Prosecutors laid out their case Monday against former President Trump, describing an alleged conspiracy to usher Trump into the White House, with top allies pulling the strings.
A jury of New Yorkers ultimately will decide whether the former president committed a felony in allegedly covering up a hush money payment to an adult film star during the 2016 campaign.
“This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up,” Manhattan prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said in his opening remarks. “The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 election, then covered it up.”
Trump has denied any wrongdoing. Speaking to reporters after court on Monday, he deemed the trial as a “witch hunt” designed to harm his 2024 campaign ahead of Election Day.
“President Trump is innocent,” said Trump attorney Todd Blanche in his first remarks to the jury. “He did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan district attorney’s office should never have brought this case.”
The opening statements served as a preview of what to expect in the coming weeks in the first criminal trial of a former president. More from inside the courtroom here from The Hill’s Ella Lee and Zach Schonfeld. Court will resume at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Follow along with The Hill for live updates. In a separate legal matter, the former president’s attorney and New York prosecutors settled their differences Monday over his $175 million bond in a state civil fraud judgment while he pursues appeals.
Trump has been accused of defrauding bankers and insurers by lying about his wealth and his business empire’s value. Related coverage: |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Liz Crisp, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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Columbia student protests lead to heightened safety concerns
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Columbia University President Minouche Shafik is facing mounting calls to resign as hundreds of students have set up an encampment at the center of campus to protest Israel’s military action in Gaza. The protests, which have heightened concerns over Jewish students’ safety, forced the university to move classes online Monday just before the start of Passover.
The protesting students are calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and for Congress and the Biden administration to stop providing military aid to Israel. Similar protests have erupted on other prominent campuses including Yale and the University of Southern California.
President Biden has denounced the protests, calling them “antisemitic” during remarks Monday. He stopped short of calling for the university leader’s resignation. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) joined a group of Jewish Democrats in a visit to Columbia on Monday. “We are all standing here today as Jewish members of Congress to make one thing clear, Jewish students are welcome here at Columbia. And while the leadership of Columbia may be failing you, we will not,” he said at a news conference on campus. All 10 House Republicans from New York, including Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), chair of the House Republican Conference and fourth-ranking House Republican, penned a letter Monday calling for Shafik’s resignation.
“The situation unfolding on campus right now is a direct product of your policies and misguided decisions,” the lawmakers wrote. “Based on these recent events and your testimony in front of Congress, we have no confidence in your leadership of this once esteemed institution.” Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) also has blasted Shafik.
Related coverage: |
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White House moves to protect patient abortion records |
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a rule blocking the disclosure of protected health information in an effort largely aimed at protecting abortion patients.
The rule bars health providers, clearing houses and others regulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act from disclosing a patient’s protected health information to facilitate an investigation or impose liability by law enforcement.
“Each and every American still has a right to their privacy, especially when it comes to their very private, very personal health information,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a Monday press briefing.
The rule is meant to aid women who travel out of state to receive reproductive health care services, such as abortions — both surgical and medical — as more states impose new abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. (The Hill) |
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© Photo Illustration by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto |
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Trump blames Biden after TikTok proposal is tucked into foreign aid package
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Former President Trump is blaming President Biden for a looming potential ban of the popular video-sharing platform TikTok, and he’s hoping to win over young voters on the issue. “Just so everyone knows, especially the young people, Crooked Joe Biden is responsible for banning TikTok,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Monday.
The TikTok bill, which now heads to the Senate as part of a long-sought aid package for Ukraine and Israel, would require the app’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell to sell its U.S. assets within roughly a year or face a U.S. ban.
Trump previously was a critic of TikTok and even issued an executive order in 2020 seeking to force ByteDance to sell, but the order was blocked in court.
He’s since come out against the potential TikTok ban, claiming it would benefit Facebook, which he claims will ultimately benefit Biden’s campaign. (The Hill) |
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World defense spending reaches highest levels on record: report
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Military spending worldwide soared to $2.4 trillion in 2023 — a record high, according to a global think tank. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said the $2.4 trillion marked a 6.8 percent increase from 2022 and is the ninth consecutive year of global military spending increases.
World military spending per person reached $306, the most in more than three decades.
“The rise in global military spending in 2023 can be attributed primarily to the ongoing war in Ukraine and escalating geopolitical tensions in Asia and Oceania and the Middle East,” SIPRI researchers wrote in their report. “Military expenditure went up in all five geographical regions, with major spending increases recorded in Europe, Asia and Oceania and the Middle East.” (The Hill)
The Hill previously reported on the surge in global defense spending and the drivers behind it. |
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“Trump is using the old O.J. Simpson tactics,” writes Juan Williams, political analyst for Fox News Channel.
“Will the Supreme Court allow cities to punish the homeless for being homeless?” writes Alizeh Ahmad, attorney and legal fellow at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. |
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83 days until the Republican National Convention.
118 days until the Democratic National Convention.
196 days until the 2024 general election. |
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Tuesday: Vice President Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff will host a Passover Seder. |
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