4:26 PM ET, May 10, 2024
Lessons from Day 15 of the Donald Trump hush money trial
From CNN’s Jeremy Herb, Lauren Del Valle and Kara Scannell
Prosecutors say there is a good chance they will drop the charges by the end of next week. Here are the highlights from the 15th day of the Trump hush money trial:
Judge against Cohen: Stop talking: Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, urged Judge Juan Marchan to order Cohen to stop talking about the trial and Trump. President Trump is prohibited from speaking about Cohen because of a gag order. But that still excuses the attack on Cohen, Blanche said. Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass responded that prosecutors have repeatedly instructed Cohen and all other witnesses in the case not to speak publicly about the case. “The truth is we can’t control their actions,” he acknowledged. Marchand has already said he cannot silence witnesses in the case. But he sympathized with Blanche’s position and said he would “instruct the public to know that the judge has asked Mr. Cohen to refrain from making any further comments” about the case and Mr. Trump.
President Trump is all smiles as he listens to the testimony of a former White House aide. President Trump shared a smile Friday with former White House aide Madeleine Westerhout as she finished her testimony, which began the day before. She raised her eyebrows and smiled at President Trump, who smiled back at her and left the courtroom mouthing something to her. Ms. Westerhout testified that she remembers Mr. Trump being upset after Mr. Daniels’ article came to light in 2018. She testified that Trump signed dozens of documents each day while multitasking on the phone and in meetings, and that she once saw him sign checks without looking at them. she stated.
Prosecutors will introduce key texts and call records as evidence. After Mr. Westerhout left the stand, prosecutors spent the rest of the day calling detained witnesses to introduce cell phone records into evidence. The testimony was a dull day, but it also provided key evidence that prosecutors plan to use to convince jurors that Trump is guilty of falsifying business records.
Prosecutors may adjourn next week: Steinglass said prosecutors plan to call two more witnesses and then take a break. “And I think there’s a good chance we’ll be off by the end of next week,” he added. Once the prosecutors have rested, it’s Trump’s turn. It’s unclear how long he will continue his defense, but the issue is likely to depend largely on whether Trump himself takes a stand.
