The trial against Donald Trump enters the final stretch

Donald Trump’s defense presented its final arguments on Tuesday before the court trying him in New York and insisted on the innocence of the Republican, who is at risk of becoming the first former president in the history of the United States to be criminally convicted. The defense once again attacked the credibility of Michael Cohen and highlighted the lack of evidentiary elements in this criminal trial, which began on April 7 and is the first against a former US president.

“The simplest answer is the correct one,” Todd Blanche, the former president’s main lawyer, told the jury, referring to the fact that Trump paid $420,000 to Cohen, who was the former president’s lawyer and right-hand man, for his legal work and not to reimburse him. the $130,000 he paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, who also testified at the trial.

After six weeks of intense debates, the trial in which he is accused of falsifying documents to cover up a sex scandal in his 2016 campaign entered its final stretch with the final arguments. The jury’s verdict will be decisive for Trump’s political future, in his race for the presidential election on November 5. “Today is a dark day for the United States. “This case should never have happened,” Trump deplored upon his arrival at the Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday.

The judge rejects Blanche’s actions
“You can’t send someone to prison, you can’t convict someone based on Cohen’s words,” Blanche insisted to the jury. Once he left the Manhattan Criminal Courtroom for lunch, Judge Juan Merchan said that the defense attorney’s comment was “scandalous.” “He knows that making a comment like that is very inappropriate. It’s simply not allowed. Spot. “It is difficult for me to imagine that it was accidental,” said the judge, emphasizing the lawyer’s previous experience.

“Mr. Todd Blanche essentially asked them not to send the defendant to prison. That comment was inappropriate and he should ignore it. In his deliberations he will not be able to discuss, consider or even speculate on issues relating to the sentence or punishment,” the judge told the jury upon his return. After closing arguments, the jury must unanimously agree on the verdict. If jurors are unable to reach a consensus, the judge could be forced to declare a mistrial.

Unexpected spokesperson for Trump’s opponents
Actor Robert De Niro called the former president a “clown” dangerous to democracy, in a speech given outside the court. De Niro, a veteran political activist and critic of Trump, told reporters covering the trial that the former president (2017-2021) will become dictator for life if he is re-elected in November.

“When Trump ran in 2016, it was like a joke. We have a second chance and now no one laughs. This is the time to stop him,” stressed De Niro, who also called Trump a “tyrant.” De Niro’s unexpected press conference occurred against a noisy backdrop of pro-Trump protesters and car alarms. Source: news

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