Donald Trump returned to court for the latest instalment of his New York hush money trial on Thursday, where the jury heard further testimony from a former tabloid mogul who detailed the “catch-and-kill” scheme at the heart of the case.
Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified about his agreement with his “mentor” Mr Trump and ex-attorney Michael Cohen to suppress stories about the defendant’s alleged affairs.
The cross-examination of Mr Pecker by defence lawyer Emil Bove will likely wrap up on Friday.
Justice Juan Merchan is yet to rule on whether Mr Trump should be held in contempt and fined $10,000 for allegedly violating a trial gag order by posting about witnesses and jurors on Truth Social.
Elsewhere, in Washington DC, attorneys for the former president delivered oral arguments in front of the US Supreme Court in support of his “presidential immunity” defence against prosecution in a landmark hearing.
The justices appeared poised to accept at least a portion of Mr Trump’s argument but could take several weeks to issue a ruling.
In other legal news, the Republican presidential candidate had his latest efforts to overturn the E Jean Carroll verdict against him dismissed.
Alex Woodward is providing live updates from the courthouse in Manhattan.
Truth Social: Trump claims hush money trial ‘has completely fallen apart’ and bashes media rivals
08:49 , Joe Sommerlad
Good morning! Let’s take a look at Trump’s latest social media output, shall we?
Still absolutely refusing to learn his lesson regarding the gag order in the hush money trial, he has again referred to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg as “Soros backed” and claimed, preposterously, that the case “has completely fallen apart” and that “Virtually every Legal Scholar and Expert has stated that there is no Crime, there never was.”
Have they? You’d think we would have heard about that by now.
Meanwhile, he’s continued to push his lie that the New York City authorities are suppressing (non-existent) mass MAGA protests outside the courthouse and posted further Fox News clips attacking the “sham” trial.
Elsewhere, he’s back to trashing Morning Joe and The New York Times again like 2017 never ended but is curiously quiet on the subject of the Supreme Court, indicating, perhaps, that he realises just how pivotal the justices’ eventual ruling will be to his fate.
