Trump trial live updates: Michael Cohen gives testimony in hush money trial

Donald Trump is in court seated at the defense table with his leagl team.

In the first row of press behind the defendant, today is Chris Hayes of MSNBC.

Seated directly behind Trump and his attorneys are Doug Burgum, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Byron Donalds.

Not sure what more I can add to the headline above so here’s Harry Fletcher of Indy100 to explain.

Bravo to The Daily Star, who also gave us the Liz Truss lettuce.

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries posted a not-exactly-subtle slight against Speaker Mike Johnson over the Republican’s decision to eschew House business in favour of attending Donald Trump’s hush money trial.

Rep Jeffries wrote: “We will always put the Constitution over the Cult.”

Also in attendance in court today will be Vivek Ramaswamy, Byron Donalds, Cory Mills and Doug Burgum.

Democrats and Republicans will select their respective nominees for the US Senate in Maryland on Tuesday and in doing so will set up the most unique race of the cycle.

Two leading Democrats, congressman David Trone and Prince George’s County executive Angela Alsobrooks, are locked in a dead heat as the race enters its final hours.

The Democratic primary, which has grown negative in the past few weeks, carries incredible significance: the entrance of former governor Larry Hogan into the race has given Republicans a breath of life and possibly their only real shot at winning the seat.

That dynamic is playing out in a year when Democrats hold the Senate by one vote and are looking desperately to protect that majority either for the start of a second Joe Biden term or to throttle Donald Trump’s first two years in office.

The MSNBC host almost lost her lunch covering one of the grosser claims of the trial so far.

Fresh from surviving Marjorie Taylor Greene’s attempt to oust him, Mike Johnson is reportedly putting aside all other pressing congressional business to be at court today.

Just going to leave this here:

Also set to be in attendance on Tuesday are Vivek Ramaswamy, Byron Donalds, Cory Mills and Doug Burgum.

Once again there are no pro-Trump protesters outside the court today but plenty of toadies present to boo from the sidelines, it seems.

Alex Woodward and Kelly Rissman are back at Manhattan Criminal Court for us this morning and send this dispatch:

“‘Make sure it doesn’t get released.’

“Michael Cohen’s testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money trial on Monday was crucial.

“For the first time, a witness tied Trump directly to a series of payments that kept politically devastating stories out of the press and away from voters before Election Day in 2016.

“When it came to burying Stormy Daniels’ story by paying her $130,000 for her silence, Trump told Cohen: ‘Just do it.’

“Less than two weeks before Election Day, Cohen finalized a contract and wired her attorney the cash. Then he told Trump that the deal was done.

“Jurors then heard how after the election, a satisfied president-elect Trump confirmed a payment plan to reimburse his attorney before heading to Washington, where he signed the checks.

“‘What I was doing,’ Cohen testified, ‘was at the direction of and benefit of Mr Trump.’

“Trump also knew that he had a deadline to secure that silence, according to Cohen. He gave excuse after excuse to Daniels’ attorney, hoping that he could avoid paying him with the election approaching, when, if Trump won, ‘it wouldn’t matter’ anymore, he said.

“‘My intent was to continue to delay it, as per Mr Trump’s demand,’ he said.

“Cohen’s testimony gave jurors the connective tissue for the trial’s weeks-long narrative: Trump warned Cohen to ‘be prepared’ for stories about women when he launched his 2016 campaign, instructed him to pay them off, then signed the checks that reimbursed him.

“Those checks and Cohen’s approved invoices are the allegedly falsified records at the heart of the falsified records charges.

“Today, Cohen returns to the stand, after prosecutors left Monday on a bombshell cliffhanger revealing a Trump Tower meeting where Trump approved a 12-month payment plan to reimburse him for paying off Daniels.

“Prosecutors are now preparing to go through those payments pursuant to Cohen’s ‘retainer’ that he said never existed.

“On cross-examination, which could also begin today, Trump’s attorneys are hoping to destroy Cohen’s credibility by painting him as a convicted liar and an opportunist willing to throw his former boss under the bus to save his skin. They will also likely bring up his antagonistic social media posts and TV and podcast appearances to argue that he can’t be trusted on the stand.

“Outside the courthouse in Manhattan, a long line of press and members of the public has been growing since before 5am, hoping to catch a glimpse of the former president on trial facing down his once-loyal counsel turned very public enemy.”

Here’s your latest livefeed as events get underway in Manhattan.