Prosecutor says Trump trial is about ‘a conspiracy and a cover-up’ as he begins his closing arguments – live | Donald Trump trials
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Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass begins closing arguments
Joshua Steinglass deliver the prosecution’s closing arguments. He refers to his colleague Matthew Colangelo’s opening remarks:
At the outset, Mr. Colangelo told you that this case was fundamentally about conspiracy and cover-up. Cut out the noise and ignore the sideshows, and if you’ve done that… you’ll see that people have presented powerful evidence.
Key events
‘Stormy Daniels is the motive’: Prosecutor says Trump won’t pay $130,000 over ‘golf course photo’
prosecutor Joshua Steinglass says former American Media Inc CEO David Pecker’s testimony is “reprehensible.”
Steinglass noted how Pecker has no incentive to lie and actually thinks about it Donald Trump friend.
There were others, like Hope Hicks and former Trump Organization executive Jeffrey McConey, who liked Trump and had no reason to harm him.
They offer testimony that is damning that they have no motive to fabricate…these people like the accused, if nothing else they have an incentive to twist their testimony in a way that might help the defendant.
Addressing Stormy Daniels, Steinglass says:
This is the display the defendant did not want the American voter to see. Simply put, Stormy Daniels is the motive, and you can bet Mr. Trump wouldn’t pay $130,000 — twice that with taxes — just because he took a picture with someone on the golf course.
During the lunch break, Donald Trump’s children held a press conference outside the court, where they repeated the comments of their father’s lawyers.
Donald Trump Jr describes Michael Cohen as “The Goat [greatest of all time] of liars,” adding that his father’s former fixer had “literally lied to every single person and body he had ever been in front of in his life before.”
He said the holding of a press conference by the Biden campaign earlier this morning showed it was “political persecution,” adding:
This is a scam. This is crazy. It has to stop.
Eric Trumpwho regularly attended his father’s trial, said the former president was “the toughest man I’ve ever seen” and “he puts up with this crap every day.”
He added:
I want to apologize to the jury that is there. It was the biggest colossal waste of time.
Lara Trumphis wife and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, said it was a case “of politics, pure and simple.”
prosecutor Joshua Steinglass now talk about Stormy Daniels motivation.
Daniels’ first goal was to record the story because he believed it was the best way to protect himself and his family.
“It’s different than this blackmail narrative that they’re selling,” Steinglass says.
After the Daniels story resurfaced, Cohen reached out to Davidson first, not the other way around. Now think what you will about Mr. Davidson and this whole practice of trading sex stories… in the end it doesn’t really matter. You do not have the right to commit election fraud or falsify business records because you believe you have been a victim.
Steinglass said extortion is not a defense to breaking the law.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass begins closing arguments
Joshua Steinglass deliver the prosecution’s closing arguments. He refers to his colleague Matthew Colangelo’s opening remarks:
At the outset, Mr. Colangelo told you that this case was fundamentally about conspiracy and cover-up. Cut out the noise and ignore the sideshows, and if you’ve done that… you’ll see that people have presented powerful evidence.
The judge instructed jurors to disregard the defense’s comment that Trump could go to prison
Now a judge Juan Mercan tells the jury:
During the summation of the defense you heard Mr. Blanche ask essentially, don’t send the accused to prison. This comment was inappropriate and should be ignored.
Murchan says if there is a guilty verdict, it is his job to impose an appropriate sentence.
Before the lunch break, consider Juan Mercan Trump’s lawyer snapped Todd Blanche for the jury’s suggestion that Donald Trump he could go to jail if convicted.
The AP quoted Murchan as saying:
That was outrageous, Mr. Blanche. Someone who has been a prosecutor as long as you have and a defense attorney for as long, you know that making such a comment is grossly inappropriate. It’s just not allowed. Period.
prosecutor Susan Hoffinger submitted a proposed curative instruction to the judge Juan Mercan for part of Trump’s lawyer Todd BlancheHe concludes, specifically his line: “You can’t, you can’t send someone to jail … based on the words of Michael Cohen.”
Jurors don’t have to consider whether someone will go to prison when deliberating their sentence.
So Merchan can give a “curative instruction” to jurors to deal with this issue after the fact.
Donald Trump returned to the courtroom.
His daughter Tiffany and his two eldest sons, Eric and Don Jrare present.
a judge Juan Mercan returned to the bench.
Cameras are not allowed in the courtroom, but a sketch artist captured Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche presentation of the defense’s closing arguments.
The sketch shows the judge, Juan Mercan, presiding as Donald Trump listens to Blanche’s arguments.
The defense finished with its closing arguments.
The court will now take a lunch break, after which the prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is expected to deliver closing arguments.
Trump’s lawyer says lawsuit ‘not a referendum on your views on Trump’
Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche concludes his closing arguments by thanking the jury for their attention.
Blanche says:
This is not a referendum on your views on President Trump. This is not a referendum on your views on the ballot box… The verdict you will reach is related to the evidence you have heard here.
He adds:
If you do that, if you just focus on the evidence that you heard in this courtroom, it’s a very, very quick and easy verdict of not guilty. Thank you.
Trump’s Lawyer Says Michael Cohen Is ‘THE CREAPER’
“Have You Heard of ‘GOAT’, Greatest Goat of All Time,” Trump Lawyer Todd Blanche said. “Tom Brady is a goat, the greatest of all time.”
Michael Cohen is the Evil One – the biggest liar of all time.
Blanche said Cohen lied to Congress, federal judges, state judges, his family, his bankers, his colleagues.
He stole from President Trump… His words cannot be trusted.
Blanche continued, “All those lies, put them aside for now… But then he came here… and lied to each and every one of you – repeatedly.”
You can’t, you can’t send someone to jail … in the words of Michael Cohen.
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