Trump Hush Money NYC Trial Live: DA, Defense Opening Statements

Thank you for joining us. We’re going to wrap our coverage of the trial today.

Here are the key takeaways from opening statements in Donald Trump’s first criminal trial, where the former president is accused in New York of falsifying business records to conceal a sex scandal before the 2016 election:

• Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo called the case “a criminal conspiracy and cover-up” designed to get him elected, rehashing an indictment that claims Trump was involved in payments to prevent public disclosure of salacious stories. Colangelo highlighted claims from three different people: porn star Stormy Daniels, former Playboy model Karen McDougal, and a doorman at one of Trump’s buildings.
• During his opening statement, Colangelo prepared the jury for the key people they will hear from in the trial, including Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen and David Pecker, the chief executive officer of the company that owned the National Enquirer. “The evidence will show this was not spin or strategy but a plan to influence the election to help Donald Trump get elected,” Colangelo said. “It was election fraud, pure and simple.”
• Defense lawyer Todd Blanche said Trump “is innocent” and “did not commit any crimes.” He signaled that the defense will put the blame for the hush-money payments squarely on Cohen, who he said could not be trusted. Blanche said Cohen submitted monthly invoices for $35,000 for legal services that prosecutors claim was a reimbursement for payments to Daniels. But Trump “had nothing to do with the invoice, with the check being generated or the entry in the ledger,” Blanche said.
• The defense lawyer also blasted Daniels, who got $130,000 for what he called a “sinister” threat that was “almost an attempt to extort President Trump.” Blanche insisted the agreement “to not publicly spread false claims is not illegal.” He also dismissed the 34 felony charges in the case. “What on Earth is a crime?” Blanche said. “The 34 counts are really just 34 pieces of paper.” He also claimed the payments weren’t an improper campaign tactic. “Spoiler alert: there’s nothing wrong with trying to influence an election,” Blanche said. “It’s called democracy.”
• The trial resumes Tuesday at 9:30 am, but first Judge Juan Merchan will hear arguments on whether Trump should be held in contempt of court for targeting Cohen and Daniels in social media posts that prosecutors say violated a gag order. Before the trial, Merchan barred the former president from making statements about jurors, witnesses, prosecutors and their families, citing public safety concerns. Witness testimony will resume with the jury at 11 am, with court proceedings ending at 2:30 pm because of the Passover holiday.