Trump trial live updates: Court to resume after jury hears Trump ‘knew’ Cohen paid off Stormy Daniels

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LIVE – Updated at 13:30

Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial will resume at Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday morning for a fourth week, with prosecutors inching closer to introducing their star witness, the defendant’s former personal attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen.

Last week’s session ended with emotional testimony from the former president’s one-time White House communication director Hope Hicks, who recounted her experiences serving his presidential campaign in October 2016 when the notorious Access Hollywood tape emerged and said Mr Trump “knew” Cohen had paid off adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Over the weekend, the GOP 2024 contender returned to Florida to attend the Republican National Committee’s Spring Donor Retreat at the Four Seasons Hotel in Palm Beach, where he hobnobbed with influential conservatives, including many in contention to be his running mate, and delivered a scathing speech in which he said of Joe Biden’s Cabinet: “These people are running a Gestapo administration.”

The White House responded to his remarks by accusing Mr Trump of “echoing the appalling rhetoric of fascists, lunching with neo-Nazis, and fanning debunked conspiracy theories”.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward is covering the trial at Manhattan Criminal Court.

Key Points

• New York hush money trial: What to expect in court today
• Trump trial to resume after emotional testimony from Hope Hicks
• Key takeaways from second week of testimony
• Former president compares Biden to ‘Gestapo’ in 75-minute tirade to Republican donors
• Trump’s possible VP picks take to Sunday shows to jostle for position

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill drops by White House to visit ‘Joe-B-Wan Kenobi’

13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

In case you missed this one late last week, here’s Luke Skywalker himself dropping in at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to endorse the president and tell him “May the Fourth be with you” (no I didn’t spell that wrong – it was 4 May on Saturday, you see).

‘Star Wars’ actor Mark Hamill drops by White House for a visit with ‘Joe-bi-Wan Kenobi’

Trump waves to crowd and visits McLaren garage at Miami Grand Prix

13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s more on the former president’s Sunday campaign stop from our F1 correspondent Kieran Jackson.

Donald Trump waves to crowd and visits McLaren garage at F1 Miami Grand Prix

Live: Trump’s criminal trial continues over hush money payment

12:51 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s your latest look at the scene in Manhattan as the former president prepares for court once more.

Lara Trump: ‘You cannot have ballots counted after elections are over’

12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Also on TV yesterday threatening more election aggravation in November was the new RNC co-chair, Trump daughter-in-law and would-be country music star Lara Trump, apparently prepared to contest the delayed counting of mail-in ballots posted by American soldiers serving overseas.

New York hush money trial: What to expect in court today

12:05 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s the very latest from Alex Woodward, courtside for us once more in Manhattan:

“It’s a wet and gray morning by the courthouse for the start of the third week of witness testimony.

“On Friday, we heard from Hope Hicks, whose testimony went behind the scenes of the Trump campaign’s response and damage control to the Access Hollywood tape, and how Trump told Hicks that Michael Cohen paid Stormy Daniels “out of the kindness of his heart.”

“But Hicks didn’t believe that, she said, moments before she broke down in tears on the stand under a brief line of questions from Trump’s defense.

“That moment gave jurors a crucial detail: a key member of Trump’s team, while he was president, confirmed that he knew that Cohen paid Stormy Daniels.

“We are moving at a relatively quick pace, with only a handful of higher-profile prosecution witnesses left, though we don’t know who they are or when they’re coming. This could take a couple more weeks, and then defense attorneys will have their turn before we get to closing statements and deliberation.

“Justice Juan Merchan, however, is expected to issue another decision on gag order violations, facing another potentially $4,000 fine or other more sever sanctions. He could rule from the bench as early as today.”

Kristi Noem walks back claim she met Kim Jong-un and threat to kill Biden’s dog

12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Also appearing on Sunday morning television hoping to rekindle the dying flame of her vice presidential aspirations was the embattled South Dakota governor, for whom things only got worse when Margaret Brennan confronted her with lying about meeting North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and with her threat to kill a second dog!

How she can ever have thought animal extermination was a vote-winning message, I will never understand.

Here’s Josh Marcus on her efforts to firefight another preposterous claim.

Kristi Noem walks back claim that she met Kim Jong Un as memoir comes under scrutiny

Trump’s possible VP picks take to Sunday shows to jostle for position

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Governor Burgum was not the only potential Trump veep going to bat for him on the Sunday shows yesterday.

South Carolina senator Tim Scott, New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Florida senator Marco Rubio were all prepared to get out there and “kiss the ring”, as Ron DeSantis memorably put it.

Scott’s refusal to commit to honouring the 2024 election results in the exchange below with Kristen Welker on Meet the Press was particularly worrying.

Here’s Kelly Rissman on Rubio refusing to rule out moving house to secure the nod.

Marco Rubio refuses to say whether he’d leave Florida if Trump picks him as VP

Truth Social: Trump hypes Miami Grand Prix appearance, celebrates two reundancies and promotes ally’s book

11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Trump’s other big engagement in the Sunshine State over the weekend was his appearance at the F1 Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, where he saluted the crowd and appeared to enjoy his freedom from the judge’s chilly courtroom.

He’s been heavily posting about it on Truth Social, in addition to celebrating two redundancies, attacking President Biden over the indicment of Texas Democratic congressman Henry Cuellar and promoting an ally’s book, which he has definitely read from cover to cover.

Here’s Mike Bedigan on Cuellar, for context.

Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar protests innocence ahead of potential indictment

Trump compares Biden to ‘Gestapo’ in 75-minute tirade to Republican donors

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Over the weekend, the Republican 2024 presidential contender returned to Florida to attend the Republican National Committee’s Spring Donor Retreat at the Four Seasons Hotel in Palm Beach, where he hobnobbed with influential conservatives, including many in contention to be his running mate, and delivered a scathing speech in which he said of Joe Biden’s Cabinet: “These people are running a Gestapo administration.

“It’s the only thing they have. And it’s the only way they’re going to win, in their opinion, and it’s actually killing them. But it doesn’t bother me,” he told his audience, according to The New York Times, which obtained the audio.

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates responded to Trump’s remarks by saying: “Instead of echoing the appalling rhetoric of fascists, lunching with neo-Nazis, and fanning debunked conspiracy theories that have cost brave police officer their lives, President Biden is bringing the American people together around our shared democratic values and the rule of law – an approach that has delivered the biggest violent crime reduction in 50 years.”

On Sunday, North Dakota governor and prospective Trump running mate Doug Burgum attempted to downplay the significance of the attack when he spoke to Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union.

Here’s Josh Marcus’s report.

White House: Trump Gestapo comment echoes ‘appalling rhetoric of fascists’

Key takeaways from the second week of Trump’s hush money trial

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

For a more extended recap of all of last week’s proceedings in Judge Juan Merchan’s courtroom – much of which was taken up by the appearance of Stormy Daniels’ ex-lawyer Keith Davidson on the stand – here’s a more complete wrap courtesy of Alex Woodward, Oliver O’Connell, Mike Bedigan and Gustaf Kilander.

Key takeaways from the second week of testimony in Trump’s hush money trial

Trump hush money trial to resume after emotional testimony from Hope Hicks

09:35 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial will resume at Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday morning for a fourth week, with prosecutors inching closer to introducing their star witness, the defendant’s former personal attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen.

Last week’s session ended with emotional testimony from the former president’s one-time White House communication director Hope Hicks, who recounted her experiences of serving his presidential campaign in October 2016 when the notorious Access Hollywood tape emerged, requiring damage limitation efforts from Mr Trump’s inner circle.

Here’s Oliver O’Connell and Alex Woodward’s recap of the key takeaways from Friday.

Trump hush money trial: Top takeaways as Hope Hicks testifies

Hello!

09:27 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of all the latest developments from Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial.

Our very own Alex Woodward will be back at Manhattan Criminal Court this morning to bring us all the news as week four gets underway with further witness testimony.