Good morning from New York.

When this photo was taken at the White House in July 2017, Pecker said, Trump asked him: "How's Karen [McDougal] doing?"

Will Trump's lawyer try to undermine it on cross-ex today? Follow along to find out. 🧵 According to the testimony, Trump gave Pecker a "thank you dinner," and Pecker brought along the Enquirer's then-editor-in-chief Dylan Howard.

Pecker said he replied to Trump's inquiry about McDougal:

"She's doing well. She's quiet. Everything is going good."

All of the times David Pecker quoted Michael Cohen or someone else referring to Trump as "The Boss," during the morning session of Thursday's trial proceedings alone.

A thread. 🧵 "Don't worry. I'm your friend. The Boss will take care of it."

— Pecker quotes Cohen on reimbursement for Karen McDougal payoff

News—

Justice Merchan’s signed order to show cause compelling Trump to attend a hearing on his latest alleged gag order violations has been released.



The order to show cause details the four alleged violations.

Read the document here documentcloud.org/documents/2461…

Good morning from New York.

On Day 1 on the stand, David Pecker described how he turned his tabloid empire into the Trump campaign's "eyes and ears": promoting him, attacking his rivals, and silencing "women selling stories."

The ex-AMI chief's testimony resumes today. 🧵

Context for this testimony:

In 2018, the day of Michael Cohen's sentencing, SDNY revealed AMI entered into a non-prosecution deal resolving a campaign finance probe.

AMI admitted the purpose of the Karen McDougal hush money—and agreed to beef up campaign finance compliance.

Trial exhibits:

Some of the National Enquirer headlines that ex-AMI chief David Pecker testified were part of the behind-the-scenes scheme to prop up Trump and discredit his political rivals have been released by the court.

They were entered into evidence on Tuesday.





Behind-the-scenes:

David Pecker testified that Michael Cohen gave story ideas for negative headlines during phone calls, targeting rivals like Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, or Marco Rubio.

"That was the basis of our story, and then we would embellish it from there," Pecker said.

Good morning from New York.

Before jurors hear a word of witness testimony this morning, the court has an unfinished order of business: Trump's contempt hearing over the gag order.

Follow every wrinkle of it and the trial here. 🧵

ICYMI, openings 🔗 justsecurity.org/94927/trump-tr… "What have we done?"

— Stormy Daniels' then-lawyer's text message to the National Enquirer's then-editor in chief on election night 2016, as Trump's inched toward victory

ICYMI: @Lawrence unpacked the blockbuster line on @TheLastWord.

https://x.com/TheLastWord/status/1782726115146203598

Good morning from New York.

Donald Trump is about to become the first former president in US history to stand criminal trial.

Opening statements will begin—after pre-trial rulings that could take on great significance if he testifies.

I’ll cover live, from the courtroom 🧵 Expected first:

The judge may issue his Sandoval rulings, determining what prior bad acts prosecutors can confront Trump with if he testifies.

A key question: "What's fair game?"

ICYMI: My breakdown with @CapehartJ and @JoyceWhiteVance on @TheLastWord msnbc.com/msnbc/amp-vide…

The afternoon session begins:

Trump has entered the courtroom and is seated at the defense table with his attorneys. Trump's attorney Emil Bove begins his arguments in the so-called Sandoval hearing, seeking to prevent prosecutors from invoking other prior bad acts on cross-ex if his client takes the stand.

Background in thread

https://x.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1780673583104082208

Good morning from New York.

Now that a full 12-person jury has been selected for Trump's criminal trial, it's time to round off the alternates. One down, five more to go. 🧵 Trump has set down at the defense table, between his lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove.

Good morning from New York.

We're seven sworn jurors into the process in Trump's criminal trial. Could we get the full 12-person panel today, save for the alternates?

Follow again for more voir dire, and see my chat with @Lawrence on Tuesday's session msnbc.com/the-last-word/… First off:

On the first day, Justice Merchan read out a list of 41 names related to the case—not all witnesses.

For @Just_Security, @NormEisen spearheaded a breakdown of these names, with research from @JNKGoodman and me.

Bookmark this resource justsecurity.org/94696/trump-cr…

News

In Trump's NY criminal case, prosecutors file their so-called "Sandoval" notice—disclosing uncharged prior bad acts they intend to use at trial to impeach his credibility.

The list in the document rattles off the NYAG civil fraud case, the E. Jean Carroll case, and more. "If the defendant chooses to testify, the People intend to inquire regarding the following"

Read the full list of litigation prosecutors intend to confront Trump with, if given the green light by the judge.

Doc 🔗 documentcloud.org/documents/2455…

The juror in seat No. 2 will be excused after Trump's lawyers discovered this post on social media:

“Good news!! Trump lost his battle on his unlawful travel ban!!! Get him out, and lock him up.”

(Punctuation marks recited into the record by Justice Merchan.) Trump's legal team has been going down the list of jurors, one by one, and three jurors in, they have challenged every one for cause.

One challenged failed; one succeeded, and one is pending.

Good morning from New York.

We're gearing up for the second day of jury selection in Trump's criminal case in New York. Some nine jurors passed through the initial screening round, though none are empaneled, yet.

I'm reporting live from the courthouse every day. Follow here. Per pool at 8:34 a.m. ET:

"Motorcade is on the move."

Good morning from New York.

Jury selection is gearing up for Trump’s first criminal trial.

Lower Manhattan is a phalanx of metal barricades, and the largest press lines I have seen are outside the courthouse.

Follow here for the blow-by-blow throughout the proceedings. There are all of two protesters in the park outside the courthouse, both carrying signs against Trump.

One sign says, “Convict Trump already,” on one side, and the other sign is a mock-TRUMP sign with the name replaced with “LOSER.”

No pro-Trump signs visible here, yet.

Trump's attorneys are currently arguing AGAIN to delay his New York criminal trial at an appellate court — this time, on the immunity and other issues.

By the DA's count, that's more than 10 attempts to adjourn his trial. One of the grounds cited by Trump's lawyer Emil Bove now:

Justice Merchan ordered that the parties must receive permission to file any more 11th hour pretrial motions.

Bove calls them "unacceptable and unconstitutional restrictions on our ability to file defense motions."

Good morning from New York.

Allen Weisselberg is awaiting his sentencing for perjuring himself during Trump's civil fraud case investigation and trial.

We already know the outcome: five months in jail, per his plea deal.

I'll be covering the proceedings. Some quick background before the proceedings:

* Weisselberg, the ex-Trump Org CFO, was a co-defendant in the civil fraud case.

* He previously served a brief stint in Rikers in a separate tax fraud case.

* That other case was before Justice Merchan, but this isn't.

New

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's prosecutors skewer Trump's latest effort to seek Justice Merchan's recusal, through a "daisy chain of innuendos" about the judge's daughter.

NY's judicial ethics board denied Trump's claims of a conflict last year. documentcloud.org/documents/2452… Trump's attorneys have argued that the judge has a conflict of interest because of his daughter's position at Authentic Campaigns, a digital marketing agency allegedly doing work for entities associated with his rivals.

The DA said that Team Trump didn't provide citations.

Breaking

The Manhattan DA tells the judge that Trump's "dangerous, violent, and reprehensible rhetoric fundamentally threatens the integrity of these proceedings," in a new filing urging him to expand the gag order. Bragg on Trump posting a photo of Justice Merchan's daughter

"There is no constitutional right to target the family of this Court, let alone on the blatant falsehoods that have served as the flimsiest pretexts [...] Defendant knows what he is doing, and everyone else does too."

News

Manhattan DA Bragg fires a shot across the bow, telling the judge that the "properly read" gag order prohibits Trump from attacking the judge's daughter.

He wants the judge to "warn" Trump to stop, under threat of contempt sanctions.

Doc documentcloud.org/documents/2452…
It's worth reviewing the express terms of the gag order to see the legal fight ahead: It bars Trump from attacking "the family members of any counsel or staff member," setting up a fight over who's a counsel or staff member.

Most saliently here, does it include the judge? 🧵

News

The judge presiding over Trump's NY criminal case REFUSES to budge from his order forcing lawyers to ask his okay to file any more motions.

He also WARNS Trump's lawyers to obey that order, citing his "power to punish for a criminal contempt."

Doc nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/pre…
Trump's lawyers claimed that the order seeking permission to file violated his Sixth Amendment rights.

But the judge noted they agreed the court has the authority to "manage its docket and prevent 'dilatory tactics' right up until the eve of trial."

Good morning from New York.

Trump is gearing up for another hearing today in his criminal case, sorting out how the late-breaking discovery may affect the looming trial.

I'll be covering live @Just_Security, where we have this hush-money explainer.
justsecurity.org/93876/trump-hu…
Special credit to @Just_Security's Pooja Shah for the great graphic.

The linked article at the top of the thread maps out the journey from a $130,000 payment to 34 felony charges.