Trump trial: Former president ‘innocent,’ says defense as DA alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’
Defense attorneys on Monday argued that former President Trump “is innocent,” maintaining that he “had nothing to do” with the alleged hush money payments that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argues he orchestrated. Opening statements were delivered in the historic and unprecedented criminal trial of the former president on Monday. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been charged by Bragg with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges are related to alleged hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. LIVE UPDATES: FIRST WITNESS CALLED IN NY VS. TRUMP TRIAL AS PROSECUTION GETS UNDERWAY Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts. He has blasted the trial as pure politics, a “political persecution” and maintains his innocence. The former president, the first ever to be a defendant in a criminal trial, vowed to “tell the truth” if he takes the stand. Defense attorney Todd Blanche on Monday said there was nothing illegal done, and he argued that Trump was protecting himself against false allegations. “Trump fought back to protect his family, reputation, brand,” Blanche said. “And that is not a crime.” TRUMP TRIAL: OPENING ARGUMENTS TO BEGIN AS TRUMP FLOUTS GAG ORDER AND ATTORNEY PREVIEWS DEFENSE Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo delivered opening statements on Bragg’s behalf Monday, saying the case against Trump “is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up.” Colangelo argued that months after Trump announced his candidacy for president in June 2015, he invited former CEO of American Media Inc. (AMI) David Pecker to Trump Tower for a meeting. His then-attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen was also at the meeting. AMI owned the National Inquirer. “Those three men formed a conspiracy to influence the election,” Colangelo argued. Colangelo claimed Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to “silence” her and make sure the public did not learn of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Colangelo claimed that after the election, Trump reimbursed Cohen through a series of monthly checks from his businesses but claimed that he disguised those payments as payments for legal services. Colangelo alleged that Pecker, Cohen and Trump “conspired to influence the 2016 presidential election,” and said Pecker would gather harmful information and prevent it from going public. Colangelo alleged he only published flattering stories about Trump and negative stories about opponents. Colangelo claimed that the men used a practice called “catch & kill,” saying they bought damaging information, had the seller of that information sign a non-disclosure agreement and then blocked the information from being published. Colangelo said the practice was used three times — once to block a story a former Trump Tower doorman was trying to sell about an alleged out-of-wedlock child. Colangelo said the payment was $30,000. The doorman’s story was eventually proven to be untrue. BRAGG SAYS HE WILL TRY TO ‘DISCREDIT’ TRUMP IF HE TESTIFIES IN HIS DEFENSE DURING CRIMINAL TRIAL The next payment was to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed a romantic and sexual relationship with Trump. Colangelo alleged that Cohen asked AMI to buy the story. Colangelo said AMI paid McDougal $150,000 in exchange for “unlimited life rights” to her story. Colangelo also alleged there was a payment made of $130,000 to Daniels. Colangelo said that when it came time to pay Cohen back, Trump “didn’t negotiate the price down — he doubled it.” Colangelo alleged that his “willingness to do this shows the importance of hiding the payments” and alleged “overall election conspiracy.” Colangelo said the payments were made in a series of $35,000 per month in 2017. Colangelo alleged Cohen sent a “bogus” invoice for his legal work. TRUMP TRIALS; HERE’S WHERE EACH CASE AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT AND PRESUMPTIVE GOP NOMINEE STANDS Colangelo also pointed to the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, which was revealed weeks before the 2016 election. “This case is about an illegal conspiracy to undermine a presidential election and the steps Trump took to conceal election fraud,” Colangelo told jurors. “As you consider the evidence, use common sense, focus on facts, focus on evidence, listen to testimony.” He added, “After all evidence is in, we’ll speak to you again and explain that evidence leads to only one conclusion — Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.” Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts. Blanche then took the floor to deliver the former president’s opening statement. “President Trump is innocent,” Blanche said, arguing that the former president built a large, successful company prior to his presidency. After being elected in 2016, he “put up a wall between him and his company.” Blanche argued that some of Trump’s employees continued to help record personal expenses and pointed to Cohen, who sent an invoice for $35,000 for legal work. Blanche said that the invoice was processed, and the checks were signed, and said Trump was the only signatory on his personal account. Blanche argued that the 34 counts “are really just 34 pieces of paper,” pointing to the invoices Cohen sent to Trump Tower, the checks and the ledger entries. “None of this was a crime,” Blanche said. “People say that Trump is trying to cover up payments — think…President Trump did not pay Cohen back $130,000. He paid Cohen $420,000.” He added, “Would a frugal businessman repay a $130,000 debt to the tune of $420,000?” Blanche said that the $35,000 “was not a payback.” “Cohen was Trump’s personal attorney,” Blanche said, noting that Cohen’s signature block was labeled at the time “personal attorney to President Trump.” “There’s nothing fancy about a ledger account,” Blanche said, adding that Trump “had nothing to do with the invoice, with the check being generated, or with the entry on the ledger.” “Trump had nothing to do with the 34 pieces of paper — except that he signed the checks,” Blanche argued. “The reality is Trump is not on the hook.” He added, “I have a spoiler alert — there is nothing wrong with trying to influence
Vulnerable Dem who demanded ‘fair’ Trump Senate trial changes tune on Mayorkas impeachment
Longtime Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey voted to kill the impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last week, but has a long track record of supporting impeachment proceedings when former President Trump was in the hot seat with Democrats. The Senate voted against two articles of impeachment Mayorkas faced last week, including one that charged Mayorkas with “willful and systemic refusal to comply” regarding immigration law, and a second article that charged him with a “breach of trust” after saying the border was secure. The Senate voted 51-48 and 51-49 against the articles. The votes were largely along party lines, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska serving as the only Republican who voted “present” when asked about dismissing the first article, and voted against dismissing the second article. Republicans were pushing for a trial of Mayorkas for “willfully” refusing to enforce immigration laws, while millions of illegal immigrants have poured across the border into the U.S. since he was sworn in as the Biden administration’s secretary of Homeland Security in 2021. GOP PREPS ATTACKS ON VULNERABLE DEM SENATORS OVER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL DISMISSAL Casey was among the Democrats who voted to kill the impeachment trial of Mayorkas, but had largely been tight-lipped ahead of the vote. Fox News Digital reported last week ahead of the Senate vote that Casey had not yet revealed his plans, while Politico reported on April 10 that Casey “did not directly answer a question on whether or not he’d support a motion to dismiss the trial.” He did tell the outlet at the time that “the Senate should be spending time passing the bipartisan border deal” and that he has “no doubt at all” that Republicans would use the impeachment trial against him and other vulnerable Senate Democrats ahead of the election. Senate Democrats quashing impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas was historically significant, as he is still serving in his role in public office. It marks a first for an impeachment trial to be dismissed, tabled or effectively tossed without the accused official first exiting their role, Fox Digital previously reported. “The Senate has no constitutional authority to rule that the articles approved by the House do not state impeachable offenses,” Andrew McCarthy, a former chief assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of New York and a senior fellow at the National Review Institute, said last week. McCarthy added that the House has the sole power to determine impeachable offenses, and the Senate deeming the articles of impeachment unconstitutional and killing the potential trial, “essentially nullifies the House’s important role in the impeachment process.” REPUBLICANS PREDICT DEMS TO PAY ‘HEAVY PRICE’ IN ELECTION AFTER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT BID FAILS The Senate voting against carrying through with the trial of Mayorkas comes after Casey repeatedly publicly supported impeachment proceedings against Trump when he was president. “There can be no justice without accountability for those involved in the insurrection against the federal government. As a Nation, we cannot advance our shared democratic values without consequences for those who have betrayed those values. Those who stormed the Capitol should face charges. President Trump should be impeached and removed from office because he betrayed his oath to the Constitution and incited a mob to violence,” Casey said in 2021, following protesters breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 of that year. ‘CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY’ OF SENATE DEMS QUASHING MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL QUESTIONED BY EXPERTS In 2020, when Democrats accused Trump of soliciting foreign interference in the 2020 election, Casey said, “Americans deserve a fair trial” when touting articles of impeachment against the 45th president. “Soon the Senate will take a critical vote on whether we should hear from relevant witnesses like John Bolton. Americans deserve a fair trial. Anything less is a cover-up,” he said on X at the time. That same month, he also called for “answers, under oath, in full view of the American people,” as part of Trump’s first impeachment. He added in 2019 of the Trump impeachment that failing to pursue proceedings against Trump would be “an insult to our Constitution and to our values.” PENNSYLVANIA POLICE SLAM LONGTIME DEM SEN. CASEY ‘ALIGNING’ HIMSELF WITH DEFUND THE POLICE GROUP: ‘DANGEROUS’ “Our Constitution indicates that impeachment is for ‘treason, bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.’ A failure by Congress to pursue impeachment in the face of grave offenses by the President is an insult to our Constitution and to our values.” Trump was ultimately impeached twice, an historical first for a president, and acquitted on all counts by the Senate. Casey has served in the Senate since 2007, and is anticipated to have one of the most closely watched elections this year as he gears up for a campaign against anticipated Republican challenger Dave McCormick. Pennsylvania holds its primaries Tuesday, which will solidify the expected race between Casey and McCormick. REPUBLICAN DAVE MCCORMICK LAUNCHES BID FOR VULNERABLE SENATE SEAT IN BATTLEGROUND STATE The Pennsylvania Democrat and fellow vulnerable Senate members have now come under greater focus from the Republican Party following the Mayorkas vote, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) previously telling Fox Digital that their votes against proceeding with the trial will become a focal point of election season. “Joe Biden’s wide open border is going to be a top issue for voters headed into November,” NRSC spokesperson Maggie Abboud told Fox News Digital in a statement last week. BATTLEGROUND STATE DEM DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM DEFUND MOVEMENT, BUT POLITICAL RECORD SHOWS DIFFERENT STORY “You can bet we are going to highlight Senate Democrats’ refusal to hold Joe Biden’s DHS Secretary accountable on the campaign trail, in advertising, and in every other way possible,” she continued. Fox News Digital reached out to the Casey campaign for comment on the Mayorkas vote and his previous remarks on Trump’s impeachment proceedings, and were directed to the Senate office. The Senate office did not immediately respond to the inquiry. “Together, Casey, Biden and Mayorkas have enabled drug cartels to flood Pennsylvania communities with deadly
Chicago City Council approves $70M for migrant care despite voter backlash
The Chicago City Council on Friday green-lit an extra $70 million for the care of illegal immigrants in the Windy City despite a massive backlash from residents that foreign nationals are being prioritized over native Chicagoans. The council voted 30-18 to approve the request made by Mayor Brandon Johnson in order to help deal with the ongoing migrant crisis it is facing. CBS News reported that the vote, which came after an hour of heated debate, accompanied an approval of $48 million in grant money from state and federal governments. That money is on top of a $150 million assigned to migrant care in the budget already. Johnson, along with a number of other mayors, have appealed to the federal government for billions more in funding than it is already providing. BLACK CHICAGO VOTERS RIP MAYOR ON EXTRA $70M FOR MIGRANTS AS RECALL PETITION GATHERS STEAM “Yes, this is a challenge. Do we want to spend this money like this right now? Of course not, but again, we have an obligation, and we have a responsibility to move this ball forward,” said Jason Erwin, the council’s budget committee chair, according to CBS. Johnson’s office had said the funding request was to ensure the city is prepared “should there be any sudden increases in new arrivals sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.” The city aims to provide “basic necessities” including food, shelter, medical care, education, vaccines, case management and resettlement support. According to Johnson’s office, the city has at its peak been dealing with more than 2,000 migrants coming in a week. Nearly 40,000 have arrived since August 2022. The mayor has also been calling for more funding, national coordination of resettlement and faster employment documents. VACCINATING MIGRANTS LIKE US CHILDREN WOULD HAVE PREVENTED DISEASE OUTBREAKS AT CHICAGO SHELTERS: EXPERTS However, residents showed up in force at a City Council meeting on Wednesday to protest the request for more funding ahead of the vote, with furious residents accusing the government of prioritizing funds to migrants that should be going to residents. “We need that money in my neighborhood, we need that money on my block,” railed one Black woman wearing a red “Make America Great Again” cowboy hat. “So I’m asking y’all to use our tax money for our people, we need it.” “Vote for the money for these immigrants today and we coming for those seats, you can believe that,” she said. “You better be worrying about your job, you better be worrying about your longevity because we gonna vote and we gonna getcha out, ’cause you ain’t doing right by us, that’s what time it is.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “They’re showing up here in New York and Chicago attacking people in the streets,” another resident said on Wednesday. “The police are fighting with them in the… shelters that you guys are funding.” Meanwhile, some residents have been pushing to recall Johnson. A group is currently laying the groundwork by gathering signatures for a ballot referendum to change state law, which currently does not allow for the recall of anyone except the governor. Fox News’ Garrett Tenney and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Judge rules against NY attorney general, says Trump’s $175M judgment bond will stand
Former President Trump’s $175 million bond judgment stemming from his non-jury civil trial will stand, a New York judge ruled Monday after New York Attorney General Letitia James attempted to invalidate it. Lawyers for James on Monday argued that the court should void Trump’s slashed judgment of $175 million in his non-jury civil fraud trial. James questioned whether the company that posted the massive bond, Knight Specialty Insurance, could actually pay the bond if needed. The court, though, ruled against James, deciding that the bond will stand. The court decided the $175 million needs to be in cash — not in mutual funds or securities where the value can fluctuate. The court said Knight Insurance cannot trade or move the money, but said they will retain control of the account. The court also ruled that Knight Insurance must provide a monthly financial statement to James showing the $175 million in cash, and decided that the agreement cannot change without approval from the court. The hearing Monday lasted for approximately an hour. Trump attorneys are appealing the decision from New York Judge Arthur Engoron, which required him to pay $454 million after Engoron ruled Trump was liable for fraud. An appeals court slashed that $454 million judgment to $175 million while Trump appeals Engoron’s ruling. If Trump loses his appeal, the former president may be liable for the full $454 million. His real estate portfolio may then be exposed to seizure by James. Arguments in the appeal are set for September. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
RFK Jr railing against ‘racially rancid’ voter ID laws in unearthed video
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has been a longtime opponent of requiring voters to show proof of identification to cast a ballot, a number of his resurfaced writings and interviews show. The material reviewed by Fox News Digital was published throughout 2008 in the run-up to that year’s presidential election, and included Kennedy referencing voter ID laws as “racially rancid,” and claiming voter fraud was “non-existent.” One of his past writings – a comic book co-authored with investigative journalist Greg Palast and sponsored by numerous liberal and left-wing organizations – specifically claimed voter ID requirements were discriminatory against Black people. DEMOCRATS HOLD MAJOR 2024 ADVANTAGE AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS FACE FURTHER CHAOS, DIVISION “One out of every ten Americans don’t have a government-issued ID because they don’t travel abroad, so they don’t have passports, and they don’t drive a car[,] so they don’t have drivers[‘] licenses. The number rises to one in five when you’re dealing with the African American community. And, indeed, for those people to get a government-issued ID – it’s an obstacle,” Kennedy wrote on page 16 of the comic. On the same page, Kennedy described voter ID laws as “racially rancid,” citing thousands of voters rejected at the polls for having an expired license – or no license at all – during an unnamed previous election being “disproportionately” Black. Kennedy wrote on another page that an Idaho requirement for newly registered voters in the state to show ID to have a mail-in ballot counted was “a new voter Block-the-Vote trick.” He later described voter ID laws as “the newest scam to steal your vote,” and specifically called those turned away from the polls for not being able to prove their identity as “stolen votes.” WATCH: ANTI-BIDEN PROTESTER DERAILS KENNEDY INTERVIEW WITH BLOOD-CURDLING SCREAMS “Voter fraud is non-existent… everybody who has ever studied this – non-partisan, bi-partisan groups – [has] said that it is simply not a problem in this country,” Kennedy also wrote in the comic. Kennedy also claimed voter fraud “doesn’t exist” during a 2008 HuffPost interview while comparing voter ID requirements to Jim Crow laws and accusing Republicans of using fear surrounding voter fraud as an excuse to make it harder for minorities to vote. “Republicans have seized on this in order to erect all kinds of obstacles and impediments that essentially mimic the old poll taxes that were used in the southern states during the Jim Crow period, to keep Black people from voting. Today, they’re directed toward suppressing the votes, not only Blacks, but Hispanics and American Indians, of young people of senior citizens,” Kennedy said. WATCH: NEW BIDEN CAMPAIGN AD MAKES SUBTLE CLAIM ABOUT PRESIDENT’S MENTAL FITNESS That same year, Kennedy admitted in a piece published by liberal outlet Rolling Stone that “the requirement to show a government-issued ID doesn’t seem unreasonable,” but claimed again that traditional Democrat voters, which, at the time, he described as young voters, minorities and seniors, “often have no driver’s licenses or state ID cards.” He repeated similar claims during an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow just days ahead of the 2008 presidential election. “One in five Black voters does not have a driver’s license. That means if you require a driver’s license, you’re getting rid of 20% of the Black voters in this country,” he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to Kennedy’s campaign for comment. Despite his past claims about them, voter ID laws remain popular across the country. Numerous polls taken in recent years have shown more than three-quarters of Americans support requiring proof of identification to cast a ballot. Kennedy is running alongside wealthy entrepreneur and philanthropist Nicole Shanahan, a former Democrat who he announced would join his ticket during a rally in Oakland, California, last month. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Papua New Guinea leader blasts Biden for claiming his uncle was eaten by cannibals
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said Monday that he was offended by President Biden’s recent comments suggesting his uncle was eaten by cannibals in the Oceanic nation during World War II. Marape expressed disappointment in a statement Monday that Biden would suggest his nation was rife with cannibals, noting also that Papua New Guinea was unwillingly pulled into the global conflict in the 1940s. Biden’s comments suggesting his uncle, 2nd Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan Jr., was eaten in Papua New Guinea, came during a speech to a steelworkers union in Pittsburgh last week. “President Biden’s remarks may have been a slip of the tongue; however, my country does not deserve to be labeled as such,” Marape said in a statement. “World War II was not the doing of my people; however, they were needlessly dragged into a conflict that was not their doing.” “The remains of WWII lie scattered all over PNG, including the plane that carried President Biden’s uncle,” he continued. “Perhaps, given President Biden’s comments and the strong reaction from PNG and other parts of the world, it is time for the USA to find as many remains of World War II in PNG as possible, including those of servicemen who lost their lives like Ambrose Finnegan.” BIDEN’S FALSE CANNIBAL STORY DESCRIBED AS A SIMPLE ‘MISSTATEMENT,’ ‘OFF ON THE DETAILS’ BY THE MEDIA Marape added that Papua New Guinea citizens continue to live in fear of active bombs dating back to the 20th-century conflict. He said the country is littered with human remains, plane and ship wrecks, tunnels and bombs from World War II. BIDEN TAKES HEAT OVER GAFFE URGING AMERICANS TO ‘CHOOSE FREEDOM OVER DEMOCRACY:’ ‘GET THIS MAN OUT OF OFFICE!’ On Wednesday, during his speech at the United Steelworkers headquarters, Biden recalled his uncle’s military service and how he flew a single-engine plane for the U.S. Army to collect reconnaissance. The president said Finnegan was gunned down in Papua New Guinea and his body was never recovered, pointing to the existence of cannibals in the nation. “And he got shot down in New Guinea, and they never found the body because there used to be – there were a lot of cannibals, for real, in that part of New Guinea,” Biden said. After the comments were criticized, though, the White House defended the president. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Thursday that Biden made the comments while having an “emotional moment.” “So, his uncle, who lost his life when the military aircraft he was on crashed in the Pacific after taking off near New Guinea. The president highlighted his uncle’s story as he made the case for honoring our sacred commitment to equip those we send to war and take care of them and their families when they come home,” Jean-Pierre said. Meanwhile, Biden’s remarks came days after his latest call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 2. Papua New Guinea has emerged as a potential strategic ally amid tensions between the U.S. and China. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
House GOP blame game erupts after Johnson forces through $95B Ukraine, Israel aid plan
Frustrated House Republicans are trading barbs with their own colleagues after the passage of a $95 billion foreign aid bill with funding for Ukraine and Israel. Different factions of the House Republican Conference feuded over the weekend after the House passed four foreign aid bills via a simple majority vote, while a separate border security bill that needed two-thirds supermajority of the chamber failed to reach that threshold. “[T]he only reason the supermajority procedure was required was that a handful of self-destroying Republicans joined with all Democrats to oppose the Rule which would have allowed it to pass with a simple majority,” Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., wrote on X. “Those so called Republicans killed border security before Schumer could!” House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, shot back, “Those who wanted to force a Senate vote on border security were betrayed by the surrender of leverage, not by opposition to the rule.” TENSIONS ERUPT ON HOUSE FLOOR AS CONSERVATIVES CONFRONT JOHNSON ON $95B FOREIGN AID PLAN “If the speaker wanted to keep his own promises on border security, he would have attached border security to the rule. Those opposed would have been forced to accept it, or oppose the rule,” Davidson responded. A rule vote is a procedural hurdle that sets terms for debate and a final vote on one or several pieces of legislation. It’s decided by a majority in the House Rules Committee, which is the last test for bills before they reach the House floor. Conservative foreign aid skeptics were outraged at the decision by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., last week to advance his four foreign aid bills under one rule vote and a fifth border security bill under a separate rule, arguing that it left Republicans with no leverage to force the Senate to take it up. In protest, three of those skeptics joined all Democrats in killing the bill in the Rules Committee, which forced Johnson to bring the bill up for a vote by forgoing the procedural hurdle in exchange for raising the threshold for passage to two-thirds instead of a simple majority. Predictably, the bill failed with no Democrats backing the measure. DEMS SAVE JOHNSON’S $95B FOREIGN AID PLAN FROM GOP REBEL BLOCKADE Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., took a veiled shot at GOP rebels after the Saturday vote, accusing them of throwing up roadblocks for media attention, “Sadly we have some egos outpacing intellects. Could they survive a day [without] a microphone or camera in front of them? We are here TO GOVERN not play to the press.” On the other side of the argument, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, one of the three Rules Committee Republicans who blocked the border bill from getting a simple majority vote on the House floor, accused GOP leaders of putting it up for “cover.” “Ukraine issues aside, our take down of the SEPARATE border… rule – they needed desperately to pass as cover – has enraged them [because] they now can’t easily lie that border was attached in a package,” Roy wrote on X in an unrelated post. Meanwhile, Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., piled on Barr’s earlier post, “After each sellout, once the fury of Republican voters sets in, the self-serving lies begin. Leadership NEVER proposed to attach ANY border security measure to this Ukraine package. They set up a separate, cosmetic vote to give cover that the Senate would have been free to ignore. The Rules Committee conservatives killed that separate rule.” HOUSE TAKES KEY TEST VOTE FOR JOHNSON’S $95B FOREIGN AID PLAN AFTER DEMS HELP IT ADVANCE But even Johnson himself dismissed arguments that he was in a position to force border security measures through the Democrat-controlled Senate and White House, telling FOX Business’ Larry Kudlow days before the vote, “Some of my colleagues want the speaker of the House to have a magic wand. If we could close the border ourselves, we would have done it a long time ago.” The infighting is not a new phenomenon in the House, but it illustrates the exceptional divides in Johnson’s GOP Conference. House lawmakers are back in their home districts this week, but when they return, GOP leaders will be grappling with just a one-seat majority after the early departure of Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis.
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NY vs. Trump: Judge delivers jury instructions as opening statements kick off
The judge presiding over former President Trump’s trial in Manhattan delivered the jury its instructions ahead of the prosecution and defense teams delivering their respective opening remarks Monday morning. Trump arrived at the Manhattan courthouse Monday morning after 12 jurors and six alternates were seated and sworn in on the panel last week. Judge Juan Merchan on Monday morning detailed the panel’s instructions, including reminding the jury that the defendant is presumed innocent unless the prosecution team proves Trump is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The trial, which is anticipated to last six weeks, will allow jurors to take notes, but Merchan reiterated to the jurors that they cannot discuss the case with anyone, adding that they also cannot visit any places where a crime allegedly unfolded, and that they cannot research the case. TRUMP TRIAL: OPENING ARGUMENTS TO BEGIN AS TRUMP FLOUTS GAG ORDER AND ATTORNEY PREVIEWS DEFENSE Merchan also explained to the panel that jurors must operate fairly, that the defense team is not required to prove Trump’s innocence and that the 45th president is also not required to testify. The jurors were reportedly listening intently as Merchan described their rules surrounding the case. The trial is not televised, but the media is permitted in an overflow room in the courthouse. TRUMP’S LEGAL TEAM OFFERS PEEK AT STRATEGY AS OPENING STATEMENTS SET TO BEGIN AND MORE TOP HEADLINES The trial’s origins reach back to October 2016, when Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen paid former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with the then-real estate tycoon in 2006. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. He pleaded not guilty to all counts. Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Falsifying business records is a misdemeanor, but prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with an intent to commit or conceal a second crime, which would be a felony. TRUMP HUSH MONEY TRIAL: MEET THE JURORS WHO WILL HEAR BRAGG’S CASE AGAINST THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Monday’s trial schedule will include opening remarks from both the prosecution and the defense teams and is anticipated to hear from the first witness called by the Manhattan district attorney’s office on Monday, David Pecker. Pecker served as the former chairman of the National Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc., and allegedly was a key figure of a “catch and kill” scheme ahead of the 2016 election. Daniels reportedly agreed to grant exclusive rights to the National Enquirer on her claims of an affair with Trump, with Pecker allegedly contacting Cohen to “purchase” Daniels’ silence on the alleged affair. The trial on Monday was supposed to conclude at 2 p.m., ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover beginning at sundown, but it will wrap up at 12:30 due to a juror’s toothache and dental appointment. Trump slammed the trial in brief comments to the media earlier Monday, calling it a “Biden” trial and saying Americans should “understand” that his criminal trial is taking place “for the purposes of hurting the opponent of the worst president in the history of our country.” “I just want to say before we begin — these are all Biden trials,” Trump said before opening statements were delivered Monday. “This is done as election interference. Everybody knows it.” “I’m here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania and Georgia and lots of other places campaigning, and it’s very unfair. Fortunately, the poll numbers are very good,” Trump continued. “They’ve been going up because people understand what’s going on.” Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
NY vs Trump: The evidence prosecutors can present if former president testifies
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg can bring up information from cases brought against former President Trump by New York Attorney General Letitia James and E. Jean Carroll in the cross-examination of the 2024 GOP presumptive nominee should he testify in his own defense, the judge presiding over the trial ruled Monday. Bragg and prosecutors in the district attorney’s office filed a motion last week saying they intend to use Trump’s alleged “prior misconduct and criminal acts” to discredit him after he testifies in the criminal trial. TRUMP TRIAL: OPENING ARGUMENTS TO BEGIN AS TRUMP FLOUTS GAG ORDER AND ATTORNEY PREVIEWS DEFENSE Trump has never been convicted of a crime. Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the criminal trial, decided Monday that Bragg’s office can bring up information from James’ lawsuit against the former president — including New York Judge Arthur Engoron’s decision that found him liable of fraud. Trump was required to post a $454 million bond in that case, but an appeals court slashed that judgment in half to $175 million while the former president and his legal team appeal the ruling. Engoron made the decision after a monthslong, non-jury civil fraud trial. BRAGG SAYS HE WILL TRY TO ‘DISCREDIT’ TRUMP IF HE TESTIFIES IN HIS DEFENSE DURING CRIMINAL TRIAL Merchan, on Monday, said Bragg can bring up Engoron’s ruling. Bragg is also allowed to bring up Trump’s alleged violation of the gag order imposed upon him in that case, where Trump was fined more than $10,000. Merchan also imposed a gag order on the former president in his criminal trial. Bragg has argued that Trump has violated that order more than seven times already and wants him to pay a $1,000 fine per violation, while being warned that any future violations could be punishable with up to 30 days of incarceration. Merchan also said Bragg is able to refer to information from Carroll’s defamation case against Trump—specifically the finding that Trump “defamed” Carroll by allegedly making false statements. A federal jury in January decided Trump must pay Carroll more than $83 million in damages after he denied allegations he raped her in the 1990s. TRUMP HUSH MONEY TRIAL: MEET THE JURORS WHO WILL HEAR BRAGG’S CASE AGAINST THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE The jury decided Trump must pay $18.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages. A federal jury in New York City decided last year that Trump was not liable for rape, but was liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The former president was ordered to pay $5 million in that trial. Trump has repeatedly and vehemently denied the allegation. His denial resulted in Carroll slapping Trump with a defamation lawsuit, claiming that his response caused harm to her reputation. The jury found Carroll was injured as a result of statements Trump made while in the White House in June 2019. Trump and his attorneys are also appealing that ruling. Trump defense attorneys on Friday said each piece of “evidence” Bragg’s team hopes to use are “just distractions.” Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been charged by Bragg with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges are related to alleged hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts. He has blasted the trial as pure politics, a “political persecution” and maintains his innocence. The former president, the first ever to be a defendant in a criminal trial, vowed to “tell the truth” if he takes the stand.