After weeks of witness testimony in what is likely the only criminal case Donald Trump will face before November’s election, the jury heard closing arguments in the New York hush money trial on Tuesday.
Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment made to former adult entertainment star Stormy Daniels to ensure she did not go public about their alleged sexual encounter before the 2016 election. Under New York law, falsifying business records on its own is a misdemeanor but can be considered a felony if done to hide another crime. If the prosecution can prove that Trump did so to protect his 2016 campaign, then he could find himself in hot water.
Trump’s defense sought to convince the jury that the prosecution’s case relied entirely on an untrustworthy and vindictive Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer who claims he made the payment to Daniels on the former president’s orders.
The prosecution took on the defense’s argument directly, highlighting that much of their evidence relies not on Cohen, but on phone records and the testimony of witnesses who are friendly to Trump.
Outside the courthouse, the Biden campaign directly engaged with Trump’s trials for the first time, staging a news conference with “Goodfellas” actor Robert De Niro and a pair of former police officers. They attempted to hammer home the president’s core reelection argument: That Trump is a threat to Democracy. But this also fueled claims from Trump’s team that the trial is politically motivated.
What’s next? After closing arguments wrap up, the jury could begin deliberations as soon as Wednesday morning. There is no time limit on how long they can take to reach a decision, but all 12 jurors must agree for the judge to accept it. That leaves a lot of room for uncertainty. Here’s how the trial could play out from here.
