Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial has entered its final stages as the defense concluded its closing argument by listing 10 reasons the jury should have reasonable doubts about the case against the former president.

Lead Trump lawyer Todd Blanche hammered the credibility of former fixer to the defendant Michael Cohen, labeling him the “MVP of liars” and “GLOAT” — Greatest Liar Of All Time.

Mr Trump stands accused by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg of falsifying business records in order to conceal a $130,000 payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels in October 2016 to ensure her silence about a sexual encounter she alleges she had with the politician a decade earlier. The former president denies both the affair and the 34 charges.

After five weeks of often explosive testimony, the prosecution hopes to convince the jury of 12 Manhattanites that the misdemeanour offenses with which the defendant has been charged should be elevated to felonies because they were carried out to subvert a presidential election.

Prosecutors are now delivering their summation. The jury could begin its deliberations as soon as Wednesday.

Alex Woodward is covering the trial for The Independent live from court.

Key Points

• Trump hush money trial: What to expect today

• New York hush money trial: How Trump’s historic case will come to an end

• Trump still raging about trial on eve of closing arguments aftering hitting out at ‘human scum’ on Memorial Day

• The credibility of convicted liar Michael Cohen could determine Trump’s fate

• ‘The third man in the room’: Is Allen Weisselberg the ‘missing piece’ in Trump’s trial?

• Defense’s 10 reasons for reasonable doubt

19:27 , Alex Woodward

To date, Michael Cohen is “the only one who paid the price”, says Steinglass.

“Cohen did the defendant’s bidding for years” add was his “right-hand man” and “consigliere, as one person put it in a text.”

“And when it got bad the defendant cut him loose, dropped him like a hot potato, and tweeted out that he’s a scumbag.”

And Cohen’s election-related federal convictions were at the defendant’s direction.

Objection. Overruled.

19:24 , Alex Woodward

There were parts of Stormy Daniels’ testimony “that were cringeworthy” but “those were the kinds of details that rang true.” Those were the kinds of things that you’d remember, Steinglass says.

“We don’t have to prove that sex took place … But the defendant knew what happened in that hotel room, and the extent you credit her testimony only reinforces his intent.”

“Why did they work so hard to discredit her? … Her story is messy … but that’s kind of the point. That’s the display the defendant didn’t want the American voter to see. In the simplest terms, Stormy Daniels is the motive. And you can bet Mr Trump wouldn’t want to pay $130,000 … just because he took a photo at a golf course.”

19:20 , Alex Woodward

Steinglass is going to poke at the defense’s “extortion narrative”.

“You don’t get to commit election fraud … because you think you’ve been victimized,” he tells the jury.

Steinglass notes that the prosecution’s witnesses were largely Trump’s allies, and yet testimony from Mr Pecker and others is “utterly devastating”.

“These people like the defendant.”

“If anything,” he says, they may have “skewed their testimony in order to help the defendant.”

19:14 , Alex Woodward

Steinglass is first digging into phone records that were under scrutiny from the defense, and the accusations that “we somehow hid evidence” with the texts admitted into evidence.

He notes that there were no phone records for Cohen’s landline or the White House, and records of no outgoing calls, which are only kept for three years.

“The absence of a phone record does not prove that a particular call did not (happen).”

19:10 , Alex Woodward

Steinglass begins by noting that prosecutors must prove the following:

— That there were false business records

— That there was an intent to promote a conspiracy to promote a candidate by unlawful means

— And that Trump was involved, and that he had the intent to defraud

19:08 , Alex Woodward

Judge Juan Merchan told the jury that Blanche’s “prison” comment “is improper and you must disregard”.

“If there is a verdict of guilty, it will be my responsibility to impose an appropriate sentence.”

He notes that a prison sentence is not required for the charges in this case.

Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass is up now to deliver the prosecution’s closing argument.

19:07 , Alex Woodward

Before the jury comes back, they go over those proposed jury instructions after Blanche said prosecutors wanted to put Trump in prison, which they were already on notice about.

Prosecution attorney Susan Hoffinger also stated again that Blanche misstated the law on retainer agreements, and relied on, in part, Davidson’s testimony “which at best relies on California law,” and then “doubled down on misrepresenting the law” in New York after prosecutors had raised the issue last week during the charge conference.

Trump defense trashes trial star witness Michael Cohen in closing arguments

19:05 , Oliver O’Connell

if you’re just joining us, here’s what you missed this morning, courtesy of Alex Woodward, who is reporting live from the courthouse for The Independent:

Trump defense trashes Cohen in closing arguments: ‘GLOAT. Greatest liar of all time’

Court is resuming

19:03 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump and his legal team are back at the defense table following lunch.

Judge Merchan returns to the bench and we should be back underway in a moment with the prosecution’s closing argument.

Supreme Court rejects Michael Avenatti appeal

19:00 , Oliver O’Connell

The US Supreme Court has rejected the latest appeal by imprisoned attorney Michael Avenatti to have his convictions overturned for defrauding a client and attempting to extorrt the sportswear giant Nike.

Avenatti, who rose to national prominence representing the adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2018, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for the offences in 2020.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Supreme Court rejects latest appeal from Stormy Daniels’ disgraced ex-attorney

18:52 , Oliver O’Connell

Watch: Defense never explained why $130,000 Cohen payment matched money to Daniels

18:50 , Oliver O’Connell

Trump sells off $10m jet to megadonor as he owes millions in legal fees and judgements

18:40 , Oliver O’Connell

Well, the money had to run out sometime.

Here’s Martha McHardy’s report.

Trump sells off $10m jet to major megadonor amid soaring legal fees

Lara Trump, co-head of RNC, says ‘case about politics, pure and simple’

18:39 , Oliver O’Connell

Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee, and daughter-in-law to the defendant through marriage to Eric Trump, says of the trial: “We can very clearly see if you didn’t already know that this was never a case about seeking justice. This was never a case about prosecuting an actual crime. This was never a case about protecting the citizens of the City of New York. This is a case about politics, pure and simple.”

She adds: “To the jury, when they realize these people who have wasted five weeks of their time in there, that they have been part of a political game as New Yorkers I’m pretty sure they’re gonna be upset about it. This is not the United States of America. if this is successful, This is banana republic type stuff, and if they can profit off it on the other side.”

Eric Trump calls case ‘colossal waste of time’

18:35 , Oliver O’Connell

Speaking to media outside of the courthouse, Eric Trump said: “This is legal lawfare all while this state absolutely melt everybody that sits here right now, every single one of you knows that this is not the same state that we knew 10 years ago now knew that the same state as we saw five years ago, you have total degradation of New York State, because the only thing that Alvin Bragg wants to do only thing that Letitia James wants to do is criminally prosecute Donald Trump, and they’re doing it for one reason they’re doing it because they have a political Vendetta. they’re all funded by George Soros.”

He continued: “I want to say sorry, to the jury that’s in there. This has been the greatest colossal waste of time. I want to say thank you to the NYPD. you have 1000s of officers down here. 1000s of officers down here that could be protecting our streets. instead, they’re guarding this courthouse against a sham trial. This has cost New York millions and millions and millions of dollars … New York deserves so much better than this. And I cannot wait for the day when we will win, we’re right, the entire country knows that this is nonsense.”

Donald Trump has consistently exaggerated the police presence outside the courthouse throughout the trial and claimed that it is preventing his supporters from protesting. In fact, there is a park specifically set aside for protesters.

Watch: Robert De Niro calls Trump a ‘clown’ outside trial and warns of his return

18:30 , Oliver O’Connell

E Jean Carroll’s lawyer hints new lawsuit is ‘on the table’ after Trump attacked her again

18:20 , Oliver O’Connell

Attorneys for the retired magazine columnist have hinted that a new defamation lawsuit could be “on the table” after Trump attacked her yet again in on Truth Social.

Rachel Sharp has the story.

E Jean Carroll’s lawyer says new lawsuit ‘on the table’ after latest Trump attack

…but wait there’s more

17:58 , Alex Woodward

Lead prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is not happy. He’s asking the judge to strike out Blanche’s claim that prosecutors want to put Trump in prison.

“There’s no requirement of prison.” His comment was a “blatant” attempt to draw sympathy.

He’s also arguing once again that state law says retainers must be written. The judge didn’t include that instruction in his jury charges. He’s urging the judge to reconsider after Blanche said there wasn’t any law requiring one.

Judge Merchan said Blanche’s “prison” comment was “outrageous.”

“Someone who has been a prosecutor as long as you have … should know that making a comment like that is highly inappropriate, it’s simply not allowed. Period.”

Merchan will have instructions on that after the lunch break.

Court breaks for lunch

17:50 , Alex Woodward

Todd Blanche concludes his closing arguments for the defense.

“This is a quick and easy verdict.”

Jurors are excused.

We’ll break for lunch and get back at 2pm for the prosecution’s summations, which ADA Joshua Steinglass will do. He expects 4.5 hours….

Stay tuned.

Defense’s 10 reasons for reasonable doubt

17:48 , Alex Woodward

1. Cohen created invoices, they are accurate and Trump did not have any intent to defraud. Trump was in DC the entire time

2. There’s no proof that Trump ever saw anything Tarasoff or McConney had sent to one another about vouchers and invoices

3. There’s no intent to defraud

4. No intent to unlawfully influence the 2016 election

5. No intent to commit or conceal any other crimes

6. AMI would’ve run Sajudin’s story, no matter what

7. McDougal did not want her story published. She wanted to be on the cover of magazines.

8. Daniels’ story was already public

9. Manipulation of evidence

10. “Cohen is the human embodiment of reasonable doubt”

Cohen got his own slide for that one.

Blanche called him “The GLOAT”: “The greatest liar of all time.”

17:34 , Alex Woodward

Blanche says Michael Cohen “has been obsessed with Mr Trump for over two decades.”

He plays podcast clips of an animated Cohen celebrating the idea of Trump getting his mugshot and fingerprints taken, how it “fills me with delight” and another clip celebrating the DA’s office and their “fearless leader Alvin Bragg.”

Blanche says that he never met Alvin Bragg, and that was just another lie.

Objection. Overruled.

Michael Cohen is out “simply to protect Michael Cohen and no one else, period.”

Blanche takes a beat. “I’m… I’m almost done.”

But “before I sit down, I want to give you 10 reasons why you have reasonable doubt.”

Cohen is ‘an MVP of liars’

17:32 , Alex Woodward

After Melania texted Cohen to call Trump’s cell, none of the phone records in evidence show him calling.

“There are no calls to President Trump on that day from Mr Cohen’s phones, any of them. President Trump’s phone records are in evidence … You’ll see no phone call.”

“If there’s anything we’ve learned during this trial, it’s that Michael Cohen does not take that oath seriously, period. He’s repeatedly, repeatedly, lied under oath. He’s lied to his family, his wife … he said he lied to his kids about that as well, he lied to his banker. … He’s literally like an MVP of liars. He lies constantly.”

Trump lawyers demand Jack Smith be sanctioned for gag order request

17:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Donald Trump’s lawyers demanded a judge repremand federal proseccutors for their “bad-faith behavior” after Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a gag order request before the holiday weekend after the former president ranted on Truth Social about the classified document case.

In a motion filed on Monday evening, Chris Kise – a lawyer for Mr Trump – asked Florida federal Judge Aileen Cannon to hold “all government attorneys who participated in the decision to file the motion” in civil contempt and impose sanctions after an evidentiary hearing.

Ariana Baio reports:

Trump lawyers demand sanctions against Jack Smith for gag order request

17:26 , Alex Woodward

Blanche disses the prosecution’s inclusion of a photo to prove that Trump and Schiller were together the night of the call. “No kidding,” he says. “Thanks.”

But prosecutors, he says, were willing to put up a witness “to commit perjury to lie to you.”

Objection. Sustained.

Blanche reiterates argument Cohen lied and testimony was ‘per-jur-y’

17:23 , Alex Woodward

Final witness Robert Costello’s testimony is “another example of Mr Cohen taking the stand and lying to you,” according to Blanche

Cohen lied when he said he didn’t engage Costello and didn’t consider Costello his attorney, and that he spoke to Costello around 10 times, according to Blanche.

“Each of those things he said to you … was a lie … I don’t know how many lies are enough lies to reject Cohen’s testimony.”

Blanche appears to be closing with a rebuke of Cohen’s testimony about that phone call with Keith Schiller and Trump about the Daniels agreement, which Blanche accused him of lying about and was actually about a prank caller. He repeats what he said then: “It. Was. A. Lie.”

“This is a lie about the charged conduct involving Ms Daniels … And he got caught red-handed.”

“The second they hung up, Mr Cohen texted Mr Schiller the number of the 14-year-old” and “the very next morning, texted to follow up,” Blanche says.

“That. is. per-jur-y.”

17:17 , Alex Woodward

Blanche argues that Michael Cohen only paid Stormy Daniels “in the hope that he could get a fancy job after Mr Trump won, or a better job within the Trump Organization or elsewhere if Mr Trump lost”.

“Mr Cohen had an axe to grind because he didn’t appreciate what President Trump did or did not do for him after President Trump became President of the United States”

17:11 , Alex Woodward

By the way, Blanche asks — why did prosecutors call Stormy Daniels as a witness to this trial?

There was no dispute that an NDA was signed.

“I’ll tell you why,” he says. “They did it to try to inflame your emotions, they did it to try and embarrass Mr Trump.”

Objection. Overruled.

Access Hollywood tape was ‘stressful’ but not ‘doomsday event’

17:08 , Alex Woodward

Blanche’s voice gets low and soft, almost solemn, talking about the Daniels story and the Access Hollywood tape.

“Nobody wants your family exposed to that type of story,” he says. “But the government wants you to believe that the release of that tape … was so catastrophic to the campaign that it provided a motive for Mr Trump to do something criminal.”

After the tape’s release, “there were a couple days of frustration and consternation, but that happens all the time during campaigns.”

“The Access Hollywood tape was one of many stressful stories,” he says. “It was not a doomsday event.”

17:06 , Alex Woodward

“Again we’re here talking about a conspiracy … to catch and kill stories,” for stories that aren’t part of a conspiracy or part of a catch and kill scheme, Blanche says.

The story about Sajudin wasn’t true, McDougal only wanted to be on magazine covers, “and here you have Ms Daniels, coming forward, right after Access Hollywood.”

“This is it … and David Pecker is like, ‘Nah, want nothing to do with it’.”

“That’s the conspiracy? That’s the catch and kill?” he says, raising his voice into a high-pitched yelp.

Democratic insiders are absolutely ‘freaking out’ over Biden’s poor polling

17:00 , Oliver O’Connell

Gustaf Kilander reports:

Democratic insiders are becoming more and more concerned about President Joe Biden’s polling and some of them now worry that his loss may lead to the end of American democracy.

A Democratic operative told Politico, “You don’t want to be that guy who is on the record saying we’re doomed, or the campaign’s bad, or Biden’s making mistakes. Nobody wants to be that guy.”

But he added that Mr Biden’s consistently bad numbers and the high stakes of the election have led to a full-on “freakout”.

Continue reading…

Democratic insiders are ‘freaking out’ over Biden’s poor polling

Blanche resumes defense closing argument

16:59 , Alex Woodward

Todd Blanche resumes the defense closing argument after a short break.

He argues that Stormy Daniels denied there was ever any sex with Trump, pointing to her written statements.

She only decided to go public after these statements because supposedly she was trying to protect herself from a threat someone made in a parking lot in 2011. He said Michael Avenatti, Gina Rodriguez and Ms Daniels were lying about those threats, “they never happened,” and then Daniels “lied to you about that.”

“This started out as an extortion … and it ended very well for Ms Daniels, financially speaking.”

Jury willing to stay late

16:51 , Alex Woodward

Jurors are willing to stay late today, so we’ll finish all of the closing arguments later this afternoon/early evening.

Blanche has about 30 minutes left after which I will imagine we will be dismissed for lunch.

Classified documents case: Judge denies request for Trump gag order

16:45 , Oliver O’Connell

Meanwhile, in Florida in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, Judge Aileen Cannon has denied Special Counsel Jack Smith’s request to issue a limited gag order on Trump saying “the Court finds the Special Counsel’s pro forma “conferral” to be wholly lacking in substance and professional courtesy.”

Quick background: Jack Smith filed the motion on Friday at 5.30pm and Trump’s team basically said that they did not give them enough time to reply and they were difficult to meet with to discuss the motion before filing.

Here’s the background on the gag order request:

Jack Smith wants Trump ban on statements endangering law enforcement

16:34 , Alex Woodward

“Years and years went by and then again in April 2011, Gina Rodriguez reminds Dylan Howard about Ms Daniels,” which was “actually ahead of the McDougal story” and in the middle of Trump’s campaign.

“Think about that for a minute, if you think about why we’re here. … If there was really a catch and kill conspiratorial relationship why would everyone ignore that relationship in April? Why wouldn’t it go anywhere for months? … Why did no one do anything about it in April 2016?”

Blanche suggests Daniels et al conspired to extort Trump, not the other way around.

Dylan Howard “despises” Trump. Daniels and Rodriguez were “kicking off a plot again to try to get money from President Trump” and “being a lot more aggressive than they were in 2011.”

“And now Mr Howard is willing to help them,” Blanche adds. “That’s not a conspiracy involving Mr Pecker, Mr Trump and Michael Cohen.”

Voices: I’ve sat through every day of Trump’s criminal trial. This is what it’s really like

16:30 , Oliver O’Connell

Alex Woodward writes:

Inside the courtroom, boldface media names — like CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Kaitlan Collins — sat alongside veteran court reporters and exhausted print journalists operating on little sleep. During her one-day visit, I sat next to Fox News personality Jeanine Pirro, who filled a notebook with handwritten notes before she went on air to rip into Stormy Daniels. A few days later, the former president stood in the hallway and read one of her statements calling the judge a “fool.”

Continue reading…

I’ve sat through every day of Trump’s criminal trial. This is what it’s really like

Blanche stresses jury ‘cannot believe’ Cohen

16:28 , Alex Woodward

Now on to Stormy Daniels.

Blanche notes the allegations were first published in 2011.

“How could this issue have influenced the election? People already knew about the allegations. What really happened here … is there were a group of people who wanted to take advantage of a situation and ultimately extort money from President Trump.”

“There is no way you can believe Trump knew about the payment without believing Michael Cohen, and you cannot, you cannot, believe his words.”

Watch: Trump accuses Biden of ‘weaponizing’ hush money trial for campaign

16:23 , Oliver O’Connell

16:18 , Alex Woodward

Blanche disputes Cohen’s taped conversation with Trump on September 6 2016 that he said he was taping for Pecker to ensure that money was coming.

Cohen never played it for him. Somehow between this “very angry lunch” and his recorded conversation “Pecker had calmed down,” Blanche says.

“That makes no sense. That’s just a lie.”

Blanche plays a clip from that conversation, where Cohen tells him they are working to “transfer all the stuff” with “our friend David”.

Blanche notes that Trump was trying to acquire boxes of stories from the National Enquirer while the company was in talks to sell and that Trump wanted to get those archives before someone else did.

“There is no doubt that this recording discussed AMI and discussed Mr Pecker. There is a lot of doubt that it discussed Ms McDougal.”

Notable though is that on the recording Trump mentioned paying “150” which is how much Ms McDougal was paid.

That transcript ends with the word “check” but Blanche argues it’s cut off, and “we will never know what was said”.

Blanche says Cohen-Pecker meeting ‘Did. Not. Happen.’

16:13 , Alex Woodward

Blanche brings up the Pecker/AMI nonprosecution agreement, noting that “nothing that Mr Pecker told you” about the McDougal agreement and aftermath “was criminal. He told you that because it’s true.”

That agreement is “evidence of nothing when it comes to the defendant’s guilt.” (Merchan has noted that the admission of that document and Cohen’s plea agreement should be used as evidence of Trump’s guilt.)

Blanche ends each of these segments – the paper trails, each of the AMI agreements – with Cohen’s testimony about them.

Blanche brings up Cohen’s testimony about a September 2016 meeting between Cohen and Pecker where Pecker “expressed his anger” that he was never paid back after the McDougal deal. Blanche says that the meeting “Did. Not. Happen.”

Watch: Heckler interrupts DeNiro to call Fanone and Dunn traitors

16:08 , Oliver O’Connell

A heckler interrupted Robert DeNiro outside the courthouse to call former Capitol Police officers Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone traitors.

16:05 , Alex Woodward

The case of Karen McDougal, the 1998 Playboy playmate of the year and her affair with Trump was also not a “catch and kill”

“It was not Ms McDougal’s intention to publish her story. … There was never any risk her allegations would influence the election because she didn’t want her allegations published.”

“All of these people around Ms McDougal wanted to make money … Whatever she ended up with from that $150,000 was not much.” Davidson testified that he got about 45 per cent.

She wanted to be on the cover of magazines, not enter an agreement to have her story published “and then caught and killed,” Blanche says.

16:01 , Alex Woodward

Cohen repeatedly testified that he sought “credit” from Trump, Blanche reminds the jury.

“Why do you think he did that? That’s the same phrase Hope Hicks used in describing Mr Cohen … as somebody who always wanted credit.”

Cohen said he was following the trial before he testified.

“Why do you think suddenly that credit was part of his story? Is that something that can be trusted as the truth? Absolutely not.”

Watch: DeNiro drags Trump for hiding in bunker while protesters gathered outside White House

16:00 , Oliver O’Connell

15:57 , Alex Woodward

The story from Sajudin [the doorman who claimed Mr Trump had an illegitimate child with a maid] was “literally a made-up story designed to harm President Trump” that even Pecker testified he would publish if true.

“This isn’t’ catch and kill. This is an opportunity. It was worth too much to catch and kill, full stop.”

Pecker’s testimony that he wouldn’t have published until after the election “doesn’t make any sense.”

‘Catch and Kill’

15:54 , Alex Woodward

Another slide: “Catch and Kill”

“They didn’t even discuss catch and kill at the August 2015 meeting. Mr Pecker told you that. Mr Cohen didn’t dispute that.”

(Pecker testified that he “would notify Michael Cohen, and he would be able to have them killed in the magazine, or not be published, or somebody would have to purchase them”)

15:48 , Oliver O’Connell

Trump’s most outrageous rants during his hush money trial

15:48 , Alex Woodward

On the agreement with AMI: “Campaigns want to amplify good things about their candidate and expose bad things about their opponents”

The slide reads “AMI: Standard Operating Procedure”

“There is zero criminal intent in that 2015 meeting … Indeed, Mr Pecker told you that it was really good business to work with Mr Trump. As far back as 1988, Mr Pecker told you, that he had helped suppress a story for Mr Trump. 1988. That’s 17 years ahead of the August 2015 meeting.”

[Not a typo, and no, that’s 27 years, Todd]

The idea that “sophisticated people” like Trump and Pecker would be able to use the National Enquirer to influence the 2016 election is “preposterous”

Biden campaign deploys Robert DeNiro and Jan 6 responders to Trump’s hush money trial

15:44 , Oliver O’Connell

Hollywood actor Robert DeNiro and January 6 first responders including Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone are talking to media outside of the courthouse on behalf of the Biden 2024 campaign.

‘No Intent to Defraud’

15:41 , Alex Woodward

Another slide: “No Intent to Defraud”

“There is no evidence of that,” Blanche says. “First of all the records aren’t even false. But even if they were, where is the intent to defraud on the part of President Trump?”

The 1099 for Cohen’s work is “just like any 1099 you give someone who is working for you.”

“Why do you think it was reported to the IRS as exactly what it was?”

On prosecutors’ argument that Trump falsified records as part of a conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, “I don’t even think you need to get to this,” Blanche says.

“There is no crime, period … Even if you get to ask yourself about any conspiracy … I expect that you will find President Trump is not guilty.”

“Every campaign in this country is a conspiracy to promote a candidate.”

15:32 , Alex Woodward

We see the handwritten notes from Weisselberg and McConney that draw up the payment plan. Blanche says the document is “full of lies.”

He notes testimony from Cohen and McConney that said nobody knew why it was grossed up for tax purposes.

Prosecutors argue that Trump falsified business records to commit or conceal another crime, including tax crimes – Blanche says that the handwritten doc is all they have to prove that.

Blanche also notes that after Cohen visited the White House on February 8, 2017, when he said Trump confirmed the payment plan, Cohen emailed McConney a few days later asking him for a reminder of how much he should make out for the invoice.

If this is some “evidence of a crime,” why didn’t McConney get rid of these notes?

“The supposed evidence of the false filing was in the records of Trump’s personal accountant … at his office. Does that make sense?”

‘Case turns on Cohen’

15:25 , Alex Woodward

On Cohen:”

“But there is a lot more. What the People have done, what the government did for the past five weeks at the end of the day, is ask you to believe the man who testified two weeks ago, Michael Cohen.”

“Do you believe that for a second? That after getting stiffed on his bonus in 2016 … do you think Mr Cohen thought, ‘I’m going to work for free?’ … Or was that a lie?”

Blanche has a slide up labeled “Case Turns on Cohen,” with a part of his testimony transcript that includes what Weisselberg said about the 12-month payment plan after a meeting at Trump’s office. Cohen “didn’t even pretend to be part of that conversation,” Blanche says.

Defense calls prosecution’s ‘scheme’ argument ‘absurd’

15:22 , Alex Woodward

“You can’t convict President Trump because sometimes … President Trump looked at invoices. That is a stretch, and that is reasonable doubt”

There is “nothing sinister” about personal checks being FedExed from Trump Tower to Keith Schiller and then sent to the Oval Office, Blanche says.

He said prosecutors’ “leap” from believing Trump was part of a scheme – “which was to book a legal expense… as a legal expense” – is “absurd.”

15:15 , Alex Woodward

The first checks to Cohen were coming from the trust set up after Trump left for the White House, and emails show McConney signing off approval as per agreement with Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump.

“If there was some conspiratorial agreement … to pay Michael Cohen as a cover-up, this email does not exist,” Blanche argues. “There is no reason to get approval from Don and Eric if it’s already been decided … Guess who else you didn’t hear from in this trial? Don and Eric.”

There is no evidence that Trump had anything to do with those first waves of checks signed by Don Jr, Eric and Weisselberg in February and March 2017, according to Blanche.

The word “retainer” on the pay stubs was merely autogenerated from the company’s accounting system, Blanche says.

Defense tries to undermine evidence from Trump books

15:09 , Alex Woodward

Blanche is bringing up the Trump Organization’s accounting system for vouchers for invoices before checks were produced.

“There is no evidence that President Trump knew anything about this voucher system. No evidence. Not a single word. … If the government reads to you quotes from a book a decade earlier … you should be suspicious. That’s a red flag.”

Prosecutors used several excerpts to show that Trump routinely boasted about how much he micromanaged his business and knew it inside out, approved every dollar, etc.

But Blanche says jurors can’t rely on “something he wrote in a book where he was assisted by ghost writers.

“Proof beyond a reasonable doubt does not include a passage in a book, ladies and gentlemen.”

(Those vouchers, the ledger entries, list Cohen’s payments as “legal expenses”.)

Criminalizing the labeling of those entries as payment for “legal expenses” is “absurd” and “not a crime,” Blanche says.

It was merely a label from a “drop-down menu,” Blanche says.

15:03 , Alex Woodward

“He talked to every reporter that he could, pushed the fact he would be the personal attorney to President Trump … This was not a secret … Michael Cohen was President Trump’s personal attorney, period.”

He pulls up Cohen’s testimony transcript:

“Never an expectation there would be a retainer agreement, right?”

“Correct.”

Blanche: That. was. a. lie.

He shows Weisselberg’s January 2017 email to Cohen to “please prepare the agreement” as evidence.

Blanche also argues that Cohen’s “retainer agreement” was consistent with what others said on the stand about verbal retainers – Steinglass objects to this.

Blanche brings up testimony from Keith Davidson and Jeffrey McConney, who said “to my knowledge, yes” when asked by the defense if those agreements can be verbal.

Prosecutors objected to this last week and wanted the judge to instruct jurors about state law about written retainers.

“Usually the simplest answer is the right one and that is certainly the case here … The story that Michael Cohen told you on the witness stand was not true.”

Trump mocked for his ‘ignorance’ as he rails against standard criminal trial process

15:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s Martha McHardy on the ridicule Trump’s latest social media whines about his case have attracted.

Trump mocked for his ‘ignorance’ as he rails against standard criminal trial process

14:57 , Alex Woodward

Blanche mentions accountant Deborah Tarasoff’s testimony of her general practice of stapling invoices to checks that Trump signed, but “general practice is not proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” he says.

Michael Cohen had written monthly invoices that indicated work was performed in the months he listed. Prosecutors argued and Cohen admitted that those invoices were not for work performed in those months. Blanche argues that “Cohen was rendering services to President Trump in 2017” because “there’s no question that in 2017 Michael Cohen was serving as President Trump’s personal attorney.”

He notes Cohen’s testimony that there were “outstanding matters they were dealing with”.

“Even if the amount of work … was minimal, there was a retainer agreement, and that’s how retainer agreements work.”

[Cohen testified that there was no retainer agreement]

Blanche argues that Cohen “lied to you” – the jury – by describing his work at that time as minimal.

14:52 , Alex Woodward

Blanche continues by saying that the trial isn’t about alleged affairs or nondisclosure agreements but about “whether and to what extent that President Trump while he was living in the White House as the leader of the free world” committed fraud.

“Is the booking of legal expenses in a personal ledger accurate? Were they done with an intent to defraud? That’s why you are here.” The answer is “absolutely and positively not.”

“There was no conspiracy to influence the 2016 election … The proof there doesn’t add up.”

“You cannot convict President Trump on any crime beyond a reasonable doubt on the words of Michael Cohen.”

“The words Michael Cohen said on that stand, they matter.” They were “lies, pure and simple.”

He pulled up a flow chart showing Cohen’s invoices, sent to the Trump Organization – the vouchers were entered by accounting and the checks prepared by accounting.

Blanche notes that “not a single invoice was presented to Trump directly.”

A glimpse of Trump’s Sharpie-written notes

14:51 , Oliver O’Connell

Blanche says ‘utter lack of proof’ of crime

14:48 , Oliver O’Connell

Todd Blanche tells the jury: “Each of you will decide at the end of this case whether President Trump is guilty or not guilty. When I stood here five weeks ago on April 22 I started out saying something I’m going to repeat to you … and that’s that President Trump is innocent. He did not commit any crimes, and the district attorney has not met the burden of proof, period.

“That evidence should leave you wanting more. … You should want and expect more from the testimony of Michael Cohen … than Deb Tarasoff … something beyond the word of a woman who claims that something happened in 2006.

“You should demand more than the testimony of Keith Davidson, an attorney who was trying to extort money from President Trump in the leadup to the 2016 election.

“And there are consequences … to the utter lack of proof … It’s a not guilty verdict, period.”

New York hush money trial: Can Trump still run for president if he is convicted?

14:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s another extremely knotty question arising from Trump’s unprecedented predicament.

The short answer is that there’s nothing in the US Constitution to prevent it.

The long answer lies below.

Can Trump still run for president if he is convicted?

Defense closing argument gets underway

14:44 , Alex Woodward

Judge Merchan is telling the jurors what’s coming next and instructing them how closing arguments work. After those summations, he will instruct the jury on the law.

He reminds them that “whatever the lawyers say and however they say it,” it is “simply an argument for your consideration.”

“Lawyers not witnesses in the case,” he notes. “Nothing the lawyers say at any time is evidence. … You have heard the evidence and you must decide the case as you find it and as to the law as I explain it.”

He’s leaving it up to jurors to decide whether they want to stay past 4:30 today. “Perhaps an hour.” They’ll discuss among themselves later today and decide.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, in a powder blue tie and navy suit, gets the defense argument underway.

“I’m going to start with something that I can say with confidence … which is just to thank you, to thank you for your jury service.”

In pictures: Trump arrives in court

14:42 , Oliver O’Connell

Judge Merchan is at the bench

14:36 , Oliver O’Connell

Judge Juan Merchan is back at the bench as things get underway.

Alex Woodward reports from the court:

Merchan gave jury instructions to attorneys on Thursday afternoon, and “I didn’t hear from either one of you”, so those will be the instructions.

Trump defense lawyer Todd Blanche says he needs 2.5 hours for his closing argument. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass says he needs 4.5 hours.

Judge Merchan says he will ask the jury to work past 4.30pm so we can do it all today but it could mean we spill over to tomorrow.

He reminds attorneys to “stay away” from explaining the law to jurors during their closing arguments: “That’ll be my job. I’ll take care of it.”

The jury is brought in.

Trump family show up for closing arguments

14:33 , Oliver O’Connell

Today, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, and Tiffany Trump are showing support for their father in court — a rare sighting of the former president’s younger daughter. They are joined by Trump legal adviser Alina Habba and are sitting directly behind Mr Trump.

Melania Trump, Barron Trump and Ivanka Trump have not attended any of the trial.

More from the pool report:

Trump walked into the hallway today at 9:19 am. He spoke for 6 minutes.

He spoke to cameras next to Todd Blanche, who wears a powder blue tie and holds a power pose.

He gave his usual notes criticizing the trial and blaming Biden for it. Read from articles by legal commentators criticizing the case.

“The judge never allows us anything”

“We had an election expert who was going to say everything was perfect”

“I could give you a list of 40 people who would say the same thing”

His usual posse (Jason Miller, Boris Epshteyn, Alina Habba, Susie Wiles, etc) was joined today by Don Jr., Eric Trump, Lara Trump, Tiffany Trump, son-in-law Michael Boulos, and commentator Deroy Murdock.

No Melania, no Ivanka or Jared, no Barron.

New York hush money trial: Will Trump go to prison?

14:30 , Oliver O’Connell

This is perhaps the biggest question of them all, with monumental ramifications for this year’s election.

We try to answer it below.

Will Donald Trump go to prison?

Trump is speaking in the hallway

14:27 , Oliver O’Connell

Per the pool:

Trump is speaking in the hallway now. He’s repeating his talking points about Justice Juan Merchan being “conflicted” and corrupt. He’s also reading from conservative opinion pieces about the case, including one from Jonathan Turley and another from Andy McCarthy.

He’s also attacking the gag order, saying the judge is conflicted — and he cannot say why he is conflicted because of the order.

New York hush money trial: Legal experts reveal what jurors will consider in Trump trial

14:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Gustaf Kilander has been speaking to legal experts about what the 12 jurors at Manhattan Criminal Court will be looking at as they decide whether to make history by convicting a former US president of a crime for the first time.

What will jurors consider when deciding Trump’s fate? Legal experts weigh in

‘The third man in the room’: Is Allen Weisselberg the ‘missing piece’ in Trump’s trial?

14:00 , Joe Sommerlad

As Trump’s New York hush money trial enters its final phase with closing arguments on Tuesday, the jury’s verdict is expected to largely hinge on their opinions of the prosecution’s star witness: Michael Cohen.

On the stand, Mr Trump’s former attack dog described the moment he met with his boss on the 26th floor of Trump Tower in Manhattan in January 2017 to agree a $420,000 deal for his reimbursement for a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Cohen testified that he made the payment on Mr Trump’s behalf to ensure Ms Daniels’ silence about an alleged sexual encounter that had the potential to derail his bid for the White House had it come to light.

But there was a third man in the room during the crucial meeting that day – a man who the jury has not heard from: Allen Weisselberg, the long-time chief financial officer to the Trump Organization.

Here’s more on a shadowy figure whose fingerprints and signatures have been all over the document trail.

‘The third man in the room’: Is Allen Weisselberg the missing piece in Trump’s trial?

New York hush money trial: What to expect today

13:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s Alex Woodward’s latest dispatch from court:

“A long line of reporters is still snaking down the block in front of Manhattan Criminal Court for the seventh and potentially final week of Donald Trump’s hush money trial.

“I arrived just before 5am for what was the 50th spot in line and eventually made it into an overflow courtroom for 100 reporters just before 8:30am.

“The overflow courtroom, which has been closed for over the long holiday weekend, is humid, steamy, and now full of tired reporters and roughly two dozen members of the public. Unclear if the infamous air-conditioning will click on today. The room has two settings: uncomfortably warm and frigid.

“After 16 days of testimony from 22 witnesses, closing arguments will begin this morning with prosecutors and defense attorneys making their last pitch to jurors before deliberations begin as soon as Wednesday.

“A verdict could arrive as early as tomorrow afternoon.

“Attorneys are expected to take all of Tuesday for closing statements. Justice Juan Merchan will then deliver instructions to the jury, which could take about an hour. That will give jurors a framework for understanding the law as it applies to the charges against Trump.

“Manhattan prosecutors will need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump not only falsified business records but did so to commit or conceal another crime. One of those ‘other’ crimes: a conspiracy to corrupt an election by ‘unlawful means’.

“They won’t be presenting any new testimony, but they are expected to thread the needle of the last several weeks’ of testimony – connecting a 2015 Trump Tower meeting about boosting his chances of winning the election to hush money payments and how Trump organized it all, then approved his reimbursement payments to Michael Cohen, and then covered them up in his company’ accounting.

“What they’ll argue is a sort of Russian nesting doll of crimes within crimes within a coverup of a coverup: that Trump violated federal election law, by committing an election conspiracy, by falsifying business records to cover up hush money.

“Defense attorneys don’t have to prove Trump’s innocence, but they will need to convince at least one juror that prosecutors have not proved his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Watch live: Closing arguments set to begin in Trump’s hush money trial

13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s our latest livestream from Manhattan.

New York hush money trial: What to expect in a momentous week for Trump

13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s the IndyTV team to set the scene for us.

What to expect as Donald Trump’s hush money trial comes to an end

New York hush money trial: ‘It’s crunch time for Trump – but will he go to jail or be a free man?’

12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The former president is set to learn his fate in his hush money trial within a few days but, writes Jon Sopel.

Should he walk free, there is one thing we can be certain of – he will do so with neither humility nor grace.

It’s crunch time for Trump – but will he go to jail or be a free man? | Jon Sopel

New York hush money trial: The credibility of a convicted liar could determine Trump’s fate

12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

During Trump’s hush money trial, Michael Cohen did what the 19 other prosecution witnesses could not: directly tie the former president to the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels that is at the heart of the criminal case against him. But will jurors buy his story?

No single person was closer to Trump’s alleged scheme to corruptly influence the 2016 presidential election than his one-time “fixer,” who abandoned his position as the pugilistic “consigliere” for a more civic-minded — and lucrative — role as Trump’s chief antagonist.

Cohen openly loathes his former employer. He at least partially blames him for his prison sentence for crimes tied to the New York case. He admitted in court to calling Trump a “boorish cartoon misogynist” and “Cheeto-dusted” villain. Jurors heard clips from Cohen’s podcast screaming that “revenge is a dish best served cold.”

Defense attorneys depicted Cohen as a disgruntled, selfish and fame-hungry opportunist. He was furious with a lower-than-usual bonus check, so he stole from Trump’s company and then flipped against him when federal prosecutors snooped around his home and office, eventually turning the newfound attention into a multimillion-dollar business that revolves around trashing his old boss.

But on the witness stand in the Republican presidential nominee’s criminal trial in Manhattan, Cohen — his eyes wide and sunken, his hair graying and his Long Island accent softened — admitted to and directly confronted his history of lies, convictions and shameful behavior that compromised his freedom and family.

Alex Woodward has one final look at this pivotal figure.

The credibility of a convicted liar could determine Trump’s fate

New York hush money trial: Trump rips judge amid countdown to jury deliberations

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Yesterday’s “human scum” attack was not the former president’s only attack on Judge Merchan on social media as his trial draws to a close.

Here’s more from Eric Garcia and Alex Woodward.

Trump rips into hush money trial judge amid countdown to jury deliberations

Trump tries to rewrite what happened at Libertarian Convention after he was booed on stage

11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The Republican presidential contender was roundly booed at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night but has since been busy attempting to spin it as evidence of his audience’s “enthusiasm” for him, despite his failure to even qualify for the Libertarian Party’s vote on its presidential candidate on Sunday after declining to submit the necessary paperwork.

He received only two write-in ballots that day – only one more than Stormy Daniels!

Trump tries to rewrite story of Libertarian Convention after he was booed on stage

Trump told donors he’ll deport pro-Palestinian protesters

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Before we get onto the trial in earnest, here’s a disturbing line worth noting.

Trump has reportedly told campaign donors that he would deport pro-Palestinian student demonstrators in order to get them to “behave” should he return to the White House in November.

The former president promised a crackdown on campus protests – that have swept across the country over the past few months – as he spoke at a roundtable event in New York earlier this month.

“One thing I do is, any student that protests, I throw them out of the country. You know, there are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that, they’re going to behave,” Trump said, according to event attendees, who spoke to The Washington Post anonymously.

Here’s more from Mike Bedigan.

Trump told donors he’ll deport pro-Palestinian protesters

Truth Social: Trump still raging about trial on eve of closing arguments aftering hitting out at ‘human scum’ on Memorial Day

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The defendant was sounding distinctly rattled on his social media platform last night as he raged against Judge Merchan and Bragg, complaining about witnesses that did not appear and the order in which the prosecution and defense get to present their closing arguments in among the usual baseless gripes that the justice is “Highly Conflicted” and the DA “Soros backed”.

He fears being labelled “a common criminal” should he be convicted, it appears.

Trump also belatedly got Biblical on Memorial Day, this after a less than dignified attack on the “human scum” he accuses of working against him yesterday.

By way of contrast, its worth noting that President Joe Biden spent the day delivering a moving address for fallen servicemen and women at Arlington National Cemetery, touching on his grief for his late son Beau seven years after his passing.

New York hush money trial: How Trump’s historic case will come to an end

09:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial enters its final stages on Tuesday as the prosecution and defense prepare to deliver their closing arguments in Judge Juan Merchan’s courtroom.

The Republican presidential candidate stands accused by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg of falsifying business records in order to conceal a $130,000 payment made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels in October 2016 in order to ensure her silence about a sexual encounter she alleges she had with the politician a decade earlier.

Trump denies both the extramarital affair and the 34 charges he faces and has repeatedly insisted that the case is a “scam” brought against him by his political enemies in order to keep him cooped up in court and off from the campaign trail.

After five weeks of often explosive testimony, the prosecution hopes to convince the jury of 12 Manhattanites that the misdemeanour offenses with which the defendant has been charged should be elevated to felonies because they were carried out in order to subvert a presidential election, an accusation the defense denies.

The jury could begin its deliberations as soon as Wednesday.

Here’s Alex Woodward with the latest.

The final countdown: How Trump’s historic hush money trial will come to an end

Good morning!

09:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial, with closing arguments scheduled to take place on Tuesday before the jury begin their deliberations on Wednesday.

How long they will take to reach a verdict is anyone’s guess but we could potentially have an answer as soon as tomorrow.

The 12 jurors must unanimously agree on a guilty or not guilty verdict.

If they can’t reach a consensus after several days of deliberations, the judge will likely ask them to keep trying.

If they’re still deadlocked, he could declare a mistrial.