Trump's Mar-a-Lago document trial has been delayed again. He now has a chance to dodge it entirely.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago documents trial has been delayed indefinitely. AdvertisementThe judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal case over his holding onto secret government documents following his presidency delayed the trial indefinitely — giving him the chance to get rid of the charges if he wins the 2024 election. Another criminal case overseen by Smith, in a federal court in Washington, DC, was previously scheduled for March 4. In that case, Smith alleged Trump broke criminal laws through his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Trump's attorneys have also made immunity arguments in the classified documents case.

Persons: Donald Trump's Mar, It's, —, Donald Trump's, Aileen Cannon, Cannon —, Trump, Carlos de Oliveira, Waltine Nauta —, Jack Smith, de Oliveira, Trump's, Stormy Daniels, — Trump, Smith, MANDEL NGAN, Fani Willis, Juan Merchan, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Merchan, reconvene, Cannon Organizations: Trump, Service, Nauta, Republican, Justice Department, US, Getty Images Locations: Lago, Manhattan, Washington ,, AFP, Getty Images Fulton County, Georgia, York, Florida, New York

☆ Judge threatens Trump with contempt for 'cursing audibly' during Stormy Daniels testimony, new trial transcript shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In a private sidebar conversation, Donald Trump's hush-money judge said he acted out while Stormy Daniels testified. Trump was "cursing audibly" and "uttered a vulgarity" while Daniels answered questions for jurors, the judge said. "I understand that your client is upset at this point, but he is cursing audibly, and he is shaking his head visually and that's contemptuous," Merchan told Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche. AdvertisementDonald Trump was "cursing audibly" during testimony from Stormy Daniels, according to New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan. The judge also said Trump "uttered a vulgarity" when Daniels testified about "The Apprentice."

Persons: Donald Trump's, Stormy Daniels, Trump, audibly, Daniels, —, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Todd Blanche, Donald Trump, Susan Hoffinger, Hoffinger, Blanche, Jean Carroll's, Lewis Kaplan, Carroll, Kaplan Organizations: Service, New, Trump, New York, NBC Locations: Lake Tahoe , California, New, Manhattan, Trump's

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