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Donald Trump made a surprise campaign stop at a construction site in New York early on Thursday morning en route to day seven of his hush money trial, where the jury heard further testimony from a former tabloid mogul who detailed the “catch-and-kill” scheme.
Shapes National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified about his agreement with his “mentor” Mr Trump and former attorney Michael Cohen to “kill” stories about the defendant’s alleged affairs. Cross-examination by defense lawyer Emil Bove will likely wrap up on Friday.
Justice Juan Merchan is yet to rule on whether Mr Trump should be held in contempt and fined $10,000 for allegedly violating a trial gag order by posting about witnesses and jurors on Truth Social.
Elsewhere, 11 local Republicans and several key Trump allies have been indicted in Arizona for allegedly joining a failed “fake elector” plot during the aftermath of the 2020 election to keep Mr Trump in office.
And, in Washington DC, attorneys for the former president delivered oral arguments in front of the Supreme Court in support of his “presidential immunity” defense against prosecution in a landmark hearing.
Alex Woodward is providing live updates from the courthouse in Manhattan.
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Trump claims campus protests are worse than the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville
Donald Trump has claimed that the antisemitic, white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 was “peanuts” compared to the current pro-Palestine demonstrations across US college campuses.
“Joe Biden would say, constantly, that he ran because of Charlottesville,” he wrote, referring to the 2020 election.
“Well, if that’s the case, he’s done a really terrible job because Charlottesville is like a ‘peanut’ compared to the riots and anti-Israel protests that are happening all over our Country, RIGHT NOW.”
Graig Graziosi has the story:
Oliver O’Connell26 April 2024 06:15
Trump vows to beat Biden in New York
Donald Trump vowed to beat President Joe Biden in the 2024 election in New York as he made a surprise campaign stop at a construction site in Manhattan early on Thursday morning – on a day when testimony resumes in his hush money trial and the US Supreme Court hears arguments in his “presidential immunity” case.
“We’re going to make a play for New York,” Mr Trump told reporters at the event.
Martha McHardy has the story:
Oliver O’Connell26 April 2024 04:15
Trump meets New Yorkers ahead of resumption of hush money trial
Donald Trump met with New Yorkers on Thursday 25 April, ahead of the resumption of his criminal hush money trial. The former president is accused of falsifying business records documenting a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an affair she said she had with Mr Trump in 2006. He has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts and denied having an affair with Ms Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. The trial is the first of a past or present US president and carries political risks for Mr Trump as he prepares for a November rematch with Joe Biden.
Oliver O’Connell26 April 2024 03:15
Supreme Court justices appear poised to offer Trump some immunity
Ariana Baio reports on today’s oral arguments at the Supreme Court:
Oliver O’Connell26 April 2024 02:15
The National Enquirer was the go-to American tabloid for many years. Donald Trump helped change that
Catch and kill. Checkbook journalism. Secret deals. Friends helping friends.
Even by National Enquirer standards, testimony by its former publisher David Pecker at Donald Trump’s hush money trial this week has revealed an astonishing level of corruption at America’s best-known tabloid and may one day be seen as the moment it effectively died.
“It just has zero credibility,” said Lachlan Cartwright, executive editor of the Enquirer from 2014 to 2017. “Whatever sort of credibility it had was totally damaged by what happened in court this week.”
On Thursday, Pecker was back on the witness stand to tell more about the arrangement he made to boost Trump’s presidential candidacy in 2016, tear down his rivals and silence any revelations that may have damaged him.
Watch: Former Trump White House lawyer says ex-president needs to be sharp to speak with press
Oliver O’Connell26 April 2024 00:15
E Jean Carroll defamation: Trump loses latest bid for new trial
A federal court denied former president Donald Trump’s request to have a new trial related to the charges that he defamed writer E Jean Carroll, who accused him of sexual assault.
The US District Court for the Southern District of New York handed down the denial on Thursday after Mr Trump had sought a new trial.
Oliver O’Connell25 April 2024 23:45
Watch: Trump calls Charlottesville ‘a little peanut’ compared to college Gaza protests
Oliver O’Connell25 April 2024 23:00
Schwarzenegger dragged into Trump hush money trial as tabloid boss reveals plan to buy damaging stories
Alex Woodward duck Kelly Rissman reports:
Oliver O’Connell25 April 2024 22:45
Watch: Trump glad to have been forced to attend ‘very interesting day’ despite missing SCOTUS immunity hearing
Oliver O’Connell25 April 2024 22:00
