Trump trial: Biden calls Trump's remarks 'dangerous'

Advancing his argument that Trump was extorted by Stormy Daniels, defense attorney Todd Blanche told jurors that Stormy Daniels and her agent Gina Rodrgiuez saw a "time to strike" after the release of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape.

"Ms. Daniels and Ms. Rodriguez seized an opportunity," Blanche said. "They came back to Mr. Howard again and said ... now it is the time to strike."

Turning a prosecution argument on its head, Blanche argued that rather than being the catalyst for the Daniels hush payment and the eventual falsifying of business records, the "Access Hollywood" was Daniels and Rodriguez seizing an "opportunity."

Shouting emphatically, Blanche ticked through the three alleged catch and kills in an attempt to shred prosecutors' theory that they constituted a conspiracy to influence the election.

The doorman story was "not true," he said. Susan McDougal didn't want her story out. Daniels came forward after the "Access Hollywood tape" and David Pecker said, "Nah, I want nothing to do with it,' Blanche said.

"That's the conspiracy?!" Blanche yelled. "That's the three catch and kills!?"

Resuming his closing argument following the break, defense attorney Todd Blanche told jurors that Stormy Daniels lied on the witness stand about her motivation to go public with her story.

Daniels told jurors that she was worried about her safety, citing a 2011 encounter in Las Vegas where someone threatened her safety for going public about her allegations -- but Blanche said she lied about the encounter to create an excuse for why she didn't come forward earlier.

"This started off an extortion ... and it ended very well for Ms. Daniels, financially speaking," Blanche said.

Blanche also pointed out that Daniels has "repeatedly denied having sex with Trump."

"The government wants you to believe those statements were coerced -- that Ms. Daniels was either forced to sign them, or didn't have a say … but she decided to go public after these statements supposedly because she was trying to protect herself from what she said was a threat someone made to her in a gym parking lot in 2011," Blanche said. "But there are recordings where you know that's just not true."

Judge Merchan returned to bench and Trump returned to the courtroom following the mid-morning break.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche told the judge he has about half an hour left before he finishes his summation.

The defense's closing will be followed by prosecutors' closing arguments.

Merchan said he spoke to the jurors and they are willing to work late tonight.

The judge recessed court briefly for the mid-morning break.

Trump, exiting the courtroom, patted his daughter Tiffany as he passed her and she gave him a big smile.

Meanwhile, outside the courthouse this morning, actor Robert De Niro and two former Capitol police officers slammed Trump at a campaign news conference for President Joe Biden.

De Niro, a lower Manhattan resident, was accompanied by former Capitol police officers Michael Fanone and Harry Dunn, both of whom were working at the U.S. Capitol on Jan, 6, 2021.