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NY v. Trump: Judge Merchan to present jury with instructions ahead of deliberations

NY v. Trump: Judge Merchan to present jury with instructions ahead of deliberations

The framework a Manhattan jury will use to consider the charges against former President Trump and reach a verdict will be revealed by Judge Juan Merchan on Wednesday.   The instructions will be issued nearly a week after they were initially set for release. It comes after weeks of speculation about the specific violations the jury will need to determine when weighing the charges of falsifying business records in the first degree against the former president.  NY V TRUMP: DEFENSE SAYS PROSECUTORS ‘DID NOT MEET THE BURDEN OF PROOF,’ FORMER PRESIDENT IS ‘INNOCENT’ Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts.  The jury instructions are expected to come after a full day of closing arguments were delivered by New York prosecutors and Trump defense attorneys.  Prosecutors needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump falsified records to conceal a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, a pornographic performer, in the lead-up to the 2016 election to silence her about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. The former president has maintained his innocence. Court will resume on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. for jury instructions.  Defense attorneys for former President Trump told the jury Tuesday he is innocent, did not commit any crimes and that Bragg “did not meet the burden of proof. Period.”  “President Trump is innocent. He did not commit any crimes. The district attorney did not meet the burden of proof. Period,” Blanche said.  Blanche added that the case is “simple” and it is “not a guilty verdict.”  “This case is about documents; it is a paper case,” Blanche said. “This case is not about an encounter with Stormy Daniels 18 years ago. It is not even about a nondisclosure agreement signed eight years ago.” Blanche said the charges are about whether Trump “had anything” to do with payments to his ex-attorney, Michael Cohen, on his personal accounting ledger. “The answer? The bookings were accurate and there was no intent to defraud and there was no conspiracy to influence the 2016 election,” Blanche said. “The proof doesn’t add up.” NY V TRUMP: PROSECUTION SAYS THEY HAVE PRESENTED ‘POWERFUL EVIDENCE’ AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT Blanche told the jury they cannot convict Trump based on Cohen’s testimony, recalling how Trump’s ex-attorney “took the stand and then lied.” “The records are not false and there was no intent to defraud,” he said. Blanche said not one single invoice was sent to Trump directly and that Cohen billed Trump “for services rendered.” He also told the jury Cohen rendered services as Trump’s personal attorney in 2017. The defense lawyer said that even if the amount of work was minimal, there was a retainer agreement, which he explained is “how retainer agreements work.” Blanche said Cohen was “on call for President Trump.” Blanche also explained that checks to Cohen were not signed by Trump.  “You can’t convict President Trump,” he said. “Because sometimes President Trump looked at the invoices … that is a stretch and that is reasonable doubt.” Blanche also blasted the prosecution’s “star witness” Michael Cohen, saying “he is the human embodiment of reasonable doubt.” “He lied to you repeatedly … he is biased and motivated,” Blanche said, adding that the jury should want a witness to tell the truth. “Michael Cohen is the GLOAT,” Blanche said. “He is the greatest liar of all time … his words cannot be trusted … all those lies, put them to the side for just a moment, that is enough to walk away.”   Blanche noted Cohen had lied to both Houses of Congress, federal judges, state judges and family. “You cannot send someone to prison based upon the words of Michael Cohen,” Blanche said, adding that a verdict needs to be reached based on evidence from documents and witnesses. “If you do that, this is a very quick and easy not-guilty verdict.”  Meanwhile, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass delivered his closing argument for more than five hours Tuesday, saying the prosecution has presented “powerful” evidence in their case against Trump.  Steinglass said Trump’s intent to defraud “could not be any clearer,” arguing that it would have been far easier for him to pay Stormy Daniels directly. Instead, the prosecutor said, he concocted an elaborate scheme and everything he and his cohorts did was “cloaked in lies.” “The name of the game was concealment and all roads lead inescapably to the man who benefited the most: the defendant, former President Donald Trump,” Steinglass said. Steinglass defended the prosecution’s use of Michael Cohen as a witness, telling the jury: “I’m not asking you to feel bad for Michael Cohen. He made his bed.”  “But you can hardly blame him for making money from the one thing he has left, which is his knowledge of the inner workings of the Trump Organization,” he said.  “We didn’t choose Michael Cohen to be our witness. We didn’t pick him up at the witness store,” Steinglass said. “The defendant chose Michael Cohen to be his fixer because he was willing to lie and cheat on the defendant’s behalf.”  Wrapping up his five-hour presentation, Steinglass, echoing an infamous Trump line, said: “Donald Trump can’t shoot someone on Fifth Avenue at rush hour and get away with it.”  The comment prompted an objection from Trump’s lawyer, which was sustained. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

Trump strategy: Hitting blue areas, courting minorities and unfriendly audiences

Trump strategy: Hitting blue areas, courting minorities and unfriendly audiences

The Trump campaign is increasingly venturing into hostile territory. The strategy, I’ve been told, is to demonstrate that the former president can make his case in Democratic areas and force the Biden campaign to play defense. But it runs deeper than that. IS NEW YORK IN PLAY THIS NOVEMBER? By campaigning where he wouldn’t ordinarily be welcome, Donald Trump sends a message that he’s a fighter – particularly during the weeklong break from the hush money trial, which resumed yesterday with closing arguments. A conviction in that criminal trial, of course, could alter the playing field. Exhibit A in Trump’s new playbook was the visit to the South Bronx, a preeminent symbol of urban decay. He didn’t go because he thinks he can win the Bronx, or New York City, or New York State. Trump went to send a message that he cares about minority voters. He drew a couple of thousand supporters to a park where he mostly recited his greatest hits, including 10 minutes on how he rebuilt a Central Park ice skating rink decades ago, complete with the construction details. But he also said he would rebuild the city. Polls show Trump scoring better among blacks than any Republican nominee in more than a generation, while Joe Biden has been slipping among that crucial constituency for Democrats. Going to the Bronx, where the Queens-born Trump attended two years of college, was a curveball. And since some liberals ripped the rich Republican for venturing onto their turf, the controversy drove the news cycle for days, a Trump specialty. The former president also spoke to a massive rally along the shore in New Jersey, another state he’s not going to win, and went to blue-state Minnesota, which he’d carry only if the election is a blowout. I don’t think the Biden camp is going to fall for these head fakes. The president has to concentrate on Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, where he trails by a few points in most polls, for an Electoral College victory. Scranton Joe has practically taken up residence in Pennsylvania, which is close to Delaware, and yet still trails slightly in most battleground polls. He and Kamala Harris are back in Philly today. Perhaps the clearest sign of Trump’s unorthodox approach is his weekend speech to the Libertarian convention. This was widely portrayed as a disaster, since Trump was widely booed throughout his appearance.  He made some promises, such as appointing a Libertarian to the Cabinet and pardoning a Libertarian who ran an online illegal drug market.  But the booing grew louder when he asked for the party’s nomination. The Libertarians have long been critical of Trump’s record. TRUMP JUDGE FACES A ‘SERIOUS PROBLEM’ IF COURT RETURNS GUILTY VERDICT: JOHN YOO Trump argued that together they could win. As the boo-birds kept it up, he pushed back: Maybe you don’t want to win. You can keep on getting 3 percent in every election. Trump argued the next day that as the Republican candidate he wasn’t allowed to seek another party’s nomination – though he had just done exactly that. While many view the whole episode as a fiasco, I have a contrarian view. Trump showed a willingness to step into the lion’s den. He stood his ground against the catcalls. He displayed his pugilistic style before what he had to know would be an unfriendly reception. That’s quite a contrast with Biden giving safe economic speeches, mainly based on past legislation, before safe audiences. Now the spotlight shifts back to the hush money trial, which the jury will get today.

Business owner wins tight Texas primary, aims to make history by flipping deep-blue House seat

Business owner wins tight Texas primary, aims to make history by flipping deep-blue House seat

A small business owner and former city councilman has won a tight primary fight and is now tasked with flipping one of Texas’ bluest House districts for Republicans, the Associated Press projects. Republican Darrell Day, who served as a member of the Arlington City Council and founded an executive search business, defeated his opponent, former Southern Methodist University football player David Blewett, in Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff for the state’s 32nd Congressional District. Day will now face Democrat Julie Johnson, a member of the Texas House of Representatives, in the November general election. The winner will replace Democrat Rep. Colin Allred, who is running for the U.S. Senate. WATCH: BUSINESSMAN REVEALS PLAN TO FLIP CALIFORNIA HOUSE SEAT AS THESE TOP 2 ISSUES TAKE CENTER STAGE The fight for Republicans to flip the district will be tough considering it encompasses heavily urban areas north and east of downtown Dallas. The district was redrawn following the 2020 census, adding more solidly Democrat-leaning areas. Should Day win the race, his victory would mark a historic underdog win. TEXAS DEMPOCRAT COLIN ALLRED FACES 6-FIGURE AD CAMPAIGN FOR CALLING BORDER WALL ‘RACIST’ Allred, who has represented the district since 2019, won re-election in 2022 following the redistricting with 65% of the vote. He won in 2020 in the old district with just 52% of the vote. The top election analysts rate the race for Texas’ 32nd Congressional District as either “solid Democratic” or “safe Democratic.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Louisiana to become 1st state to require Ten Commandments be displayed in schools if governor signs bill

Louisiana to become 1st state to require Ten Commandments be displayed in schools if governor signs bill

Louisiana lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday that could make the state the first to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all schools and colleges that receive public funding. Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, still needs to sign the new bill into law for Louisiana to make history as the first state with such a requirement. The bill, introduced by GOP state Rep. Dodie Horton, states that the text of the Ten Commandments must be printed in classrooms on a poster no smaller than 11 inches by 14 inches and must be “the central focus” of the poster. Other states, including Texas, South Carolina and Utah, recently attempted to approve similar legislation, according to Axios. Those states began pushing the legislation after Supreme Court rulings in cases like Kennedy v. Bremerton School District suggested a looser interpretation of the Constitution’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits state-sponsored religion. LOUISIANA CLASSIFIES ABORTION DRUGS AS CONTROLLED, DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES AFTER GOV. LANDRY GREENLIGHTS PROPOSAL The Louisiana bill, HB 71, was given final approval Tuesday evening, when the state House passed it by a 79-16 vote, with only Democrats voting against the legislation. The Senate passed the bill earlier this month. Horton said before the House in April that the commandments are the basis of all laws in Louisiana. “I hope and I pray that Louisiana is the first state to allow moral code to be placed back in the classrooms,” she said at the time. “Since I was in kindergarten [at a private school], it was always on the wall. I learned there was a god, and I knew to honor him and his laws.” HB 71 is expected to face legal challenges over First Amendment concerns. “We learned the Ten commandments when we went to Sunday school,” Democrat state Sen. Royce Duplessis previously told WWLTV. “As I said on the Senate floor, if you want your kids to learn the Ten Commandments, you can take them to church.” LOUISIANA BILL TO CASTRATE SEX OFFENDERS MOVING TOWARD GOVERNOR’S DESK FOR SIGNATURE Civil rights organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Louisiana, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Freedom from Religion Foundation and the Southern Poverty Law Center previously issued a joint statement criticizing the legislation. “This bill is unconstitutional,” the statement said. “The state may not require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Many faith-based and civil-rights organizations oppose this measure because it violates students’ and families’ fundamental right to religious freedom.” “Our public schools are not Sunday schools, and students of all faiths—or no faith—should feel welcome in them,” the statement added.

GOP Rep Tony Gonzales survives challenge from the right in Texas runoff

GOP Rep Tony Gonzales survives challenge from the right in Texas runoff

The Associated Press projects that Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas will win his Republican primary runoff election on Tuesday with far-right challenger Brandon Herrera. Gonzales is running for a third two-year term representing a majority Hispanic district in southwestern Texas.  With more than 800 miles of U.S.-Mexico border, Texas’s 23rd district has the largest stretch of the border territory of any Congressional district. The district is also home to Uvalde, Texas, where two years ago, 19 children and two adults were murdered in an elementary school shooting. Gonzales, who has bucked his party on gun safety, immigration, and same-sex marriage, was challenged in the runoff by Herrera, a MAGA supporter and gun rights advocate who is known for his gun-themed YouTube channel titled “The AK Guy.” POLITICAL REVENGE AND TRUMP AMONG THE KEY FACTORS IN TEXAS GOP PRIMARY RUNOFFS  Gonzales was endorsed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbot, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Actor Matthew McConaughey, a Texas native, recorded robocalls in support of Gonzales. TEXAS GOP VOTES TO SENSURE REP. TONY GONZALES OVER VOTES ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, GUNS AND BORDER SECURITY Herrera was backed by controversial Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Rep. Bob Good of Florida, another far-right House member and the chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. Gonzales won over 45% of the vote in the March primary, with Herrera a distant second at 25%. However, since neither grabbed a majority of the vote, under Texas law, they both advanced to a one-on-one runoff. Veteran Texas-based Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser noted that Herrera branded the showdown as “an establishment versus far-right, populist race,” and that Gonzales was well aware “that he needs to protect his right flank” However, he added that “Tony has a pretty big presence in the conservative eco ecosystem. He’s on Fox News a lot, talking about the border.” Outside groups shelled out over $5 million in ad spending in the race, according to AdImpact, a leading ad tracking firm. Among the groups helping Gonzales were the Republican Jewish Coalition Victory Fund, the Hispanic Leadership Alliance, and the American Action Network, which is aligned with the House GOP leadership. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.