Donald Trump returned to Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday for his hush money trial, following a stint on the campaign trail in Wisconsin and Michigan. Judge Juan Merchan is now considering four additional alleged violations of Trump’s gag order, following a previous fine of $9,000 and a warning of potential incarceration if he continues to speak negatively about key individuals.
Trump’s legal team asserts that his responses are prompted by attacks from former fixer Michael Cohen and President Joe Biden. Keith Davidson, former lawyer for Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, concluded his testimony today. He negotiated the sale of their silence regarding their stories. During cross-examination, Davidson’s involvement in previous celebrity scandals was highlighted in an attempt to discredit him with the jury.
Just before court adjourned, Michael Avenatti, the disgraced former lawyer for Daniels, tweeted from prison accusing Davidson of dishonesty. Additionally, a recording played to the jury featured Cohen stating that Trump expressed regret about the hush money scheme, to which Cohen advised it was the right course of action.