Trump Trial Closing Arguments: Stormy Daniels Allegations Weren’t ‘Doomsday Event’ For Campaign, Trump Lawyer Claims (Live Updates)

On Tuesday, legal representatives for former President Donald Trump gave their concluding statements during his trial. The jury will ultimately determine if Trump is guilty of tampering with records in relation to a payment made by his former lawyer Michael Cohen to adult film performer Stormy Daniels as hush money. Trump's lawyers urged the jury not to trust Cohen or Daniels' testimonies.

On May 28th, Donald Trump, the ex-president, showed up in New York City at Manhattan Criminal Court to face trial regarding the hush money scandal.

Donald Trump is facing a legal ordeal, as he is accused of 34 serious criminal charges related to faking important company documents in connection with the payments he made to Michael Cohen. In order for Trump to be found guilty, a jury must be convinced beyond reasonable doubt that he was responsible for creating these fake records at Trump Organization, and that he did so to conceal another illegal activity, perhaps involving tax fraud or breaking campaign funding laws.

The lawyers for Trump were the first to speak, with Todd Blanche stating that his client is not guilty and criticizing Cohen for claiming that Trump was aware of the secret payment plan and authorized it. Blanche accused Cohen of lying in front of the jury and said that he had provided false testimony on various subjects. MSNBC reported this.

The lawyer strongly stated that Trump did not falsely name the checks he reimbursed to Cohen as payment for legal services, which is what the prosecution claims. The lawyer argued that since Cohen was Trump's personal attorney at the time, Trump was just paying him for his legal services. Cohen said that he was working for Trump without pay, and the reimbursement checks were separate. The lawyer also mentioned that there is "no evidence" showing Trump was aware of any scheme to reimburse Cohen.

Blanche contended that there isn't any proof indicating that Trump had a deliberate plan to deceive by pointing out that Trump revealed the payments to Cohen on IRS and ethics documents. Besides, Trump maintained that he wasn't attempting to hide any supposed campaign finance infraction by allegedly compensating Daniels to improve his 2016 candidacy. Blanche informed the jury that all political campaigns in America operate as a collaboration to advance a candidate, as stated by CNN.

Blanche attempted to minimize the plan to pay Daniels hush money, contending that the Trump campaign was not concerned about Daniels reveal her story as claimed by prosecutors. Additionally, the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape, which captured Trump degrading women and emerged immediately before the 2016 election, did not have the catastrophic impact that Cohen proclaimed it did, as per the report from CNN.

The lawyer aimed to create a separation between Trump and the payment made in secret, stating that Cohen acted on his own when he gave funds to Daniels, and that the future President had no knowledge of this. According to The New York Times, the attorney declared that it would be impossible to believe Trump knew about the transaction, unless Cohen's testimony was taken as true.

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During the final portion of the trial, Blanche spoke to the jury about prosecutors and their willingness to accept false statements from witnesses. He argued that they were content to allow individuals to purposely deceive, citing Cohen as a prime example. Blanche referred to Cohen as the most valuable player in the realm of deception, suggesting that his presence in the case only added to the overall uncertainty of the situation. The prosecution raised an objection to Blanche's initial claim, which the judge ultimately agreed with and disallowed.

Blanche had a bit of a problem with what Daniels had to say in her testimony. She swore under oath that she had a sexual encounter with Trump and suggested that he made her have sex. Blanche claimed that the prosecutors called Daniels to testify not to get a fair outcome, but rather to "try to inflame [the jury's] emotions, they did it to try to embarrass President Trump," according to CNN. The lawyer for Trump believed that Cohen's payment to Daniels was "extortion" and pointed out that Daniels had previously denied the affair. The jurors' verdict does not have to be based on Daniels' statements; instead, they only need to focus on whether or not the reimbursement checks were falsely labeled.

Keep An Eye Out: What To Watch

After the closing arguments, the jury will begin deliberations and wait for instructions from the judge. It’s uncertain how long it will take for them to arrive at a verdict. If Trump is found guilty, he could face fines of up to $5,000 per felony count and up to four years incarceration. In conclusion, Trump could be looking at up to $170,000 in fines and up to 136 years in prison if he was convicted on all counts and given the maximum sentence. Nevertheless, legal experts believe that as a first-time offender, Trump is unlikely to be sentenced to prison, although it’s not entirely impossible. If he is found guilty, sentencing will probably occur one to two months after the verdict.

Despite being accused of the charges against him, Trump has claimed that he is not guilty and that the accusations are part of a malicious attempt to harm his campaign. On Truth Social, he expressed his displeasure with the order of arguments presented by his lawyers, stating that it is very unfair to let prosecutors speak last because it provides them with a significant advantage. It should be noted, however, that this is not a special arrangement for Trump's case, since New York law mandates that defense lawyers give their closing statements first. This is because the responsibility of proving Trump's culpability falls on the prosecution team.

In March 2023, former US President Donald Trump faced charges in Manhattan after a lengthy investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's office. This was the first of four criminal cases against him to proceed to trial. The charges relate to hush money paid by Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. Trump denied having an affair with Daniels and then reimbursed Cohen through a series of checks in 2017 that prosecutors claim were falsely labeled as legal fees. Cohen has already pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations, admitting that he was directed by Trump to make the payment to Daniels. During the trial, Cohen testified that Trump was directly involved in the scheme, which Trump's defense team has tried to discredit. They questioned Cohen's reliability as a witness, noting his history of lying under oath and frequent criticism of Trump. The defense presented only one significant witness, attorney Robert Costello, who attempted to undermine Cohen's testimony but faced criticism from the presiding judge for his conduct during cross-examination. Closing arguments will be presented soon.

A trial regarding the conviction of Donald Trump is currently underway and is expected to be handed over to the jury next week. If the former President is found guilty, there will be significant consequences, as outlined in a recent article by Forbes.

Forbes reporters are stating that the prosecution has finished presenting its case in Donald Trump's trial, and they are now moving on to the next phase. Alison Durkee has given her insights on what to expect moving forward.