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

[corbe]

Eric Trump
@EricTrump

Perspective: Sitting front row attempting to figure out how any of this garbage from 20 years ago relates to “legal” bills submitted by a long time personal attorney being booked as a “legal” expense — but I digress.

To be clear, they don’t give a s**t about the merits of this case - the 15 Manhattan prosecutors are sitting at their table and behind in the courthouse pews, giddy by this salacious show.  This is the intent, not the merits, nor the fact that this entire case is a massive extortion play.


11:42 AM · May 7, 2024

   I agree Eric, this case has no Legal facts and is irrelevant to all but the select few here and elsewhere that continue to point to another Character Flaw, among many, of your Father which we knew right after his infamous escalator ride in 15.



   How did Stormy know she had sex with him 

[catfish1957]

   I see you point of view @catfish1957 and I was there with you when this was first exposed in 16.  Now I am convinced the screwing of America occurred between Stormy's legs and that dumbazz Trump walked blindly into it letting his little head do the thinking~John Hiatt.

@corbe

Preaching to the choir.  I am disgusted by Trump's candidacy, but that ship has sailed.  It's just the fact i don't think we can survive 4 more years of Biden is why we must at least begrudge  helping Trump fight back.

Let's get ourselves to '28 and really right the ship.

[corbe]

   Trump will get all 40 electoral votes in Texas and Cruz is coasting in also.  So, it doesn't matter if I sit this one out too.
   If I lived in a Swing State I would advocate for Trump. 

[deb]

Totally agree. Too many of the extremely wealthy and/or powerful think differently. They think they can indulge in whatever catches their eye without consequences.

He had an utterly beautiful wife at home…..

[corbe]

He had an utterly beautiful wife at home…..

   His third, who was nursing his newborn.  Melania learned from his 2 X wives. Gave him a heir to his thrown and she was set 4ever. 

[catfish1957]

   Trump will get all 40 electoral votes in Texas and Cruz is coasting in also.  So, it doesn't matter if I sit this one out too.
   If I lived in a Swing State I would advocate for Trump. 

@corbe

Not trying to hijack this thread, but I found the results of the three last major polls in Texas pretty remarkable.....


                     Cruz             Trump
                   --------          --------

Univ of TX      +13              +8   
Cygnal            +9               +9   
Marist             +6               +11 

All 3 polls - April '24

[corbe]

   We interrupt this Salacious Story for:

[mystery-ak]

3 minutes ago
Trump back from lunch; court resumes

Court has resumed and Stormy Daniels will continue to testify.

[mystery-ak]

MOL

13:01
Defense moves for mistrial

Donald Trump's defense attorney Todd Blanche moves for a mistrial.

Blanche is slamming the testimony of porn star Stormy Daniels. He mentions her testimony on blacking out, not wearing a condom, the power dynamic.

He says all of this has nothing to do with the case and is 'extraordinarily prejudicial.'

[mystery-ak]

MOL

13:02
Trump returns to the courtroom after a wild morning session

The former president is back from lunch and in the courtroom talking with his lead attorney Todd Blanche.

He is making hand gestures while they chat.

Trump had to spend the morning listening to lurid allegations from Stormy Daniels which he has vehemently denied.

It included her very detailed recollection of the sexual encounter she claims they had in a Nevada hotel room in 2006.

[mystery-ak]

Okay..With Sarah Sanders as guest talking about this trial Jillian Turner on Fox moments ago mentions

once again that in current polls are showing Trump's base numbers slipping....no poll mentioned!!

[mystery-ak]

a minute ago
Judge: 'Surprised' Trump's team didn't object more during Stormy Daniels' testimony

“I was surprised there were not more objections to this testimony," Justice Juan Merchan says, after Trump attorney Todd Blanche moved for a mistrial.

[mystery-ak]

a few seconds ago
Trump writes note after judge tosses mistrial attempt

Donald Trump appeared to write a note on a legal pad as the judge tossed his attorneys' move for a mistrial.

He then passed the legal pad in the direction of Todd Blanche, his attorney.

[mystery-ak]

a few seconds ago
Trump lawyer moves for mistrial , citing Daniels' 'prejudicial,' salacious testimony

Trump attorney Todd Blanche moved Tuesday for a mistrial, citing what he called Stormy Daniels' "prejudicial" and salacious testimony about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.

Daniels mentioned some details about her alleged tryst with Trump — like that there was an "imbalance of power" between her and the real estate mogul — that could unfairly "inflame the jury," Blanche argued.

“It’s extremely prejudicial to insert safety concerns in a trial about business records," he told the court.

“The issue is she has testified today about consent, about danger – that’s not the point of this case. That’s not the point of her testimony," he added.

"How can you unring that bell?"

Blanche also accused Daniels of changing her story about the encounter over the years.

Judge Merchan declined to grant the mistrial, but said he agreed with Blanche "that there are some things that would have been better left unsaid."

In fairness to the prosecutors, though, he added, "I believe that the witness was very difficult to control."

[corbe]

[mystery-ak]

5 minutes ago
Judge says Daniels is 'little difficult to control'
By Kyle Schnitzer

“In fairness to the people, I think the witness was a little bit difficult to control," Justice Merchan said about Stormy Daniels' testimony.

2 minutes ago
Prosecutors now talking to Stormy Daniels to make sure she stays focused

Manhattan prosecutor Susan Hoffinger stepped out of the courtroom to speak with Stormy Daniels about her testimony, according to the judge.

The judge said the conversation is to "make sure the witness stays focus" on the questions being asked.

Daniels has often went on rambling sprees, usually sharing more than what typically is shared when questions are asked.

Stormy Daniels resumes testifying after lunch break

Stormy Daniels reentered the courtroom Tuesday afternoon to continue testifying in Donald Trump's hush money trial.

Trump appeared to shift his head left — in the direction of Daniels — when she walked by. The pair did not share eye contact.

[mystery-ak]

MOL

13:17
Judge Merchan: I don't believe we're at the point where a mistrial is warranted

‘There were probably things that were better left unsaid,’ Judge Merchan says to defense attorney Todd Blanche of Stormy Daniels' testimony.

Merchan adds ‘I think the witness was a little difficult to control.'

But he adds that he does think there were guardrails in place.

‘I’m not dismissing what you’re saying’ he tells Blanche, but he goes on 'I don't believe we're at the point where a mistrial is warranted.'

Merchan says he was surprised there were not more objections from the defense.

'In fact, at one point the court objected because there was no objection coming from the defense,' Merchan says.

He adds that a remedy is cross-examination.

[mystery-ak]

MOL

13:28
Stormy Daniels returns to witness stand in hush money trial

Before testimony resumed with porn stara Stormy Daniels prosecutor Susan Hoffinger stepped out of the court to speak with her before the jury came back in.

Judge Merchan said that Hoffinger was speaking to Daniels to ensure she was ‘focused on the question and does not provide any unnecessary narrative.'

[DB]

MOL

13:28
Stormy Daniels returns to witness stand in hush money trial

Before testimony resumed with porn stara Stormy Daniels prosecutor Susan Hoffinger stepped out of the court to speak with her before the jury came back in.

Judge Merchan said that Hoffinger was speaking to Daniels to ensure she was ‘focused on the question and does not provide any unnecessary narrative.'

LOL... Sure, that's what Hoffinger told her...

[mystery-ak]

a minute ago
2016 was 'probably my best year ever': Daniels

"That was probably my best year ever," Stormy Daniels said, answering a question by prosecutors about what her life was like in 2016.

Daniels said she enjoyed success with writing and directing and her horse being ranked No. 8 nationally.

[libertybele]

Stormy's testimony is an embarrassment for the entire Trump family!

So our choices for president is a past president that slept with a porn star or a president running for re-election that sniffs children and showers with his daughter.  Neither is acceptable!!!

People wonder why this country is in the sad shape that it's in...because the current and past presidents represent the moral decay in this country.  It is NOT ok!

[mystery-ak]

a few seconds ago
Stormy Daniels 'didn't want to sign' statement denying tryst with Trump before 2018 Jimmy Kimmel appearance

Daniels testified that she "didn't want to sign" a written statement denying the sexual encounter with Trump, handed to her by her lawyer Keith Davidson before a 2018 TV appearance on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Davidson has previously told jurors that he wrote the statement.

2 minutes ago
‘Chaos': Daniels reflects on backlash after WSJ published hush money story

Stormy Daniels said her life was turned upside down when the Wall Street Journal published a story about her $130,000 hush money payment.

Asked to describe the backlash, Daniels said it was "chaos."

"Suddenly I was front and foremost everywhere," she testified. "People on the front lawn."

She then said it "blew my cover" and affected her child.

"We were ostracized from her play groups," Daniels said.

[mystery-ak]

MOL

13:38
Jury shown Stormy Daniels settlement agreement from October 2016

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is taking Stormy Daniels through the settlement agreement she signed in October 2016.

The jury is seeing the documents which includes the names Peggy Peterson and David Dennison

It indicates Peterson is Stephanie Clifford and David Dennison is Donald Trump.

It’s dated October 28, 2016.

13:45
Stormy Daniels testifying about 2018 Wall Street Journal article on $130,000 payment

Stormy Daniels is testifying about the Wall Street Journal planning to write an article on her being paid$130,000 to keep quiet in early 2018.

She says she did not comment when asked for one. She noted that she had a non-disclosure agreement.

The jury is shown a statement denying a romantic affair that was signed by Stormy Daniels and dated January 10, 2018.

The article came out on January 12, 2018.

Daniels says it was ‘chaos.’ She says it ‘blew my cover,’ and they were ostracized.

[corbe]

   I don't wonder why @libertybele The Eisenhower, Goldwater, Nixon and Reagan's are all dead.  We're even down to electing a Reality TV Star.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Okay..With Sarah Sanders as guest talking about this trial Jillian Turner on Fox moments ago mentions

once again that in current polls are showing Trump's base numbers slipping....no poll mentioned!!

This will be the new mantra.  Fox is run by Paul Ryan.