Last Update May 02, 2024 10:30pm ET

Former President Trump’s Manhattan trial returned Thursday. Trump used Wednesday, a day off from the trial, to return briefly to the campaign trail. Thursday’s proceedings began with yet another gag order hearing with Judge Juan Merchan presiding.

Covered by: Anders Hagstrom and Brianna Herlihy

Fast Facts

•  Former President Trump wraps up the third week of his New York criminal trial Thursday. 
•  Trump faces another gag order hearing in the morning after Judge Juan Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for violating the rule, which prohibits the former president from speaking publicly about witnesses in the case. 
•  Trump returns to the courtroom on Thursday after a brief return to the campaign trail. The Manhattan case is not in session on Wednesdays and he took the chance to hold rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin. 

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9 hour(s) ago

PINNED

Michael Cohen cell phone recordings include calls with Trump discussing ‘transfer’ of funds

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During the second half of day 10 in the criminal trial, N.Y. v. Trump, Doug Daus – a technology forensics analyst – took the witness stand.

Daus, who works for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, was responsible for extracting data from Michael Cohen’s cell phones, including audio recordings of his phone calls with his former client, Donald Trump. 

During one of the recorded calls from Cohen’s phone, Cohen was heard telling Trump: “I need to open up a company regarding the transfer for our friend David…I’ve spoken to Allen Weisselberg…I’m all over that, I’ve spoken to Allen, when it comes to financing…”

Trump replied, “what financing?”

The prosecution team appeared to be attempting to show that Trump was aware of the “catch-and-kill” plan with David Pecker, the former National Inquirer publisher, to bury claims that former Playboy model, Karen McDougal, had an extramarital affair with Trump.

Emil Bove, Trump’s defense attorney, cross-examined Daus, asking if the more secure the chain of custody, the more reliable the evidence. Daus agreed.

He later testified that the FBI first searched Cohen’s phones and that other members of his team also had access.

The jury was dismissed and court adjourned until Friday at 9:30 a.m.

Fox News’ Grace Taggart and Kerri Kupec Urbahn contributed to this update.

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10 hour(s) ago

Trump says he will appeal ‘unconstitutional’ gag order after day 10 of his criminal trial

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Former President Donald Trump spoke to reporters Thursday after exiting the Manhattan courtroom following the 10th day of the criminal trial in the case N.Y. v. Trump.

The 2024 GOP presumptive nominee said he was “very happy” with how things were going in the courtroom despite calling the trial “ridiculous” and “election interference at the highest level.”

“We’re seeing all of the crime that’s going on outside, and to be sitting in this courtroom is just ridiculous. It is election interference at the highest level that’s never been done before in our country. And I shouldn’t be campaigning right now,” Trump said.

Trump continued to express frustrations with Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the criminal case, calling him “totally conflicted” after holding another hearing earlier this morning on 4 additional gag order violations. Trump said he would appeal the gag order, which he said prevents him from testifying in the case.

“He has me under an unconstitutional gag order. Nobody’s ever had that before. And we don’t like it, and it’s not fair. Other people are allowed to do whatever they want to us, and i’m not allowed as…the Republican Party nominee, and the one who’s leading Biden by a lot, I’m not allowed to talk,” Trump said.

“So I’m not allowed to testify because of an unconstitutional gag order. We’re appealing the gag order. And let’s see what happens,” Trump added.

The trial will resume Friday at 9:30 a.m.

Posted by Brianna Herlihy Share

10 hour(s) ago

Stormy Daniels’ ex lawyer believed Trump was ‘going to lose’ in 2016; client would ‘lose leverage’

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The ex-lawyer of adult film actress Stormy Daniels testified Thursday that he thought Donald Trump was “going to lose” the 2016 presidential election, and pressed trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen to settle the payment before losing “leverage.”

During the final rounds of questioning to Daniel’s lawyer, Keith Davidson, he admitted he spoke to Cohen, pressing him to settle the $130,000 payment to Daniels to quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with Trump in 2006, before the 2016 election. He said Trump “will lose”, and subsequently his client would lose her leverage. Trump has denied every having the affair.

That phone call was described as intense and full of expletives. Trump’s defense team is hoping to connect that call with Davidson’s alleged pattern of squeezing people for money during vulnerable times.

Fox News’ Kerri Kupec Urbahn contributed to this update.

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12 hour(s) ago

Trump insists he wasn’t sleeping in court, just closed his ‘beautiful blue eyes’

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Former President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Thursday that — despite reports from “FAKE NEWS MEDIA” that he fell asleep in court — he was simply closing his “beautiful blue eyes” briefly.

“Contrary to the FAKE NEWS MEDIA, I don’t fall asleep during the Crooked D.A.’s Witch Hunt, especially not today. I simply close my beautiful blue eyes, sometimes, listen intensely, and take it ALL in!!!” Trump stated in a post.

The trial of N.Y. v. Trump resumed Thursday afternoon after a short break. Keith Davidson, attorney for adult film actress Stormy Daniels, took the witness stand again for cross-examination from defense attorney Emil Bove.

Before Davidson took the stand again, defense attorney Susan Necheles asked for a stack of articles that Trump wishes to post on Truth Social to be reviewed for gag order violations because they discuss the case. She asked review to avoid any ambiguity.

Manhattan attorney Matthew Colangelo said he needed to review the articles, adding that he understands there is a political campaign, but there is also a criminal trial.

But Judge Juan Merchan said he would not give an advance rulings on the articles, adding that there is no ambiguity in the gag order.  He told the defense team that if there is doubt to “steer clear.”  

When Necheles tried to bring up another point, Merchan cut her off, saying, “I’m not going to argue with you.”

Fox News’ Maria Parnovich contributed to this update.

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12 hour(s) ago

Trump trial resumes after lunch break, Stormy Daniel’s former attorney to continue testimony

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The criminal trial of former President Donald Trumpresumed following a break for lunch Thursday afternoon.

Keith Davidson, lawyer for adult film actress Stormy Daniels, took the witness stand again for cross-examination by Trump defense attorney Emil Bove.

Trump walked back into the courtroom Thursday afternoon, giving reporters a thumbs up as he walked by, but no remarks.

Davidson earlier Thursday said that the $130,000 payment to Daniels was not “hush money,” but a “consideration” payment.

Consideration” is a contractual legal term for what someone gives in return for the promise to abide by a contract; in this case, money. The payment was labeled “legal fees” in Trump’s accounting, which prosecutors allege amounted to fraud.

Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Johsua Steinglass earlier pressed Davidson about Daniels’ statement, which Davidson prepared for his client, that denied any relationship with Trump and said that her only interaction with Trump was “a few public appearances and nothing more.”

“Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false,” the statement says.“I don’t believe that Stormy ever alleged that any interaction with Trump was ‘romantic,‘” Davidson testified Thursday.

But it is his understanding that Daniels had a sexual encounter with Trump.He also said the payment “wasn’t a payoff.”“It wasn’t a payoff. And it wasn’t hush money. It was consideration,” Davidson said. Davidson added that he would never use “hush money” to describe the money exchange. He would only refer to it as “consideration.”

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13 hour(s) ago

Davidson describes Cohen’s despair about not landing White House job

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Stormy Daniel’s attorney Keith Davidson testified Thursday that he spoke to former President Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, after the 2016 election saying that Cohen was “despondent” he didn’t land a job in the White House.

Davidson said that Cohen called him frequently, and on one Saturday morning he said he got a “de

“Can you f—ing believe I’m not going to Washington after everything I’ve done for that guy. I can’t believe I’m not going to Washington…I’ve save[d] his a–…”Cohen told Davidson. According to Davidson, Cohen wanted to be Attorney General or White House chief of staff.

Davidson testified that he thought Cohen was so distressed that he wasn’t going to work in the Trump administration that he might kill himself.

Cohen is believed to have coordinated the $130,000 payment to Daniels to quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with Trump in 2006. The 2024 GOP presidential nominee has denied having an affair with Daniels.

Cohen is expected to be a star witness for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg later in the trial proceedings.

The criminal trial took an afternoon lunch break and is expected to resume at 2:15 p.m.