|
 Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/ReutersAs Donald Trump's hush money trial resumed on Tuesday, David Pecker arrived without the improbable smile he had when he first took the witness stand the day before.
On Monday, the 72-year-old accountant-turned-supermarket sleaze had seemed delighted to appear on center stage, even if it was to testify against a man he had once called a friend. He appeared to be energized by the drama of a courtroom packed with reporters, uniformed court officers and Secret Service agents, and initially seemed completely comfortable to assume the high profile perch of a subpoenaed stool pigeon.
But he must have been more anxious than he at first appeared, for he erupted into a sudden, surprisingly loud laugh when he momentarily had trouble remembering his phone number and the New York address of American Media, Inc. (AMI), where he had been CEO. AMI owns the National Enquirer.
Read more at The Daily Beast.
|
|
 MSNBCA pair of students in New York City took it upon themselves to attend the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president on Tuesday, with one telling MSNBC afterwards that it was especially "funny" to see Donald Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, get "annihilated" by Judge Juan Merchan.
On Chris Jansing Reports, Hope Harrington and Owen Berenbom shared their experience in the courtroom. In addition to continued testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, Tuesday's proceedings saw Merchan grill Blanche, who struggled to defend what prosecutors say were Trump's repeated and willful violations of the gag order in the case. Merchan has not yet ruled on a potential punishment for Trump.
Harrington in particular recalled the moment Merchan told Blanche that his discursive responses to his questions meant that he was losing all credibility" with the court.
Read more at The Daily Beast.
|
|
 Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyAs his criminal trial gets underway with opening statements and the presentation of the first prosecution witness, defendant Donald Trump's defense lawyers signaled a "throw everything against the wall and see what sticks" strategy that may reflect a desperate attempt to find something-anything-that may appeal to a lone holdout juror.
Indeed, the phrase "you only need one"-or some variation of that-seems to have become mantra among reporters and legal commentators covering the trial. But the scenario of a lone holdout juror causing a "hung jury" and ensuing mistrial is neither the panacea Trump may believe it to be nor as grave a danger that those hoping for a Trump conviction fear it to be.
Classically strong defense opening statements usually vary between a near silent approach-sometimes defense counsel even reserve openings until later in the trial if the rules allow for it-in which the defense lawyer simply reminds the jury of the fact that the prosecution has the extremely high burden of proof and to scrutinize the evidence and witnesses carefully and an approach that lays out the theory of defense.
Read more at The Daily Beast.
|
|
Donald Trump's New York hush money criminal trial continues Tuesday. Follow here for the latest live news updates, analysis and more.
|
|
 Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyThe first person to testify in the first-ever criminal trial of an American president is the former publisher of the National Enquirer. But the supermarket tabloid might not have been around to "catch and kill" stories about Trump's sexual liaisons if it were not for the early financial support of another notorious New York celebrity, the gangster Frank Costello.
And while Trump is not known for his grasp of history, he'd do well to view Costello's relationship with the Enquirer's first publisher as a cautionary tale.
In the 1940s, Frank Costello was known as the Prime Minister of the Underworld owing to his gentlemanly public manner, political connections, and patina of respectability. Costello used the mob's Prohibition-era millions—and the money from its vast illegal gambling empire—to take control of Tammany Hall. This meant that while Costello was the head of what came to be known as the Genovese crime family, he also pretty much ran the Democratic party in New York.
Read more at The Daily Beast.
|
|
