Donald Trump‘s former aide Hope Hicks took the stand in a blockbuster moment in the hush money trial.
Hicks was Trump’s press secretary during the campaign, and has knowledge of what was happening in the final weeks before the 2016 election.
During that time, the deal with Stormy Daniels was negotiated.
Follow the coverage live from DailyMail.com’s reporters in the courtroom
They’ve ticked off Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and seen Hamilton on Broadway.
Now the visitors from Australia are headed for the public gallery of the Donald Trump trial at Manhattan Criminal Court.
‘We woke up this morning and said we have to be in “the room where it happens,’ said Marney, breaking into the hit song from Hamilton, quickly followed by a fit of giggles.
Across the street is the Manhattan court where Donald Trump is on trial.
He has denied 34 counts of falsifying business records.
But a seemingly mundane case about ledgers and checks has become the hottest ticket in town, enlivened already by the testimony of America’s tabloid king and a celebrity lawyer who has won payouts from Charlie Sheen.
‘I’m really nervous’ Hope Hicks says taking witness stand
From Rob Crilly, Senior Political Reporter inside court
Hope Hicks glides into the witness box wearing a black trouser suit and blue blouse.
Trump watches intently as she is sworn in and takes her seat.
She gives a fragile smile and asks if she is near enough to the microphone.
‘I’m really nervous,’ she says.
Breaking:Hope Hicks called as next witness
Former Trump right-hand aide Hope Hicks to take the witness stand.
A gasp went around the public gallery as she was called up.
Hicks was a top aide of Trump during the 2016 campaign and then in the Trump White House.
In cross-examination, Longstreet pressed by defense attorney Todd Blanche over Michael Cohen’s podcasts
From Rob Crilly, Senior Political Reporter inside court
Longstreet is being cross examined by defense attorney Todd Blanche, and she is being quizzed on Michael Cohen’s podcasts, which the former Trump aide uses as a vehicle to attack his former boss.
Blanche asks: ‘Have you listened to all the Mea Culpa podcasts?’
‘Absolutely not,’ she replies emphatically, again drawing laughter from the public gallery.
‘Nobody has more respect for women than Me!’ Court hears Trump’s old videos and Twitter posts in response to Access Hollywood tape and affair allegations
From Rob Crilly, Senior Political Reporter inside court
The jury is being shown a video made by Trump and posted on Twitter in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape.
In it, he admits he is not a perfect man who has done things he regrets now. ‘I said it. I was wrong. I apologized,’ he says.
He goes on to describe how he has traveled the country as part of his campaign.
‘I pledge to be a better man tomorrow and will never ever let you down,’ he says.
Georgia Longstreet is testifying that it is one of the posts she dug out and saved.
We are getting a tour of Trump’s old Twitter posts.
Now it is one in response to allegations of affairs. ‘Nothing ever happened with any of these women.
‘Totally made up nonsense to steal the election.
Longstreet reads it aloud.
The last line triggers laughter in the public gallery.
Trump gets animated over a Washington Post article referencing the Access Hollywood tape
Lead defense lawyer Tood Blanche was talking to Trump about a Washington Post article referring to the Access Hollywood tape, which prosecutors want to bring into evidence.
The former president was gesturing animatedly to a print out of the article.
Trump then spoke to another member of his legal team.
Rather than slouching in his chair Trump is standing up and swinging his body side to side.
Court takes morning recess
Court is taking a short break.
The jury has been excussed.
Next witness takes the stand: Georgia Longstreet, a Manhattan DA’s office paralegal who reviewed 10,000 social media posts
From Rob Crilly, Senior Political Reporter inside court
The next witness is Georgia Longstreet.
Officially her post is paralegal with the New York City District Attorney’s office.
Unofficially she may have the worst job in the world.
It was her job to review and save news articles and social media posts that might be relevant to the case.
Think old Twitter posts and newer Truth Social posts written by Trump or his team, bad jokes, invective and bile.
She says she has reviewed anything up to 10,000 posts, saving 1,500 of them that might be needed in the case.
Trump’s aide Margo Martin joins him in court
Margo Martin is back in court with Former President Donald Trump for the eleventh day of his hush money trial.
The communications aide has been a key part of his support group since jury selection began three weeks ago.
Last week she was off, but since Monday she has appeared every day.
Forensic expert: Michael Cohen tried to secure and delete conversations with messaging apps
Trump attorney Emil Bove is asking the forensic expert Douglas Daus about two cell phones used by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen.
Daus revealed that Cohen used two messaging apps Signal and Telegram that were used to encrypt or delete messages. He also used to the messaging app Dust, which had similar features.
He confirmed that Cohen had a ‘self destruct timer’ in the Telegram messaging app to delete messages after seven seconds.
Bove successfully raises awareness that Cohen was covering his tracks digitally after Trump was elected president and that some of the messages would be difficult if not impossible to recover.
Trump’s lawyer invokes Harvey Weinstein to get evidence tossed
Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche objected to evidence prosecutors were seeking to bring in during the day’s testimony.
The evidence included two posts online by Trump, a Tweet by the Washington Post and a news article by the same newspaper.
Blanche said there were ‘hearsay problems’ with the evidence and cautioned Judge Merchan about introducing it ‘in light of the Weinstein decision.’
The judge checked if this was a reference to the New York appeal court’s decision last month to overturn former film producer Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction.
The suggestion appeared to imply that the evidence at issue could be problematic. Weinstein’s conviction was overturned because three additional ‘prior bad acts’ witnesses were allowed into the case.
‘I don’t see it as having any impact on my ruling,’ Judge Merchan responded.
Blanche protested that the material was ‘extremely unfair and prejudicial,’ but Judge Merchan said that the Weinstein decision ‘doesn’t really factor into this’
Blanche also objected to prosecutors using a post online from Trump in August 2022 in which he wrote: ‘If you go after me I’m coming after you.’
According to Blanche, this had ‘nothing to do’ with this case and was about an effort by the Republican party to stop him becoming its Presidential nominee.
Judge Merchan said he would decide later.
The judge also refused to allow into evidence a video still of Trump from the Access Hollywood tape. He previously barred the video from being used.
Donald Trump berates Judge Juan Merchan on social media after he warned Trump to ‘steer clear’ on Truth Social
President Donald Trump kicked off Day 11 of his New York trial by berating Judge Juan Merchan on social media as ‘corrupt.’
This Corrupt and HIGHLY Conflicted New York Judge, Juan Merchan, is doing everything in his power to make this trial as salacious as possible, even though these things have NOTHING to do with this FAKE case. He gives us nothing, gives the everything to the Crooked D.A., Alvin Bragg. ELECTION INTERFERENCE – BIDEN WITCH HUNT TRIAL!!!
Trump’s post about the trial took place after the judge warned him Thursday about violating the court ordered gag order with posts on social media.
‘If in doubt, steer clear,’ Merchan said. ‘There is no ambiguity, I believe, in the order.’
Trump’s statement on social media about the judge goes right up to the line of the gag order, but does not cross it.
The gag order prevents Trump from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and employees connected to the case, but does not apply to the judge or Manhattan District Alvin Bragg.
Judge Merchan reassures Trump he could say anything he wants while testifying
Donald Trump’s day in criminal court began with Judge Juan Merchan addressing the ex-president directly where he said he wants to clear up any ‘misunderstanding’ regarding the gag order.
Judge Merchan said Trump had an ‘absolute right’ to testify at trial and an ‘absolute right’ not to.
The gag order bars the ex-president from commenting on the jury, witnesses and court staff. It does not apply to Trump testifying or commenting on the judge.
Judge Merchan told Trump that testifying was his ‘constitutional right’ and one that ‘you haven’t been denied in any way.’
The gag order does not stop Trump ‘testifying in any way’, the court heard.
Judge Merchan said the gag order ‘does not prohibit you from taking the stand and does not minimize what you can say from the witness stand.’
The order only applies to extrajudicial statements Trump makes, meaning those outside the court, the judge said.
Judge Merchan told Trump that if he had any ‘lingering doubts’ he should speak to his lawyers.
Trump nodded his head in apparent agreement.
Trump walks into court after speaking to the press outside
Trump walked into court wearing a navy blue suit and a light blue tie.
He quietly said ‘hello’ to Anderson Cooper, who was sitting by the aisle on the right side of the court.
Trump addresses ‘horrible’ job numbers after entering criminal court and claims there are 10 states he would rather be in
Donald Trump addressed the U.S. adding 175,000 jobs last month, a slowdown in hiring.
‘These people are destroying our country,’ Trump claimed.
‘They’re really, really low, really bad, our economy’s bad,’ Trump stated of the jobs numbers.
He claimed it would only get worse.
Despite Trump’s statement, economists have been expecting this slowdown for months even as hiring in February and March were hotter than expected.
The jobs number according to economists is not the sign of a bad economy as layoffs remain low.
The ex-president also complained that there are 10 states he would rather be in right now instead of criminal court.
He claimed he was supposed to be in Georgia today, Ohio tomorrow and then in Florida ‘doing – campaigning, essentially campaigning.’
In response to a question about what he would do to address jobs, Trump said ‘drill baby drill.’
Trump also was asked about testifying after claiming he was not allowed just yesterday.
‘No, it won’t stop me from testifying. The gag order is not for testifying,’ Trump said. The ex-president said the gag order prevents him from talking about people who say things about him, and he’s not allowed to respond.
Trump leaves Trump Tower on the way to court
The former president is in his motorcade in Manhattan and heading downtown.
He gave his trademark wave to the waiting crowds as he crossed the sidewalk in his midtown residence.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper is in court today
There has been a parade of media personalities – including top network anchors – during the trial.
Friday’s is veteran CNN host Anderson Cooper.
Trump: I don’t fall asleep… I simply close my beautiful blue eyes
Donald Trump on Thursday addressed reports that he may have been sleeping during his trial as reporters noted he closed his eyes for long periods of time.
During the lunch break he posted:
Contrary to the FAKE NEWS MEDIA, I don’t fall asleep during the Crooked D.A.’s Witch Hunt, especially not today. I simply close my beautiful blue eyes, sometimes, listen intensely, and take it ALL in!!!
Trump’s posts on his Truth Social profile became a subject of discussion in court today, when his lawyer questioned the judge whether he could post information from news articles about the case.
Judge Merchan dismissed the request.
‘I’m not going to give advance rulings,’ he said, adding that there was ‘no ambiguity’ in the order.
‘If in doubt, steer clear,’ he advised.
Trump delivers pizza to the New York Fire Department after court
Donald Trump celebrated the end of Day 10 of the hush money trial by handing out pizzas to members of the FDNY.
The former president drove to the firehouse in Midtown Manhattan to greet the cheering firefighters and hand them slices of pie.
The presumptive Republican nominee for president has made similar stops during breaks from court to keep his campaign going.
Last week he visited a construction site to meet union workers.
Earlier in the trial he went to a bodega in Harlem which was the scene of a shooting that rocked Manhattan.
On an extraordinary 10th day of Donald Trump’s blockbuster hush money trial there were revelations galore.
Trump sat stoically at the defendant’s table as witness Keith Davidson was quizzed by prosecutors and the former president’s attorneys.
Davidson is a lawyer who represented Stormy Daniels, the porn star who claims to have had an affair with Trump and received a $130,000 payment to buy her silence.
His testimony revealed a barrage of information. Here are the key takeaways: