The trial of former President Donald Trump in New York has commenced with the selection of the jury and the opening statements presented by both the prosecution and defense teams. Let’s take a closer look at the events of the day.
# Prior to entering courtroom 1530 at the New York County Supreme Court in Lower Manhattan, Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the trial, referring to it as a political scheme orchestrated by his opponents, including President Joe Biden, to hinder his election campaign. Trump’s outbursts continued outside the courtroom, where he made controversial remarks, essentially turning the courthouse corridor into a campaign platform. He also criticized the differences in treatment between his supporters and pro-Palestine activists outside the courthouse.
# The judge issued rulings regarding potential additional cases Trump may face if he chooses to testify. Trump appeared visibly frustrated and displayed signs of discontent throughout the early stages of the trial.
# Trump’s frustration peaked when the judge allowed for the inclusion of the ‘Access Hollywood Tape’ transcript, where Trump made derogatory remarks about women. References to the New York financial trial, resulting in a hefty fine of 364 million dollars, were also permitted. Mention of fines for courtroom disruptions could also be brought up during the proceedings.
Without the support of any family members, such as his wife Melania or children, Trump appeared in court accompanied by advisor Jason Miller and assistants. When asked about Melania’s absence, Trump remained silent.
# Following detailed instructions by Judge Juan Merchan, the prosecution led by Matthew Colangelo began presenting its case. The trial revolves around accusations of a criminal conspiracy to manipulate the 2016 election. Trump allegedly tried to conceal damaging information by collaborating with individuals like David Pecker and directing hush money payments to Stormy Daniels through lawyer Michael Cohen. Colangelo highlighted instances of document falsification in 34 different cases.
The prosecutor is investigating the involvement of the ‘National Enquirer’ as an accomplice in a wide-ranging conspiracy that was planned at a meeting in Trump Tower. The goal was to support Trump in a positive light, attack his opponents, and suppress any damaging information about Trump using a tactic known as ‘catch and kill’. The first instance involved paying $82,000 to a Trump Tower bouncer for a story about Trump having an illegitimate child, which was then silenced.
According to the defendant, Pecker was complicit in supporting Trump. In another case, Karen McDougal, who allegedly had an affair with Trump, was paid $150,000 to prevent her from speaking to the media. A similar scenario played out with a porn actress where $130,000 was paid to keep her story quiet. Cohen, at the direction of Trump, orchestrated these payments through dummy companies to cover up the affair scandals.
Following the election, hush agreements with McDougal and Stormy Daniels were terminated. Trump expressed gratitude to Pecker and devised a plan with Cohen to recover the payments made to Daniels. Suspicious financial transactions, including fake invoices for legal fees, were orchestrated by Trump’s finance chief to channel money to Cohen. Despite Cohen’s criminal history and reputation as a liar, his testimony is crucial in proving the conspiracy to manipulate the election integrity.
‘Donald Trump is innocent!’ These were the powerful words of his attorney Todd Blanche as he began his opening statement: ‘This trial should never have even happened!’ Blanche also made a point to humanize his client from the start: ‘He is a man, a husband, a father!’ The lawyer argued that the case is not as straightforward as the prosecution presents it. Many of the incidents in question took place several years ago, in 2015 and 2016, and key witness Michael Cohen was actually compensated for legitimate legal services, as stated by Trump’s defense attorney: ‘He did not pay Michael Cohen $130,000, he paid him $420,000!’ Blanche questioned why a frugal corporate executive would suddenly pay such a large sum. Cohen had provided legal services to both Trump and Melania during that time. The financial data referred to as ‘evidence’ by the prosecution from Weisselberg’s ledger supposedly revealed nothing irregular. Blanche maintained that Trump had no involvement in any of the transactions. The lawyer argued that the focus was on influencing an election – a part of democracy. Stormy Daniels attempted to extort Trump to protect his family from exposure. Blanche contended that Trump was within his rights to defend himself and his family. The defense lawyer insisted, ‘No laws were broken! Period!’ Michael Cohen had aspirations for a role in the Trump administration which did not materialize. He was loyal, but unbeknownst to Trump, he was also engaged in criminal activities. Upon being caught in 2018, he shifted blame to Trump, branding him a ‘convicted liar’. Cohen’s fixation on Trump led him to relentlessly pursue Trump’s imprisonment, as he openly admitted. Blanche warned, ‘Cohen cannot be trusted!’
Blanche made a plea to the jury: ‘Relying on Michael Cohen’s statements for a serious decision is misguided!’ He then shifted focus to another questionable witness, Stormy Daniels, highlighting her substantial financial gains from the Trump affair, including book and TV deals. According to the lawyer, Daniels lacked credibility. Blanche asserted that the agreements between Trump and Pecker were lawful, devoid of any illegal activity. He implored, ‘Examine the evidence carefully, scrutinize Cohen’s testimony, and contemplate its accuracy – use your own judgment, we are New Yorkers after all!’ Blanche suggested that a swift ‘not guilty’ verdict would be appropriate if the jury followed these guidelines.
David Pecker (72) was the first witness to take the oath. Sitting somewhat awkwardly in the witness chair, he identified himself as a ‘consultant’ with a previous background at American Media (AMI), now known as A360media. Pecker claimed to have held various high-ranking positions within the company, including former CEO, president, and managing director. He emphasized having the final say in his former role. Pecker revealed that reporters were authorized to pay informants up to 10,000 dollars, with his involvement in transactions of higher amounts. According to Pecker, the National Enquirer was the most prominent publication within the group. Throughout the interrogation, Pecker mistakenly shared his telephone number, despite instructions to only provide the last digits. Despite the seriousness of the questions, Pecker often burst into laughter, sparking amusement among the reporters present. Pecker faced inquiries regarding the corporate responsibilities of his former editor-in-chief, Dylan Howard, who reported directly to Pecker and held significant decision-making authority. The day concluded with the judge adjourning the proceedings, to resume the following day at 11 a.m. local time with a three-hour session scheduled for Tuesday.
