At the opening day of arguments in former president Donald Trump’s criminal trial, prosecutors and defense lawyers sparred in front of a jury over hush money allegations, his business records and election fraud.
Trump is alleged to have arranged for his then-fixer Michael Cohen to pay porn star Stormy Daniels, who was ready to speak to the press ahead of the 2016 election about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
Judge instructs jury
“Remember, you have promised to be a fair juror.”
Prosecution lays out its case
“(Trump) orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. He lied in his New York business records over and over and over again.”
He paid off porn star Stormy Daniels “to silence her.”
“With pressure mounting and Election Day fast approaching, Donald Trump agreed to the payoff and directed Cohen to proceed.”
“It was election fraud, pure and simple.”
“I suspect the defense will go to great lengths to get you to reject (Cohen’s) testimony, precisely because it is so damning.”
Evidence “inescapably leads to only one conclusion: Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.”
“We ask you to use your common sense… look past any irrelevant sideshows that might pop up during this trial. Tune out the noise. Focus on the facts.”
The defense fights back
“The story that you just heard you will learn is not true and at the end of this trial there will be plenty of reasonable doubt.”
“He’s not just our former president. He’s not just Donald Trump that you’ve seen on TV and read about and seen photos of. He’s also a man. He’s a husband. He’s a father. He’s a person just like you and just like me.”
On Stormy Daniels: “Her testimony, while salacious, does not matter.”
“I have a spoiler alert: there’s nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy.”
On Michael Cohen: “He’s a convicted felon. And he also is a convicted perjurer. He’s an admitted liar… I submit to you that cannot be trusted.
“We trust that you’re going to decide this case based on the evidence you hear in this courtroom, and nothing else. And if you do that, there will be a very swift not guilty verdict.”
Trump, outside court
“It’s a very, very sad day in America. I’m here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania, in Georgia, and lots of other places campaigning.”
“This is a witch hunt.”
