NY v. Trump trial resumes with gag order proceedings after judge fines Trump $9k

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Former President Donald Trump spoke to reporters Thursday after exiting the Manhattan courtroom following the 10th day of the criminal trial in the case N.Y. v. Trump.

The 2024 GOP presumptive nominee said he was "very happy" with how things were going in the courtroom despite calling the trial "ridiculous" and "election interference at the highest level."

"We're seeing all of the crime that's going on outside, and to be sitting in this courtroom is just ridiculous. It is election interference at the highest level that's never been done before in our country. And I shouldn't be campaigning right now," Trump said.

Trump continued to express frustrations with Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the criminal case, calling him "totally conflicted" after holding another hearing earlier this morning on 4 additional gag order violations. Trump said he would appeal the gag order, which he said prevents him from testifying in the case.

"He has me under an unconstitutional gag order. Nobody's ever had that before. And we don't like it, and it's not fair. Other people are allowed to do whatever they want to us, and i'm not allowed as...the Republican Party nominee, and the one who's leading Biden by a lot, I'm not allowed to talk," Trump said.

"So I'm not allowed to testify because of an unconstitutional gag order. We're appealing the gag order. And let's see what happens," Trump added.

The trial will resume Friday at 9:30 a.m.

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The ex-lawyer of adult film actress Stormy Daniels testified Thursday that he thought Donald Trump was "going to lose" the 2016 presidential election, and pressed trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen to settle the payment before losing "leverage."

During the final rounds of questioning to Daniel's lawyer, Keith Davidson, he admitted he spoke to Cohen, pressing him to settle the $130,000 payment to Daniels to quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with Trump in 2006, before the 2016 election. He said Trump "will lose", and subsequently his client would lose her leverage. Trump has denied every having the affair.

That phone call was described as intense and full of expletives. Trump's defense team is hoping to connect that call with Davidson’s alleged pattern of squeezing people for money during vulnerable times.

Fox News' Kerri Kupec Urbahn contributed to this update.

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Former President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Thursday that -- despite reports from "FAKE NEWS MEDIA" that he fell asleep in court -- he was simply closing his "beautiful blue eyes" briefly.

"Contrary to the FAKE NEWS MEDIA, I don’t fall asleep during the Crooked D.A.’s Witch Hunt, especially not today. I simply close my beautiful blue eyes, sometimes, listen intensely, and take it ALL in!!!" Trump stated in a post.

The trial of N.Y. v. Trump resumed Thursday afternoon after a short break. Keith Davidson, attorney for adult film actress Stormy Daniels, took the witness stand again for cross-examination from defense attorney Emil Bove.

Before Davidson took the stand again, defense attorney Susan Necheles asked for a stack of articles that Trump wishes to post on Truth Social to be reviewed for gag order violations because they discuss the case. She asked review to avoid any ambiguity.

Manhattan attorney Matthew Colangelo said he needed to review the articles, adding that he understands there is a political campaign, but there is also a criminal trial.

But Judge Juan Merchan said he would not give an advance rulings on the articles, adding that there is no ambiguity in the gag order.  He told the defense team that if there is doubt to “steer clear.”  

When Necheles tried to bring up another point, Merchan cut her off, saying, “I’m not going to argue with you.”

Fox News' Maria Parnovich contributed to this update.

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The criminal trial of former President Donald Trump resumed following a break for lunch Thursday afternoon.

Keith Davidson, lawyer for adult film actress Stormy Daniels, took the witness stand again for cross-examination by Trump defense attorney Emil Bove.

Trump walked back into the courtroom Thursday afternoon, giving reporters a thumbs up as he walked by, but no remarks.

Davidson earlier Thursday said that the $130,000 payment to Daniels was not “hush money,” but a “consideration” payment.

Consideration” is a contractual legal term for what someone gives in return for the promise to abide by a contract; in this case, money. The payment was labeled "legal fees" in Trump's accounting, which prosecutors allege amounted to fraud.

Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Johsua Steinglass earlier pressed Davidson about Daniels’ statement, which Davidson prepared for his client, that denied any relationship with Trump and said that her only interaction with Trump was “a few public appearances and nothing more.”

“Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false,” the statement says.“I don’t believe that Stormy ever alleged that any interaction with Trump was ‘romantic,‘” Davidson testified Thursday.

But it is his understanding that Daniels had a sexual encounter with Trump.He also said the payment “wasn’t a payoff.”“It wasn’t a payoff. And it wasn’t hush money. It was consideration,” Davidson said. Davidson added that he would never use “hush money” to describe the money exchange. He would only refer to it as “consideration.”

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Stormy Daniel's attorney Keith Davidson testified Thursday that he spoke to former President Donald Trump's ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, after the 2016 election saying that Cohen was "despondent" he didn't land a job in the White House.

Davidson said that Cohen called him frequently, and on one Saturday morning he said he got a "de

"Can you f---ing believe I’m not going to Washington after everything I’ve done for that guy. I can’t believe I’m not going to Washington…I’ve save[d] his a--…"Cohen told Davidson. According to Davidson, Cohen wanted to be Attorney General or White House chief of staff.

Davidson testified that he thought Cohen was so distressed that he wasn't going to work in the Trump administration that he might kill himself.

Cohen is believed to have coordinated the $130,000 payment to Daniels to quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with Trump in 2006. The 2024 GOP presidential nominee has denied having an affair with Daniels.

Cohen is expected to be a star witness for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg later in the trial proceedings.

The criminal trial took an afternoon lunch break and is expected to resume at 2:15 p.m.

Fox News' Kerri Kupec Urbahn contributed to this update.

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Keith Davidson, lawyer for adult film actress Stormy Daniels, said in court Thursday that the $130,000 payment to Daniels was not “hush money,” but a “consideration” payment.

Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Johsua Steinglass pressed Davidson on the witness stand about Daniels’ statement in January 2018, which Davidson prepared for his client, that denied any relationship with Trump and said that her only interaction with Trump was “a few public appearances and nothing more.”

“Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false,” the statement says.“I don’t believe that Stormy ever alleged that any interaction with Trump was ‘romantic,‘” Davidson testified Thursday. But it is his understanding that Daniels had a sexual encounter with Trump.

He also said the payment “wasn’t a payoff.”“It wasn’t a payoff. And it wasn’t hush money. It was consideration,” Davidson said. Davidson added that he would never use “hush money” to describe the money exchange.

He would only refer to it as “consideration.” “Consideration” is a contractual legal term for what someone gives in return for the promise to abide by a contract; in this case, money. The payment was labeled "legal fees" in Trump's accounting, which prosecutors allege amounted to fraud.

Steinglass asked about the truthfulness of the Daniels’ statement. Davidson replied, “I think it’s technically true.”

He continues that he doesn’t believe anyone alleged of a relationship between Daniels and Trump -- it was an interaction.Davidson said he believes a “relationship” to be an ongoing occurrence.

Fox News' Grace Taggart and Kerri Kupec Urbahn contributed to this update

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The hush money trial against former President Donald Trump resumed Thursday morning following a hearing over Judge Juan Merchan's gag order.

Trump's legal team earlier in the morning fended off accusations of him making four additional gag order violations Thursday. Judge Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for 9 separate violations on Tuesday, and prosecutors with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg are now arguing he committed four others in comments outside the courtroom.

In the 10:00 a.m. hour, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Johsua Steinglass continued questioning lawyer Keith Davidson. Davidson represented adult film actress Stormy Daniels in negotiations for a hush money deal with Trump and Cohen ahead of the 2016 election.

Davidson was showed a confidentiality and non-disparagement agreement between Daniels and Trump.  Davidson said that he helped draft it and that the final amount remained $130,000.

Davidson says he made $10,000 from this deal.  He dispersed everything other than his fees to his client, Daniels.

Fox News' Grace Taggart and Maria Paronich and Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

Donald Trump (getty images)

Former President Trump's legal team is fending off accusations of him making four additional gag order violations Thursday.

Judge Juan Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for 9 separate violations on Tuesday, and prosecutors with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg are now arguing he committed four others in comments outside the courtroom.

The prosecution pointed to four times where Trump commented on the jury in the trial, former lawyer Michael Cohen, and another witness, David Pecker, who testified last week.

Merchan's gag order, imposed on April 1, prohibits Trump from speaking publicly about witnesses, the jury, and their family members.

Trump blasted the gag order as "unconstitutional" in a statement on social media ahead of Thursday's trial. He has also attacked Merchan as a "conflicted" and "radical left" judge.

Former President Trump spoke briefly to reporters before entering the courtroom in his New York criminal trial on Thursday.

Trump blasted Judge Juan Merchan as "conflicted" and argued his trial was "bogus" yet again.

He also praised the New York Police Department for its operation clearing out a University of Columbia building that had been taken over by anti-Israel protesters. He also praised police for their efforts to contain protests at the University of California at Los Angeles.

He once again blamed President Biden for the protests and said they are a product of the "radical left."

"You don't need to worry about the right," he said.

Former President Trump’s legal battle in Manhattan marks the first time a former president has stood trial over criminal charges, but the historic and unprecedented case is not live streamed or recorded for the public’s viewing.

Some members of the media are permitted in the courtroom where Trump is fighting a number of first-degree criminal offenses, including falsifying business records. Reporters are also allowed in a nearby overflow room, where they can gather details of the case and document the trial’s proceedings. Transcripts of each court day are also released by New York Courts for the public’s viewing.

Cameras inside the courtroom to stream the trial, however, are not permitted. Only two states in the nation outright ban video coverage amid trials, according to the Fund for Modern Courts: New York and Louisiana. 

Many courts have rules dating back to 1935 restricting media access to courtrooms after camera operators caused a ruckus during the trial of a man accused of kidnapping and killing Charles Lindbergh’s son in 1932 in New Jersey, the Associated Press reported. Courts cracked down on media access following the trial, which then spread to jurisdictions across the country.

Former President Trump arrived to the Manhattan courthouse for day 10 of his New York criminal trial Thursday morning.

Judge Juan Merchan will preside over yet another gag order trial, having fined Trump $9,000 for gag order violations earlier this week. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg accused Trump of violating the gag order 11 times, seeking a $1,000 fine for each incident.

The gag order, imposed on April 1, prohibits Trump from speaking publicly about witnesses in the case, such as former lawyer Michael Cohen and pornography actress Stormy Daniels.

Lawyer Keith Davidson will return to the stand after the gag order hearing concludes. Davidson represented Daniels in negotiations for a hush money deal with Trump and Cohen ahead of the 2016 election.

Trump waved to the press as he left Trump Tower and headed toward the courthouse in his motorcade.

Former President Trump’s trial in Manhattan has featured a handful of witness testimony, including from Keith Davidson, the attorney of former pornographic actress Stormy Daniels.

Davidson, who represented Daniels as well as former Playboy model Karen McDougal, took the stand on Tuesday as the trial’s sixth witness. Both McDougal and Daniels attempted to sell their stories of affairs with Trump to media outlets, Davidson recounted in court. 

Davidson spoke about conversations he had in 2016 with Dylan Howard, the former chief content officer at American Media Inc. and editor-in-chief of the National Enquirer, regarding the outlet potentially covering McDougal’s claims she had an affair with Trump in the early 2000s. He also testified to negotiations he had with Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, regarding payment to Daniels for her claims of an affair with Trump in 2006. 

Davidson is a longtime Beverly Hills attorney who has represented a handful of individuals and companies in legal battles against notable celebrities such as Charlie Sheen, Hulk Hogan and Paris Hilton. 

Trump is charged with more than 34 felonies, including falsifying business records. He has pleaded not guilty to each one and slammed the case as a "witch hunt" and "scam."

The NY v. Trump case focuses on Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who allegedly paid Daniels $130,000 to 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.

Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with the intent to commit or conceal a second crime, which is a felony, in violation of a New York law called "conspiracy to promote or prevent election."

Former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr recently said he would vote for former President Trump in 2024, despite being an open critic of the former president after working in his administration.

Barr told NBC News in 2023, “I strongly oppose Trump for the nomination and will not endorse Trump."

Despite his past criticism, Barr recently revealed he will be voting for the Republican nominee this election cycle. “I think it's my duty to pick the person I think would do the least harm to the country. And in my mind, that's – I will vote the Republican ticket," Barr told Fox News in April.

Trump responded to the endorsement in a fiery post on his Truth Social platform.

"Wow! Former A.G. Bill Barr, who let a lot of great people down by not investigating Voter Fraud in our Country, has just Endorsed me for President despite the fact that I called him 'Weak, Slow Moving, Lethargic, Gutless, and Lazy,'" Trump wrote. "Based on the fact that I greatly appreciate his wholehearted Endorsement, I am removing the word 'Lethargic' from my statement. Thank you Bill. MAGA2024!"

Despite Trump’s swipe, Barr maintained his backing of Trump on the basis that he would reportedly "do less damage than Biden."

“I think that Biden is unfit for office,” Barr told CNN. “And I think all this stuff about a threat to democracy – I think the real threat to democracy is the progressive movement and the Biden administration."

Former President Trump lashed out at Judge Juan Merchan ahead of Thursday's proceedings in his Manhattan criminal trial.

Trump once again argued Merchan is a "conflicted" judge and a member of the "radical left." Trump has repeatedly raged against the gag order Merchan imposed on him in early April, which prohibits him from speaking publicly about witnesses in the case.

"WE CANNOT LET THIS RADICAL LEFT, CORRUPT AND HIGHLY CONFLICTED NEW YORK DEMOCRAT JUDGE INTERFERE WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2024 — THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. THE USA IS TRULY A NATION IN DECLINE! REMOVE THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL GAG ORDER," Trump wrote on social media.

Thursday's proceedings are expected to begin with yet another gag order hearing. Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for violating the order earlier this week. The court also warned Trump that further violations could result in jail time.

Rhona Graff is a longtime personal assistant to former President Trump at the Trump Organization, having worked for him for 30 years prior to him becoming president. Now, she is a witness for the prosecution in his criminal trial in Lower Manhattan. During her time at the Trump Organization, Graff testified that she compiled records that included emails, contact lists and calendar entries. She said the company’s directory had contact information for former Playboy model Karen McDougal and a person named “Stormy.” 

Graff has been reported to be a key player in Trump’s inner circle, with many people needing to go through her to get access to him. She appeared alongside Trump on NBC’s “The Apprentice,” and was a judge on “Miss Teen USA.” Under questioning by Trump’s lawyer, Graff praised Trump’s management style and temperament, calling him a “fair” boss, which reportedly elicited a smile from Trump in the courtroom.

Former President Donald Trump was reportedly seen dozing off during court, according to reporters covering the criminal trial from inside the Manhattan courtroom. 

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman reportedly saw Trump fall asleep in the courtroom, writing that the former president "appeared to nod off a few times, his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest."

Haberman reiterated the claims when asked about the reports during an interview with CNN.

"I reported earlier that he had appeared to fall asleep. Now, we had seen him – I want to be clear that I’ve seen lots of people fall asleep in courtrooms. I’ve seen jurors fall asleep. I’ve seen judges fall asleep. If anyone falls asleep who’s a criminal defendant in a case, we’re going to report on it. But he doesn’t like when such things are reported and I’m guessing – I don’t know – that that’s what this was about," Haberman told the outlet.

The Supreme Court is weighing whether to grant former President Trump presidential immunity in the case brought against him by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

SCOTUS has the power to grant Trump immunity from criminal conviction on the basis that he formerly served as president, meaning he would be safe from prosecution in the ongoing election interference case. 

The high court heard oral arguments for the Trump case in late April, reviewing the question: "Whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office?"

It is unknown at this time how the court will rule on the issue, as the nine judges consider questions about potential implications for future presidents.

"If an incumbent who loses a very close, hotly contested election, knows that a real possibility after leaving office is not that the president is going to be able to go off into a peaceful retirement, but that the president may be criminally prosecuted by a bitter political opponent, will that not lead us into a cycle that destabilizes the functioning of our country as a democracy?" Justice Samuel Alito asked.

SCOTUS is not expected to issue a ruling until May or June.

The unprecedented trial of former President Trump also marks another “historic step:” the New York Courts releasing daily transcripts of court proceedings. 

America’s eyes are locked on the Trump trial, where the 45th president faces 34 felony charges of falsifying business records. The New York Courts announced earlier this month that it made the “historic step” of releasing daily court transcripts of the trial to the public, allowing people a close look at what happens behind the closed courtroom doors. 

A certified transcript of each day’s proceeding will be posted online before the end of the next business day, the New York Courts announced last week. The transcripts of each day of the trial can be found on its website under the “People v Donald J. Trump.”

The Trump trial is not televised, with reporters either in the courtroom or in an overflow room releasing details of the trial to the public. 

First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George said in the New York Courts’ press release that the “historic case” has created “unparalleled public interest,” sparking the release of the transcripts. 

“I am pleased to join Chief Administrative Judge Zayas in announcing that the trial transcripts – providing a word-for-word account of the proceedings – will be posted daily on our website, giving the public ready access to the full, accurate court record. This will serve to enhance public understanding of the trial with minimum disruption to the courtroom proceedings,” St. George said.

The judge presiding over former President Trump’s unprecedented criminal trial will hold a hearing Thursday morning to consider the remaining alleged gag order violations after fining the 2024 presumptive Republican nominee $9,000 and threatening him with jail time.

Trump’s criminal trial is set to resume at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. Court does not meet on Wednesdays. 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and prosecutors from his office alleged the former president violated the gag order that Judge Juan Merchan imposed upon him 14 times. 

The gag order bans Trump from speaking publicly about witnesses, court staff and their families. 

Merchan on Tuesday found that Trump violated the order on nine separate occasions, with each violation resulting in a $1,000 fine.

The judge detailed in the order that if Trump carries out "continued willful violations" of the gag order, he could face "incarceratory punishment" if "necessary and appropriate."

During a hearing on the gag order last week, Merchan said the Trump legal team was "losing all credibility" while defending the 45th president's comments on social media that violated the order.

"I’ve asked you eight or nine times, ‘Show me the exact post that he was responding to,’ and you haven’t been able to do that once," Merchan told the Trump team last week.

The defense team argued in the hearing that Trump was responding to attacks made against him when he posted comments that allegedly violated the order.