Trump trial: Biden calls Trump's remarks 'dangerous'
Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts in his hush money trial.
Former President Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 felony counts related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been convicted on criminal charges.
Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
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Trump guilty on all 34 counts
Jury to hear closing arguments
After five weeks of testimony, jurors in former President Trump's hush money case are scheduled to hear closing arguments today.
Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office and attorneys for Trump are both set to deliver closing statements.
Judge Juan Merchan is then expected to delivery jury instructions on Wednesday, after which jurors will begin deliberations.
Defense concludes by calling Cohen GLOAT for 'greatest liar'
Finishing up his 10 reasons why he says Trump should be acquitted, defense attorney Todd Blanche listed:
- "There is no evidence of any illegal effort to influence the 2016 election," Blanche said.
- "AMI would have run Mr. Sajudin's story no matter what," Blanche said. "That's not catch and kill."
- "McDougal did not want her story published," Blanche said. "That's not catch and kill."
- Daniel's story was "already public," Blanche said.
- Blanche argued that key evidence was "manipulated" during the trial. He alleged that the district attorney's office made mistakes when analyzing Cohen's phone. "How can you trust that the September 6 recording is actually reliable? The answer is you can't," Blanche said.
- "Michael Cohen. He is the human embodiment of reasonable doubt," Blanche said.
In a play on words, Blanche asked the jurors if the knew of the term GOAT, for the Greatest Of All Time. Some of them nodded.
He then said Cohen was the GLOAT, the "greatest liar of all time."
"You cannot send someone to prison based upon the words of Michael Cohen," Blanche said, concluding his closing statement.