Live Thread: Trump's hush money trial begins in NYC

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IT witness done testifying; judge having side bar with attorneys
By Kyle Schnitzer

Digital evidence analyst Douglas Daus wrapped up his testimony. The judge is having a brief sidebar with attorneys from both parties.

an hour ago
New witness called in Trump hush money trial
By Kyle Schnitzer

Georgia Longstreet, a paralegal for the Manhattan DA’s Office, is now testifying.

Longstreet was assigned to Donald Trump's case for a year and a half, she testified.

Her duties included saving social media and news articles relating to the case, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Truth Social.

Trump's former spokeswoman Hope Hicks expected to take stand as soon as today
By Kyle Schnitzer and Ben Kochman

Hope Hicks, Donald Trump's ex-press secretary and his former top White House spokeswoman, is expected to take the stand as soon as today, the Washington Post reported.

Hicks served as Trump’s 2016 campaign press secretary and went on to hold several roles in the White House.

Her name has popped up a few times during Trump’s hush money trial, with ex-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testifying that she was "in and out" of a key August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower.

Pecker testified that during the meeting, he told Trump and Michael Cohen he would be the campaign’s “eyes and ears” about any negative stories that could hurt Trump.

Hicks no longer works for Trump.

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6 minutes ago
Jurors shown tweets by Trump, including video statement after 'Access Hollywood' interview
By Kyle Schnitzer

Prosecutors showed jurors Donald Trump's tweets after the "Access Hollywood" tape was released — including a taped statement where Trump apologized for using words that "don't reflect who I am."

"Anyone who knows me knows these words don’t reflect who I am. I said it. I was wrong and I apologize," Trump says in the statement on Oct. 8, 2016.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/784609194234306560

The evidence was introduced after Georgia Longstreet, a paralegal for the Manhattan DA’s Office, testified on direct examination about her role at the office.

She testified that her duties was to save social media and news articles.

Longstreet was assigned to Donald Trump’s case for a year and a half, she testified.

Two Truth Social posts were shown to jurors.

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a minute ago
Hope Hicks, Trump don't exchange looks as she begins testifying

Hope Hicks entered the courtroom wearing a black blazer. and a blue button down shirt. As she walked by the defense table, Trump turned his head slightly but the pair did not make eye contact.

Attorney Todd Blanche smiled at her as she entered through the witness door.

"My name is Hope Charlotte Hicks," Hicks says as she's sworn in.

9 minutes ago
Trump's Hope Hicks called to the witness stand
By Kyle Schnitzer

Hope Hicks has been called to to the witness stand.

Hicks served as Trump’s 2016 campaign press secretary and went on to hold down several roles in the White House.

Her name has popped up a few times during Trump’s hush money trial while ex-National Enquirer publisher testified that she briefly attended an August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower.

Pecker said she would be the campaign’s “eyes and ears” about any negative stories that could hurt Trump, adding that Hicks was “in and out” of the meeting.

She no longer works for Trump.

[Right_in_Virginia]

19 minutes ago
Forensic analyst returns to witness stand
By Kyle Schnitzer

Jurors were brought into the courtroom as Douglas Daus, a forensic analyst at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, returns to the witness stand to continue cross-examination by Donald Trump attorney Emil Bove.

Any news on the crime Daus is testifying about?

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14 minutes ago
'Really nervous' Hope Hicks says she hasn't spoken to Trump since 2022
By Kyle Schnitzer

Hope Hicks testified that she hasn't spoken to Donald Trump since 2022.

Asked by prosecutors when she last had communication with the former president, Hicks said it was in the summer or fall of 2022.

Hicks is now testifying about her start at the Trump Organization, where she started as director of communications around October 2014.

When asked if she was nervous being here, Hicks, who was served a subpoena by the Manhattan DA's office, said, "I'm really nervous."

10 minutes ago
Hicks: Trump is a 'very good multitasker'
By Kyle Schnitzer

Hope Hicks testified that Donald Trump is a "very good multitasker" who ran the Trump Organization like a "family business."

“He’s a very good multitasker. He’s a very hard worker," Hicks said on the stand, adding that he could wear many hats at once.

She said that everyone who works at the Trump Organization reports to Trump.

"It’s a very big and successful company, but it’s run like a family business in certain ways," she testified, adding that Trump's children — Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump — were others who workers reported to.

4 minutes ago
Hicks thought Trump was 'joking' when he offered her press secretary gig
By Kyle Schnitzer

Hope Hicks testified Friday that she thought Donald Trump was "joking" when he told her she was going to be his campaign's press secretary in June 2015.

"I think Mr. Trump was joking but he said I was going to the campaign press sectary," Hicks told Manhattan prosecutors.

She added that she had "no experience" and didn't take Trump's offer "very seriously" until she eventually claimed the role.

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2 minutes ago
'Following his lead': Hicks testifies about Trump's 'very involved' approach to media
By Kyle Schnitzer

Hicks testified that Donald Trump was "very involved" in his 2016 campaign, and she would just be "following his lead" when it came to media responses.

Asked by Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Michael Colangelo how involved Trump was in the campaign's messaging strategy, Hicks said staffers just did what he wanted done.

“I would say that Mr. Trump was responsible. He knew what he wanted to say and how to say it," Hicks said.

"We were all just following his lead. I think he deserves the credit for the different messages the campaign focused on in terms of the agenda he put forth.”

a minute ago
Hicks says Trump congratulated Pecker on National Enquirer's Ben Carson story: 'Pulitzer worthy'

When former National Enquirer published David Pecker published a story about Donald Trump's then-political foe Ben Carson, Hope Hicks testified that Trump congratulated him on "great reporting" that could be "Pulitzer worthy."

She recalled overhearing a phone conversation between Pecker and Trump, when she said that "“Mr. Trump was congratulating him on the great reporting.”

Hicks testifiied that Trump would call Pecker to congratulate him on his articles — including telling Pecker that some of his stories were "Pulitzer worthy."

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2 minutes ago
'Very concerned': Hope Hicks now testifying about Trump's 'Access Hollywood' tape
By Kyle Schnitzer

Hope Hicks is testifying about how she first became aware of Trump's "Access Hollywood" tape when she received an email from a Washington Post reporter seeking comment on Oct. 7, 2016.

Hicks testified that she was "very concerned" after receiving the email, which she said described Trump having an "inappropriate conversation about a woman."

"I was concerned. Very concerned. Yeah, I was concerned about the contents of the email," Hicks said, later adding, "There was a lot at play."

Hicks was in her office on the 14th floor at Trump Tower at the time of the email.

[Right_in_Virginia]

What charge against Trump is Hicks testifying about?

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5 minutes ago
Trump thought 'Access Hollywood' tape was 'pretty standard stuff' guys talked about: Hicks
By Kyle Schnitzer

Hope Hicks testified that Donald Trump thought his comments with Billy Bush in the "Access Hollywood" tape were "pretty standard stuff for two guys chatting with each other."

“I know Mr. Trump felt this wasn’t good," Hicks said, recalling the moment Trump learned about the tape.

She said Trump called it "just two guys talking privately, locker room talk."

"It wasn’t something to get so upset over. He certainly didn’t," Hicks told prosecutors.

She later added, “He felt this was pretty standard stuff for two guys chatting with each other.”

Hicks recalled how she was a "little stunned" about the video that she knew was concerning and would "dominate the news cycle" the next several days.

"Obviously it wasn’t helpful, but there were a lot of layers to it that complicated where we were trying to go with the campaign," Hicks testified about the video, saying it was a "damaging development."

"This was pulling us backwards.”

[corbe]

   Anticipating Trumpers to go scorched earth on Hope Hicks.

[catfish1957]

   Anticipating Trumpers to go scorched earth on Hope Hicks.

In trump's defense, we are 11 days in, and I can't discern one law that has been broken.  There needs to be some scorched earth, cut them off at the knees with Bragg and James on this one.

I am hardly a Trump defender, but this bullshit should get some prosecutor doing some jail time themselves.

[240B]

Wait! What?

What is this trial about again? I am losing focus! Is it about falsified business records? Is it about "smack talk about some skanks?"
What is the charge! What is the crime?

[corbe]

   I agree @catfish1957 NO law has been broken.  With that being said He brought this all on himself and continues to lie about it.  Which brings the question as to how stupid does he think we are?

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15 minutes ago
Trump only let one other person post to his Twitter, Hicks says
By Kyle Schnitzer

Just Donald Trump and one other staffer — former White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino — were authorized to post on Trump’s Twitter, Hope Hicks testified.

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5 minutes ago
Hicks sent draft responses to Cohen after Playboy model's deal came to light
By Kyle Schnitzer

Jurors were shown four draft responses Hope Hicks sent Donald Trump's "fixer" lawyer Michael Cohen to review as a story about the Karen McDougal deal was about to be published.

But Cohen had his own ideas.

“Instead … say: These accusations are completely untrue and just the latest despicable attempt by the liberal media and the Clinton machine to distract the public from the FBI’s ongoing criminal investigation into Secretary Clinton and her closest associates.”

Hicks read the email sent to her by Cohen on Nov. 4, 2016.

Court is now on a lunch break.

[rustynail]

There is so much evidence there must be a crime?

[DB]

   I agree @catfish1957 NO law has been broken.  With that being said He brought this all on himself and continues to lie about it.  Which brings the question as to how stupid does he think we are?

What's more disturbing is those who believe those blatant lies. But those lies have nothing to do with any actual crime committed. The actual massive crime here is what the legal system is doing to itself to burn some one's house down at any cost.

[DCPatriot]

What's more disturbing is those who believe those blatant lies. But those lies have nothing to do with any actual crime committed. The actual massive crime here is what the legal system is doing to itself to burn some one's house down at any cost.

Well, I can still 'hear' somebody in here cackling "Just try! I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!"

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13 minutes ago
'This isn't a trial, it's a political campaign,' Trump rails on Truth Social
By Kaydi Pelletier

Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform during the court lunch break with an all-caps rant against the trial:

https://twitter.com/TrumpDailyPosts/status/1786455012228641227

He followed it up with a post claiming that "the tape played yesterday" — of a phone call Michael Cohen secretly recorded between the two of them — is "good" for his case but wasn't played in full.

"The tape played yesterday and discussed today, while good for my case, was cut off at the end, in the early stages of something very positive that I was in the midst of saying. Why was it cut off???"

18 minutes ago
Hope Hicks resumes testifying in Trump hush money case
By Kyle Schnitzer

Hope Hicks resumes testifying Friday afternoon about a request from Trump about providing a denial about Stormy Daniels to the Wall Street Journal.

22 minutes ago
Trump returns to court after lunch

Donald Trump just entered the courtroom after the court's lunch break. Hope Hicks will resume testifying once the judge returns to the bench.

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6 minutes ago
Trump 'concerned' about Melania, didn't want newspapers delivered to home after WSJ : Hope Hicks

Donald Trump was "concerned" about how a Wall Street Journal's story about Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels would be perceived by his wife, Melania, Hope Hicks testified Friday — adding that Trump wanted to "make sure" that the newspapers weren't delivered to his home the morning the story was published.

"He was concerned about the story. He was concerned how it would be viewed by his wife," Hicks said, referring to Melania.

"And he wanted to make sure the newspapers weren't delivered to his residence that morning."

11 minutes ago
Hicks now reading through text message exchange with Michael Cohen after 2016 WSJ story
By Kyle Schnitzer

Hope Hicks is reading through text messages she had with Michael Cohen on Nov. 4, 2016 — the day the Wall Street Journal published a story about Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels.

The exchange shows Hicks' and Cohen's communications on the day the story dropped, including one text by Cohen critiquing the story with a funny typo.

“Poorly written and I dot seeing it get much play,” Cohen said in one text sent to Hicks, with "dot" meaning "don't."

Hicks testified that "there’s just a little irony there" after reading the text aloud in court.

Other texts from Cohen included: “Call me," "Any news," and “Any news???”

Hicks said the Wall Street Journal story didn't get "any traction" despite initial fears.

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2 minutes ago
Trump attorney begin grilling Hope Hicks

Trump attorney Emil Bove has started on redirect examination with Hope Hicks still on the stand.

[Right_in_Virginia]

   Anticipating Trumpers to go scorched earth on Hope Hicks.

Not on Hope, fool.

But the day is coming for the DA and this faux judge.

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3 minutes ago
Hope Hicks breaks down on witness stand

Hope Hicks began crying on the witness stand as Trump's attorney Emil Bove started cross examination.

The judge then asked her if she needed a moment, and Hicks, responded in broken tone, "Uh, yes please."

She then used a tissue and wiped her right eye as the jurors were being excused.

[Right_in_Virginia]

6 minutes ago
Trump 'concerned' about Melania, didn't want newspapers delivered to home after WSJ : Hope Hicks

Donald Trump was "concerned" about how a Wall Street Journal's story about Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels would be perceived by his wife, Melania, Hope Hicks testified Friday — adding that Trump wanted to "make sure" that the newspapers weren't delivered to his home the morning the story was published.

"He was concerned about the story. He was concerned how it would be viewed by his wife," Hicks said, referring to Melania.

"And he wanted to make sure the newspapers weren't delivered to his residence that morning."

And the criminal charge here?

[Right_in_Virginia]

What crime is Trump defending himself against?