trump

Key Takeaways From the Ninth Day of Trump’s Historic Hush Money Trial

by
First Day of Trump Trial Ends After Opening Statements

Whelp, another first went down in the first trial of a former POTUS. Donald Trump received his first punishment from Judge Juan Merchan in the New York hush money trial for defying the judge’s gag order, resulting in fines totaling $9,000 for nine violations. The judge’s written order also cautioned the former president that further breaches could result in imprisonment, highlighting the gravity of the trial’s significance from a historical standpoint. 

During the trial on Tuesday, jurors listened to testimony from Keith Davidson, the attorney who orchestrated the hush money agreements involving Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal. Davidson recounted the stresses of working with Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen, in the final days of the 2016 campaign to secure funds, allegedly to silence Daniels. Remember Daniels said she had sex with the married Trump, who was running for President and was reeling from the salacious Access Hollywood grab em by the you know what scandal. Here are some additional takeaways from today’s proceedings:

Jurors were briefed on the financial dealings surrounding the Stormy Daniels payment

Gary Farro, Cohen’s former banker, detailed Cohen’s swift actions in setting up a shell company and transferring funds to Daniels’ attorney. Within a day, Cohen expedited a $131,000 advance on his home equity line of credit, promptly wired to the newly created Essential Consultant LLC account. This maneuver, disguised as a real estate deal, resulted in a $130,000 transfer to Daniels’ lawyer. Farro emphasized the frequency of urgent matters in his interactions with Cohen, noting that Cohen’s accounts were subsequently closed by First Republic Bank following the public revelation of the hush money payment to Daniels.

Video evidence was presented to the jury in court on Tuesday morning, with prosecutors relying on records custodians to introduce several clips.

Clips from C-SPAN featuring Trump speaking at public events were shown to the jury. 

The clips depicted then-candidate Trump vehemently refuting allegations of sexual assault made by women following the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape that month. In one clip, Trump asserts, “As you have seen, right now I’m being viciously attacked with lies and smears. It’s a phony deal. I have no idea who these women are.”

Some of Trump’s family and friends showed up at court today.

On Tuesday, Trump received guests in the courtroom gallery, expanding beyond the usual team. Notably, his son, Eric Trump, made an appearance. That marked the first attendance by a family member at the trial. Susie Wiles, Trump’s senior campaign adviser, accompanied Eric Trump.

Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, and David McIntosh, a co-founder of conservative political groups such as the Club for Growth, were also in the courtroom.

The post Key Takeaways From the Ninth Day of Trump’s Historic Hush Money Trial first appeared on The Source.

The post Key Takeaways From the Ninth Day of Trump’s Historic Hush Money Trial appeared first on The Source.

Trump Found in Contempt of Court for Violating Gag Order, Issued Fines

by
First Day of Trump Trial Ends After Opening Statements

Donald Trump is held in contempt of court for violating a gag order. His current penalty is fines, but the judge has the option of jail time in the future.

According to TMZ, Trump’s fine is $9,000 for nine violations, each costing $1,000. The presiding judge stated, “While $1,000 may suffice in most instances to protect the dignity of the judicial system … it unfortunately will not achieve the desired result in those instances where the contemnor can easily afford such a fine.”

He added, “Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment.”

Previously, Trump blasted the gag order, stating it was “unconstitutional” and the trial was “rigged.”

The post Trump Found in Contempt of Court for Violating Gag Order, Issued Fines first appeared on The Source.

The post Trump Found in Contempt of Court for Violating Gag Order, Issued Fines appeared first on The Source.

Trump Wants to Host Event at Madison Square Garden with Rappers and Athletes to Lure Black Voters

by
Here’s What We Know About the Jurors Seated in Trump Historic Criminal Trial

Donald Trump is looking for your favorite rappers and ball players to support his presidential bid. According to The Boston Herald, Trump is looking to bring big stars in the Hip-Hop community to Madison Square Garden for a campaign rally.

Trump is also looking to appear in Chicago, Detroit, and Atlanta. There currently isn’t a firm plan to engage the Black community, which is alarming for Trump’s campaign with just five months left until election day.

“To be quite honest, the Republican Party does not have a cohesive engagement plan for Black communities,” said Darrell Scott, a Black pastor and longtime Trump ally who co-founded the National Diversity Coalition for Trump in 2016. “What it has are conservatives in communities of color who have taken it upon themselves to head our own initiatives.”

Any sports or Hip-Hop luminaree will likely receive a negative reaction from Black leaders. One of them is Rev. Al Sharpton, who spoke against rappers who are standing in support of former President Donald Trump. During an appearance on MSNBC in Aug. 2023, Sharpton questioned how Black people, including rappers, could support Trump, recalling his history with the Central Park Five.

For a brief history lesson, in 1989, Trump, who was then a prominent New York City businessman, took out several full-page newspaper advertisements calling for New York City politicians to reinstate the death penalty following the brutal rape and attack of a female jogger in New York City. Five youth, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, Antron McCray, Raymond Santana, and Kevin Richardson, were wrongfully imprisoned for 7-13 years until the attacker was caught. They had been coerced into giving false confessions and received substantial settlements. All are involved in criminal justice activism efforts now. Trump never formally apologized to the five, especially since he took out the ads before their trials began.

“Let’s go to the 1990s when five young Black and brown men were falsely accused of raping a white woman in Central Park,” Sharpton said. “It was Donald Trump that took out ads in the papers in New York saying they should get the death penalty.”

Sharpton later said, “Black men need to know they were all young Black men. One spent 13 years in jail. He was with us for the March on Washington on Saturday. Let them come and tell the rappers and other Black men being seduced by Trump what he did in his hometown to innocent to Black men.”

The post Trump Wants to Host Event at Madison Square Garden with Rappers and Athletes to Lure Black Voters first appeared on The Source.

The post Trump Wants to Host Event at Madison Square Garden with Rappers and Athletes to Lure Black Voters appeared first on The Source.

Trump and Biden Edging Closer to Debate Showdown

by
After persistent pressure from Donald Trump's presidential campaign and allies, the anticipation of a face-off between the former POTUS and President Joe Biden on the debate stage is growing as the most critical election of our time looms.

After persistent pressure from Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and allies, the anticipation of a face-off between the former POTUS and President Joe Biden on the debate stage is growing as the most critical election of our time looms.

In a recent interview with Howard Stern, Biden expressed his willingness to debate Trump, stating, “I’m happy to debate him.” Responding via Truth Social, Trump challenged Biden’s sincerity but declared his readiness to debate “ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE.”

This exchange follows a crescendo of calls from Republicans urging the debates to proceed promptly. Asserting Trump’s eagerness to engage and the American people’s right to witness the showdown, campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita emphasized Trump’s readiness for a debate in a memo.

Former Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, who famously coined the term “alternate facts,” underscored the importance of Vice President Kamala Harris debating Trump’s running mate sooner than later, once Trump’s VP is named.

Efforts to accelerate the debate timeline have been made, with the Trump campaign urging the Commission on Presidential Debates to schedule debates earlier. Trump’s team strategizes to pressure Biden’s camp into an early debate decision, believing it places Biden in a dilemma: face Trump on stage or explain the avoidance to the electorate.

Amidst this push, the Commission on Presidential Debates has yet to finalize candidate eligibility criteria. However, the source insists Trump is prepared to debate regardless of third-party candidates’ presence. With both camps on the brink of an epic showdown, anticipation mounts as voters await a clash of ideas on the national stage.

It’s important to note that this election cycle’s initial presidential debate will be the first time one candidate will face dozens of felony charges across several criminal cases. And to think people will still vote for a potential felon is wild, to say the least. 

The post Trump and Biden Edging Closer to Debate Showdown first appeared on The Source.

The post Trump and Biden Edging Closer to Debate Showdown appeared first on The Source.

Trump Criminal Trial: Day 8 Key Takeaways

by
Here’s What We Know About the Jurors Seated in Trump Historic Criminal Trial

As the first full week of testimony wrapped up in the historic Donald Trump hush money trial, jurors were granted a three-day weekend to mull over what they had heard. After over 10 hours of detailed testimony across four days, David Pecker, the former chief of American Media Inc., concluded his time on the witness stand. 

Pecker outlined how he assisted Trump in suppressing negative stories and attacking his rivals in the National Enquirer during the 2016 campaign. Upcoming testimonies from Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen are heavily anticipated.

Friday afternoon, the prosecution called Rhona Graff, Trump’s longtime assistant at the Trump Organization, followed by a banker for Cohen, indicating a shift towards the pivotal documents central to the charges against Trump.

The courtroom drama unfolded with more of the alleged scandalous affair, where the focus shifted to 34 counts of falsified business records. Prosecutors meticulously presented evidence, including a shell company and its dormant bank account, intended for hush money payments that never materialized. 

Pecker’s testimony, portraying a narrative of unique dealings and campaign assistance, clashed with Trump’s legal team’s efforts to discredit him by pointing out alleged inconsistencies. The jury was given testimony to navigate through a complex paper trail.

The Trump legal team worked to undermine Pecker’s credibility during his extensive testimony. Meanwhile, prosecutors portrayed Pecker’s deal with Trump as vital and positioned him as a campaign insider. Trump’s attorneys challenged this narrative by the prosecution. They pointed out alleged inconsistencies in Pecker’s testimony and disputed his claims about AMI’s acknowledgment of campaign finance violations.

Pecker concluded his time on the stand. The courtroom tension was high, with both sides contesting the credibility of his statements.

Of course, Trump raged outside the courtroom about witnesses and still violating his gag order. BTW, he’s still nodding off in court; He’s also complaining about how cold the courtroom is. But wait, isn’t he a strong alpha male that will make America great again? Or just another criminal defendant who can’t stand a little air conditioning? Meh, who knows at this point? 

The post Trump Criminal Trial: Day 8 Key Takeaways first appeared on The Source.

The post Trump Criminal Trial: Day 8 Key Takeaways appeared first on The Source.

Four Takeaways From Thursday’s Proceedings at Trump Hush Money Trial

by
Four Takeaways From Thursday’s Proceedings at Trump Hush Money Trial

On Thursday, Trump returned to a Manhattan court for his criminal trial connected to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. To refresh, he is facing 35 felony counts. 

Here are key takeaways from Thursday’s court action:

1. Tabloid publisher David Pecker of the National Enquirer knew ‘catch and kill’ payments to ensure stories never saw the light of day was a violation of federal election laws.

2. Pecker testified that Trump was not worried in the slightest about his family learning of his alleged affair with Stormy Daniels. He said Trump showed no concern about the potential damage his family would receive after enduring his alleged extramarital affairs asserted by both Karen McDougal and Daniels. 

3. Prosecutors say Trump has continuously violated gag orders. Judge Juan Merchan barred Trump from speaking publicly or on social media about individuals involved in the case.

The judge will be ruling on allegations that Trump violated the gag order at least 10 times.

4. On Thursday, the Defense began their cross-examination of Pecker by Emil Bove.

A CNN Poll conducted by SSRS found that just 13% nationwide feel Donald Trump is being treated the same as other criminal defendants. A majority of the nation was divided over whether Trump is being treated more harshly (34%) or more leniently (34%) than other defendants. Only 44% of Americans believe that the jury will make a fair verdict, and 56% are more skeptical that a fair result will happen.

The post Four Takeaways From Thursday’s Proceedings at Trump Hush Money Trial first appeared on The Source.

The post Four Takeaways From Thursday’s Proceedings at Trump Hush Money Trial appeared first on The Source.

First Day of Testimony in Trump Criminal Trial Ends After Opening Statements and First Witness

by
First Day of Trump Trial Ends After Opening Statements

The first day of testimony wrapped up Donald Trump’s history in New York’s hush money criminal trial. This is the first time a former President has been tried in criminal court, so here’s what you need to know.

Open statements were laid out. Prosecutors said this case is about a “criminal conspiracy and a cover-up.” The defense, unsurprisingly, tried to discredit their points. That’s their job, but let’s see if the jury buys it after the first day.

Then, the first witness testified. Now get this, his name is David Pecker. Insert chuckle. He’s the ex-publisher of the National Enquirer, arguably the most prominent tabloid magazine in the country. Pecker will resume testimony Tuesday. He only briefly took the stand on Monday. CNN reports that prosecutors believe Pecker was “a central player in the alleged hush money scheme in an effort to suppress” or kill negative details about Trump before the 2016 election.

The judge ruled that, on Monday, he would allow Trump to be asked about the civil fraud and the E. Jean Carroll verdicts, among other previous cases, if he decided to testify. ICYMI, Trump was ordered to pay over $400 million in penalties after a New York civil court found he defrauded the state of NY through years of fraudulent business dealings. As for Carroll, a civil jury found that Trump defamed her when he said he did not rape her in the mid-nineties. A jury believed some of her accounts and found he sexually assaulted Ms. Carroll and defamed her. When Trump defamed her again, he was ordered to pay over $80 million in damages. The former President is appealing both verdicts. 

Now, get this. Trump is under a strict gag order. The judge said there will be a gag order hearing to determine if Trump violated the order. That is set for 9:30 a.m. ET tomorrow, and the jury has been excused until 11 a.m. ET while the prosecution and defense argue over Trump and his gag order, which he seemingly is violating. 

The Trump legal saga continues.

The post First Day of Testimony in Trump Criminal Trial Ends After Opening Statements and First Witness first appeared on The Source.

The post First Day of Testimony in Trump Criminal Trial Ends After Opening Statements and First Witness appeared first on The Source.

Here’s What We Know About the Jurors Seated in Trump’s Historic Criminal Trial

by
Here’s What We Know About the Jurors Seated in Trump Historic Criminal Trial

CNN reports that so far, and in lightening quick fashion seven people have been seated on the jury in the unprecedented Donald Trump hush money trial in Manhattan. Court will not be in session Wednesday. Jury selection will continue Thursday until prosecutors and defense counsel can agree on 12 jurors and probably six alternates in the first criminal trial of a former President of the United States.

Let’s get to what we know about the seven jurors that have been already seated. Not that this reporting comes from CNN:

  1. The first seated juror, who will be the foreperson on Trump’s jury, is a man originally from Ireland. He works in sales and has some college education. He is married but doesn’t have kids. He reads the New York Times and Daily Mail and watches some Fox News and MSNBC.
  2. The second juror is an oncology nurse who lives with her fiancé. She’s a native New Yorker. She reads the New York Times and watches CNN.
  3. The third seated juror is a corporate lawyer. He’s originally from Oregon. He gets his news from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Google. He’s a younger man who’s never been married and doesn’t have kids. 
  4. The fourth juror is an older Puerto Rican man who’s married with adult children and two grandkids. When asked about his hobbies, he said, “I guess my hobby is my family.” He has an IT business for training and consulting and attended one year of college. He told the court he finds Trump fascinating and mysterious. “So many people are set off one way or the other and that is interesting,” the man said. “Really, this one guy can do all of this, wow.” Trump “makes things interesting,” the man said, but also didn’t indicate any strong feelings about his politics.
  5. The fifth juror is a young Black woman who teaches English language in a public charter school system. She has a master’s degree in education, is not married and doesn’t have any kids. The juror said that as a person of color she has friends who have strong opinions on Trump, but she personally is not a political person. She said she tries to avoid political conversations and doesn’t really care for the news. The juror did say she appreciates Trump’s candor: “President Trump speaks his mind and I’d rather that than someone who’s in office who you don’t know what they’re thinking.” She was also the only juror of 18 in the box Tuesday morning who said she wasn’t aware that Trump is facing charges in other criminal cases.
  6. The sixth juror is a software engineer at a large broadcast company who recently graduated from college. She voiced no strong feelings about Donald Trump one way or the other and said, “I will be fair and impartial.” She is not married and has no kids, currently living with three roommates in Chelsea. The juror gets her news from the New York Times, Google, Facebook and TikTok. She asked the judge whether her sister’s wedding on a Sunday in September would be a scheduling conflict. Merchan quipped, “If we were still here in September that would be a big problem,” garnering laughs in the courtroom.
  7. The seventh juror is a civil litigator who is married with two kids and lives on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. Originally from North Carolina, he reads the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Post and Washington Post. He said he has “political views as to the Trump presidency” and that he thinks there were likely Trump administration policies he disagreed with. “I don’t know the man and I don’t have opinions about him personally,” he said. “I certainly follow the news, I’m aware there are other lawsuits out there. But I’m not sure that I know anyone’s character.”

The post Here’s What We Know About the Jurors Seated in Trump’s Historic Criminal Trial first appeared on The Source.

The post Here’s What We Know About the Jurors Seated in Trump’s Historic Criminal Trial appeared first on The Source.

Critics Claim Trump’s Chick-Fil-A Was Staged For Photo Op

by
Screen Shot 2024 04 17 at 8.57.35 AM

In a surprise appearance at a Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Atlanta’s Vine City last week, former President Donald Trump found himself at the center of controversy once again after a young Black woman embraced him in what appeared to be a spontaneous show of support. However, new revelations suggest that the encounter may have been more orchestrated than it initially seemed.

According to reports from Fox 5, the embrace was orchestrated by conservative activist Michaelah Montgomery, founder of Conserve the Culture, a group that recruits and educates college students and young alumni at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) about conservative ideas. Montgomery, a former Georgia Republican Party staffer, allegedly coordinated the event after being notified of Trump’s visit to the area.

“Everybody got together at around 9:30 in the morning and walked on over to the Chick-fil-A, and then we sat there and waited until the president showed up,” Montgomery revealed. She expressed frustration at the media’s portrayal of the event, emphasizing that it was not a spontaneous encounter but a planned gathering.

Montgomery’s admission has sparked outrage and skepticism, with many questioning the authenticity of the moment captured in viral videos.

Meanwhile, Angela Stanton, a staunch supporter of Trump and founder of “Auntie Angie’s House,” a non-profit support center for expectant mothers in Vine City, expressed disappointment after failing to secure a visit or position in the Trump campaign. Stanton, who campaigned vigorously for Trump for many years, faced the ultimatum of keeping “Auntie Angie’s” doors open or accepting a paid consulting position with Bobby Kennedy’s campaign. Ultimately, she chose the latter, feeling insulted by the lack of acknowledgment from the Trump camp.

Watch her video below.

The post Critics Claim Trump’s Chick-Fil-A Was Staged For Photo Op first appeared on The Source.

The post Critics Claim Trump’s Chick-Fil-A Was Staged For Photo Op appeared first on The Source.

More Than 50 Potential Jurors Dismissed on First Day of Historic Trump New York Criminal Trial

by
More Than 50 Potential Jurors Dismissed on First Day of Historic Trump New York Criminal Trial

The historic first criminal trial ever against a former President of the United States started with emphatic energy as dozens of prospective jurors, more than 50, were dismissed from the first pool during the jury selection process on Monday. According to various reports, most said they felt they could not hear the case fairly or impartially and were denied the running of the 12-seat jury. 

Full stop CNN and other news outlets reported Trump seemingly nodded off during day one of the trial’s jury selection process. He reportedly fell asleep. You can’t make this up. 

This underscores the scathing reality of finding not only an adequate but also an impartial jury during easily one of the most high-profile criminal cases in this country’s history.

Get this: at least nine more jurors were excused after saying they could not serve for any other reason. That left about 34 of the 96 potential jurors from the first pool, this from reporters inside the courtroom as cameras are not allowed in New York hearings. One juror said, “I just couldn’t do it,” from the hallway outside the courtroom.

The remaining members of the first pool must fill out a questionnaire about how they consume media and the news, along with their habits for such indulgence, where they reside, and whether they have a relative or have ever volunteered or worked for the Trump campaign, as well as a host of other inquiries.

As you can imagine, attorneys from both sides will scrutinize the remaining candidates. They will also review their social media profiles and ask more personal questions to search for potential bias against or for the polarizing defendant. 

“You really don’t want jurors who bring something to the table, other than the fact that they have a general understanding Trump was the president,” said Joshua Naftalis, a former federal prosecutor in New York and now a partner at Pallas, who told Axios.

Whoever they seat to be jurors, along with the alternates, is in for one heck of a ride in the first of four criminal trials Trump is facing. 

The post More Than 50 Potential Jurors Dismissed on First Day of Historic Trump New York Criminal Trial first appeared on The Source.

The post More Than 50 Potential Jurors Dismissed on First Day of Historic Trump New York Criminal Trial appeared first on The Source.