Keith Davidson, the previous lawyer for the porn star Stormy Daniels, confronted a blistering cross-examination on Thursday within the prison trial of Donald J. Trump, with protection attorneys casting him as a serial extortionist of celebrities.
The decide, Juan M. Merchan, additionally heard arguments about extra violations of a gag order by Mr. Trump, simply days after he held the previous president in contempt and fined him $9,000 for 9 different violations. Justice Merchan has threatened jail time if the violations proceed, however didn’t rule on 4 new allegations on Thursday.
Mr. Trump, 77, is charged with falsifying 34 enterprise data, together with checks and invoices, to cover a $130,000 cost to Ms. Daniels, who says she and Mr. Trump had a tryst in 2006 whereas he was married.
Mr. Trump, the primary American president to face prosecution, has denied the felony expenses, and having had intercourse with Ms. Daniels. He might face probation or jail if convicted.
The case is clipping alongside, with greater than a half-dozen witnesses heard from. Listed below are 5 takeaways from his tenth day on trial:
Mr. Trump stated he hated the cope with Ms. Daniels.
Late Thursday afternoon, prosecutors targeted on a dialog between Mr. Davidson and Michael D. Cohen, the president’s former lawyer and fixer, that Mr. Cohen had secretly recorded.
Prosecutors performed the recording for the jury, letting them hear Mr. Cohen inform Mr. Davidson that Mr. Trump hated “the truth that we did it,” referring to the hush-money cost to Ms. Daniels.
It was the primary time the jury heard the voice of Mr. Cohen, who has come up continuously within the trial — typically in unflattering phrases — and who is predicted to be a vital witness.
Mr. Davidson endured a feisty cross-examination.
Earlier than the tape was revealed, Mr. Trump’s authorized crew aggressively attacked the credibility of Mr. Davidson throughout a cross-examination that shortly turned hostile.
Emil Bove, one in every of Mr. Trump’s attorneys, grilled Mr. Davidson about his authorized area of interest representing individuals who tried to get funds from celebrities, navigating the hidden Hollywood. Often, Mr. Davidson would reply, “I don’t recall.”
Mr. Bove confronted Mr. Davidson about his “fuzzy” reminiscence and Mr. Davidson responded forcefully that his solutions had been truthful.
Mr. Bove additionally tried to create distance between Mr. Trump and the hush-money payoff to Ms. Daniels, shifting the blame onto Mr. Cohen. He testified that Mr. Cohen wished a job within the Trump White Home and was “despondent” when he didn’t obtain it, including that he had hoped for a high-ranking place comparable to legal professional normal.
“I assumed he was going to kill himself,” Mr. Davidson stated of Mr. Cohen.
The decide will rule on attainable gag order violations. Once more.
Earlier than Mr. Davidson’s testimony, Justice Merchan heard arguments about 4 extra statements by Mr. Trump that prosecutors take into account violations of his order barring assaults on jurors, witnesses, prosecutors and members of the decide’s household.
These embody remarks made within the hallway exterior the courtroom, the place Mr. Trump has taken to attacking the case and the Democrats he feels are behind it, together with Justice Merchan and Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district legal professional.
Prosecutors argued that Mr. Trump’s statements have been “corrosive,” however stated they weren’t but asking for jail as a punishment. Mr. Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche countered that Mr. Trump must be allowed to answer what he characterised as “political assaults.”
Trump in court docket is far quieter than Trump onstage.
On Wednesday, the day of the trial’s weekly break, Mr. Trump railed in opposition to the decide to hundreds of supporters. At rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin, he referred to as Justice Merchan “crooked” and “conflicted.”
On Thursday, he sat silently — typically along with his eyes closed — as prosecutors outlined potential gag order violations. He even averted taking a look at his lawyer, Mr. Blanche, throughout his argument.
However Mr. Trump grew animated throughout an trade about President Biden’s current jibe, deployed throughout his speech on the White Home Correspondents Dinner, that Mr. Trump had been experiencing “stormy climate.”
Trump threw up his palms in exasperation when the decide implied that Mr. Trump was free to answer President Biden with out mentioning a lady who’s a possible witness.
We’re transferring proper alongside.
Prosecutors additionally referred to as Douglas Daus, a senior forensic analyst with the Manhattan district legal professional’s workplace who testified concerning the authenticity of cellphone data and recordings. That included one through which Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen mentioned a hush-money deal for Karen McDougal, a former Playboy mannequin who was making an attempt to promote a narrative about an affair with Mr. Trump.
Friday will mark the tip of the third week of the trial, which continues to attract massive crowds of journalists and members of the general public.
After this abbreviated three-day week, the trial will resume its common four-day schedule because the prosecutors plow via their case. The potential witness checklist has a number of main names, together with Ms. Daniels, Mr. Cohen and Hope Hicks, who’s Mr. Trump’s former spokeswoman.