Ben Meiselas: ‘Donald Trump STORMS OUT OF TRIAL After Another BAD DAY’

Meidas Touch_ Donald Trump STORMS OUT OF TRIAL After Another BAD DAYSource:Meidas Touch with a look at Defendant Don’s Black Friday.

Source:The New Democrat

“MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Donald Trump exiting trial like an unhinged maniac after another disastrous day in court.”

From the Meidas Touch

I’m not going to say I don’t mean to compare Donald J. Trump with let’s say your average Italian mobster in New York, whose finally facing accountability. First of all, Donald Trump is not Italian. 2nd of all, there’s no evidence he’s ever ordered the hit on anyone: “Yo, Vinnie, I need you to go take care of the guy with the thing at the place.” There’s no evidence of that, yet. But after he’s convicted, maybe that will be next. (I’m half-joking about that) And if I said: “I don’t mean to compare Donald J. Trump with an Italian mobster” I would be lying, because that’s basically what I’m doing here.

Imagine Italian Don John Gotti back in 1990-91, when the FBI and the Southern District of New York, as well as the NYPD, finally had the goods on him. And then imagine Gotti with Twitter. Or at least imagine the FBI or NYPD had John Gotti 100% bugged, regardless of wherever he went and whoever he ever talked too. That’s what listening to Donald J. Trump is like now.

Defendant Don privately knows he’s in a helluva lot of trouble. His own damn people are giving the Manhattan DA the goods on him. His own damn former lawyer Michael Cohen, might be the last link that gets him convicted, will be testifying against him next week. And there isn’t a damn thing that he can do about that. And if that’s not enough, if he’s convicted, especially with his behavior at this trial, Rikers Island could be where he ends up after conviction. I would probably be freaking out about this as well.

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Anderson Cooper 360: ‘George Conway: Stormy Daniels’ Second Day of Cross-Examination a ‘Fiasco’ For Donald Trump’s Defense’

CNN_ George Conway_ Stormy Daniels’ Second Day of Cross-Examination a ‘Fiasco’ For Donald TrumpSource:CNN talking to New York lawyer George Conway about the Stormy testimony (pun intended) at Defendant Don’s Manhattan criminal trial.

Source:The New Democrat

“CNN’s Anderson Cooper speaks with conservative lawyer George Conway and a panel of experts about former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial.”

From CNN

“If that story was untrue, I would have written it to be a lot better,” Daniels said of her encounter with Trump.”

From CNN

“Real men respond to testimony by being sworn in and taking the stand in court. Oh…wait. Nevermind.”

From Stormy Daniels

From what I wrote about this yesterday:

“I have to admit that I was hard on CNN legal analyst Laura Coates yesterday. (Not that I’m taking anything back) But she’s damn right today. Instead of Donald Trump’s lawyer making it about the fact that Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) simply wants to get back at their client, they’re back to making it about the affair that she had with her client and pretty much proving motive for the prosecution: They’re basically saying: “Who needs prosecutors when the defense can make their case for them?”

Trump and company knew Stephanie Clifford hates him and that they need to dispose of her before her story gets out before the 2016 election.They know she’s credible because the affair happened, etc. They basically just made the prosecution’s case for motive for them.

As far as Ryan Goodman’s commentary about how Mr. Trump’s lawyers would try to handle Stephanie Clifford: he called it perfectly last night. And you can see why Erin Burnett has him on her CNN show probably at least once a week now. Because he’s not there for partisan legal arguments, but to argue the facts and evidence of the law. He even said that Donald Trump has a solid case for appeal, before their cross-examination of Clifford today. But his lawyers just flushed that down the toilet.”

From The New Democrat

I think what we saw yesterday is the difference between how good, experience, professional, layers, handle direct-examination and cross-examination and how Donald Trump handles those things.

As most of the CNN legal analysts said, including George Conway said, (whose the unofficial President of Hate Donald Trump For America PAC) had Donald Trump’s lawyers just focused on Stephanie Clifford’s (also known as Stormy Daniels) hatred and the money that she’s made off of him, as well as the attention that she’s gotten from him because of their relationship, they probably could’ve ruined her credibility. Not just have won the day, but ruined her credibility.

But with Donald Trump, everything is about his own fictional, reality TV show. And when you work for him, he’s always the boss. It’s always his reputation and his favorites lies about him, this one being he never even met Stephanie Clifford, let alone had an affair with her, that he has to protect.

But also when you are Donald Trump and you are running your own show, you are basically the courtroom version of a Kamikaze pilot. You are the suicidal gunfighter, whose always has his loaded gun pointed at his foot. Except when he points his gun at his chest. It’s just one self-inflicted wound after another.

And because it was Donald Trump running the show yesterday for the defense, instead of his good, experienced, lawyer, Susan Necheles, they made Stephanie Clifford the star of the show yesterday, the player of the game. Because of instead of the defense going after her credibility, they basically just proved motive yesterday for the prosecution as far as why Donald Trump wanted to pay her off in October, 2016, which was to protect his presidential campaign.

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Michael Popok: ‘DAMNING Evidence SINKS Donald Trump in Criminal Trial’

Meidas Touch_ DAMNING Evidence SINKS Donald Trump in Criminal TrialSource:Meidas Touch talking about Defendant Don’s Manhattan trial.

Source:The New Democrat

“It’s the CHECKS and documents that will lead to Trump’s likely conviction NOT THE SEX, as cringe inducing and sex crimes related, as that testimony was. Michael Popok explains how it will be the faceless Trump accounts payable manager, Trump comptroller and yes his former lawyer Michael Cohen who the jury will rely on to convict, NOT Stormy Daniels.”

From the Meidas Touch

As my colleague Fred Schneider talked about relating to the motive of this case earlier today:

“I have to admit that I was hard on CNN legal analyst Laura Coates yesterday. (Not that I’m taking anything back) But she’s damn right today. Instead of Donald Trump’s lawyer making it about the fact that Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) simply wants to get back at their client, they’re back to making it about the affair that she had with her client and pretty much proving motive for the prosecution: They’re basically saying: “Who needs prosecutors when the defense can make their case for them?”

Trump and company knew Stephanie Clifford hates him and that they need to dispose of her before her story gets out before the 2016 election.They know she’s credible because the affair happened, etc. They basically just made the prosecution’s case for motive for them.

As far as Ryan Goodman’s commentary about how Mr. Trump’s lawyers would try to handle Stephanie Clifford: he called it perfectly last night. And you can see why Erin Burnett has him on her CNN show probably at least once a week now. Because he’s not there for partisan legal arguments, but to argue the facts and evidence of the law. He even said that Donald Trump has a solid case for appeal, before their cross-examination of Clifford today. But his lawyers just flushed that down the toilet.”

From The New Democrat

I was hoping to see perhaps the documents showing that Donald J. Trump signed off, approved, and was aware of why the payments to Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal were made and why they were made. But I haven’t seen that yet.

As Fred already mentioned, the Manhattan District Attorney already has the motive for why these payments were being made. Donald Trump wasn’t being extorted. I’m willing to bet Stephanie Clifford didn’t want him to be President of the United States even in 2016. But that’s not the point. The fact is she has factual evidence against him that she could use against him, if he didn’t pay her off. We know that now her testimony, as well as his own people testifying that as well, plus the checks that mer made to her and Michael Cohen.

But what the Manhattan DA needs now to win their case and convict Donald Trump of 2 felonies here in New York, are the documents, as well as at least one credible witness that tells us that he not only signed off on the payments, agreed to them, personally paid them, and did these things to protect his 2016 presidential campaign. And I think we’re still at 1st or 2nd in goal at the 3 or 5 yard line (to use a football analogy) of getting the ball into the end zone and convicting this man of election fraud.

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CNN: Ex-Prosecutor Says Donald Trump Lawyer’s Questions to Stormy Daniels May Backfire

CNN_ Ex-Prosecutor Says Donald Trump Lawyer's Questions to Stormy Daniels May BackfireSource:CNN– left to right: Defendant Don & his Stormy problem.

Source:The New Democrat

“CNN panel breaks down the cross-examination of Stormy Daniels, who is testifying in former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial.”

From CNN

“New York University law professor Ryan Goodman on Wednesday explained how an expected change in tactics from Donald Trump’s legal team in his hush money trial could ultimately backfire on the former president.

CNN’s Erin Burnett noted how Trump’s attorneys are reportedly considering conducting a more intense and thorough cross-examination of porn actor Stormy Daniels when the trial resumes Thursday.

“I think it backfires, especially if by going after Stormy Daniels in order to protect Trump’s ‘reputation’” in the public eye, Goodman predicted of Trump’s defense team grilling his former paramour.

Firstly, Goodman said it could see Daniels testifying “more and more about the details as to why she now is saying that she felt uncomfortable in the situation and some of the testimony that she gave is towards the end of the spectrum of nonconsensual sexual encounter.”

The more that Trump’s lawyers elicit from Daniels “could actually be worse for him,” he said.

Secondly, Trump’s team may “actually have a basis to appeal” but that could be nixed if they go too hard on Daniels, said Goodman. A call for a mistrial because of “salacious” and prejudicial information from Daniels will be void because they “will actually be eliciting it, potentially, so that also might undermine their ability to use that as a basis to appeal the final judgment,” he added.”

From Yahoo News

“‘It backfires’: Law professor shows how Trump’s latest move ‘undermines’ his case”

CNN: Ex-Prosecutor Says Donald Trump Lawyer's Questions to Stormy Daniels May BackfireSource:M.L. Nestel– CNN OutFront With Erin Burnett.

From M.L. Nestel

As I said about this yesterday:

“Arthur Aidala whose a defense attorney from Brooklyn, whose been arguing for three weeks now, that there’s no crime here, was the only lawyer arguing that Manhattan had to call Stephanie Clifford up, because without her, you have no motive. And the defense could just argue that Donald Trump was being extorted by Stephanie Clifford and company.

Again, details matter. Maybe they could’ve brought her up after Michael Cohen, but hopefully not closed with her. But without a real reason for the hush money, as well as proving that Donald Trump knew about these payments and signed off on then and they were about protecting his 2016 presidential campaign, the Manhattan District Attorney has no case.

This jury now knows that Donald Trump had an affair with Stephanie Clifford exactly when she said they did. And they’re damn close to knowing and probably are already assuming, that he paid her off in 2016, to protect his presidential campaign. Which would make him guilty of 2 campaign finance felonies in New York: An illegal campaign contribution to his own campaign and failure to disclose that campaign contribution.”

From The New Democrat

I have to admit that I was hard on CNN legal analyst Laura Coates yesterday. (Not that I’m taking anything back) But she’s damn right today. Instead of Donald Trump’s lawyer making it about the fact that Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) simply wants to get back at their client, they’re back to making it about the affair that she had with her client and pretty much proving motive for the prosecution: They’re basically saying: “Who needs prosecutors when the defense can make their case for them?”

Trump and company knew Stephanie Clifford hates him and that they need to dispose of her before her story gets out before the 2016 election.They know she’s credible because the affair happened, etc. They basically just made the prosecution’s case for motive for them.

As far as Ryan Goodman’s commentary about how Mr. Trump’s lawyers would try to handle Stephanie Clifford: he called it perfectly last night. And you can see why Erin Burnett has him on her CNN show probably at least once a week now. Because he’s not there for partisan legal arguments, but to argue the facts and evidence of the law. He even said that Donald Trump has a solid case for appeal, before their cross-examination of Clifford today. But his lawyers just flushed that down the toilet.

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The Bulwark: Tim Miller & Adam Kinzinger: ‘LITERAL BRAIN WORMS! RFK Jr. is a Weird, Weird Man’

The Bulwark_ LITERAL BRAIN WORMS! RFK Jr_ is a Weird, Weird ManSource:The Bulwark with Tim Miller & Adam Kinzinger talking about RFK JR’s brain damage.

Source:The New Democrat

“The ex-POTUS who claims he was taken down by the deep state is looking even smaller in court, getting scolded by the judge and sitting through testimony about how he and Melania don’t sleep in the same bed. Plus, RFK Jr.’s brain worm, winning over the still-going Haley voters, and the plan to ban porn. Adam Kinzinger joins Tim Miller.”

From The Bulwark

As Fred Schneider wrote about Robert F. Kennedy JR back in March:

“As an at best Independent Democrat at this point, whose not in love with the Democratic Party politically, or really anything else, for that matter, I would love to see Robert F. Kennedy JR. run for President as a Libertarian. Why? Because it would just confirm what I, what this blog, and what a lot of other Democrats believe about RFK JR. that he’s simply a MAGA man, who at the very least doesn’t want Joe Biden to be reelected and perhaps even wants Donald Trump back in The White House, where all their MAGA conspiracy theories and avenues to financially profit for them, would open up.”

From The New Democrat 

As Fred Schneider wrote about Robert F. Kennedy JR. in April:

“As far as RFK JR. telling CNN anchor Erin Burnett, who I’m a fan of and think she does a great job and is an excellent interviewer and really doesn’t take any junk (to put it mildly) from her guests, once again Bob JR. is just trying to blame President Biden for something that he can’t even try to defend.”

From The New Democrat

There are 3 things that I want to get into here.

About, damn, time, The White House led by President Joe Biden, just took straight on antisemitism in America. They didn’t blame it on the far-right or the far-left. But they also didn’t have to. They also didn’t play what about:

“Oh, yeah, what about the discrimination against Arabs and Muslims?” Which is what you generally get from White Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. But she used to work for the left-wing political action group MoveOn. So what do you expect?

As far as the Stephanie Clifford’s (also known as Stormy Daniels) testimony yesterday as far as how it effects the presidential election:

I think most Americans think at least when they’re being honest, (even if it’s just with themselves) who are pretty familiar with Donald J. Trump, think the man is a slime-ball. But MAGA doesn’t care, because maybe they’re slime-balls as well and maybe he’s just a slime-ball with people they don’t like. (According to them)

But, you still have maybe 1-5 Republicans who don’t want to vote for Donald Trump again. And who don’t want to vote Joe Biden either. We’re seeing that again with the Indiana primary last night where 1-5 Republicans voted for Nikki Haley, whose not even running for President anymore. But maybe they’re thinking now, Donald Trump is simply too bad of a man, who doesn’t care about anyone other than himself, and they simply don’t want him back in The White House again.

As far as Robert F. Kennedy JR: The New Democrat has been pretty clear about him from the beginning. He’s a better looking, more intelligent, perhaps healthier, younger (even though he’s 70 years old) Donald Trump. But now we know he also has brain damage, which explains his braindead presidential campaign. (Pun intended) And maybe he’s looking for a way to get out of this election, because he’s now seeing polling that his campaign is hurting Donald Trump. Which he doesn’t want and is looking for a way to get out of this, before he hurts Trump even more.

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Michael Smerconish Takes On The Stormy Testimony

Michael Smerconish_ Devil In The DetailsSource:Michael Smerconish talking about Defendant Don’t Stormy day. If you are going to cheat on your wife, while she’s pregnant with your son, why not with a porn chick?You can see why he never wanted this story to ever go out, especially during his political career.

Source:The New Democrat

“Devil in the Details”

From Michael Smerconish

“Adult film star Stormy Daniels dished out salacious details of her alleged sexual encounter with former President Donald Trump in 2006 from the witness stand on Tuesday, describing how they met at a celebrity golf tournament and what she says happened when she went to Trump’s Lake Tahoe hotel room.

In a mostly casual and conversational tone, Daniels recounted details from the floors and furniture in Trump’s hotel room to the contents of his toiletry kit in the bathroom. At one point in court, Daniels threw back her arm and lifted her leg in the witness box to re-create the moment she says Trump posed on his hotel bed for her, stripped down to his undergarments.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference held at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on February 08, 2024… 

From CNN

From what I wrote about this yesterday:

“Now that the Manhattan District Attorney is at let’s say the 5 yard line (to use a football reference) as far as establishing that Donald Trump not only knew about the payments to Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal, but why they were made, the prosecution now wants to establish the affairs actually happened as well. So the defense can’t argue that their client was being extorted…

From The New Democrat

As my colleague Kire Schneider wrote yesterday: 

“If you are familiar with the phrase details matter: well, you should be because they do. You don’t just have Stephanie Clifford on the witness stand that she had an affair with Mr. Trump, or that she banged him (to be frank) but you have her up there talking about exactly how they met and what they did that night according to her.

Stephanie Clifford gave the jury deep details about how Mr. Trump and one of his assistants got her up to his suite and that he wanted (my words) like the 16 year old guy whose never got any before, trying to impress the hot girl in school, by trying to look like Hugh Hefner with his white robe. With her basically telling him that he looked ridiculous and asking him to put a shirt on. As well as her asking him…

From The New Democrat

I just wanted to talk about the CNN commentary from last night first and then I’ll get into Michael Smerconish’s take on this, which isn’t mush different from what they were saying.

If you include the anchor Anderson Cooper, they had 8 people on his main panel:

Laura Coates, Kaitlan Collins, Ellie Honig, John Berman, Abbie Phillip, Jeffrey Toobin, and Arthur Aidala. Coates, Honig, Toobin, and Aidala, are all lawyers.

Of the eight panelists and the 3 lawyers on the panel, only Arthur Aidala was arguing that the prosecution should even bring Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) to the witness stand.

Laura Coates was saying: “I don’t know if you either bring her up at all. Maybe in the beginning of the case. And go to the documents and the document witnesses after.” Right, start this case off with the porn chick and leave the jury with her as their first impression of this case.

Arthur Aidala whose a defense attorney from Brooklyn, whose been arguing for three weeks now, that there’s no crime here, was the only lawyer arguing that Manhattan had to call Stephanie Clifford up, because without her, you have no motive. And the defense could just argue that Donald Trump was being extorted by Stephanie Clifford and company.

Again, details matter. Maybe they could’ve brought her up after Michael Cohen, but hopefully not closed with her. But without a real reason for the hush money, as well as proving that Donald Trump knew about these payments and signed off on then and they were about protecting his 2016 presidential campaign, the Manhattan District Attorney has no case.

This jury now knows that Donald Trump had an affair with Stephanie Clifford exactly when she said they did. And their damn close to knowing and probably are already assuming, that he paid her off in 2016, to protect his presidential campaign. Which would make him guilty of 2 campaign finance felonies in New York: An illegal campaign contribution to his own campaign and failure to disclose that campaign contribution.

And to what Michael Smerconish was saying here: ( Mr. Independent, straight down the middle commentator) He was basically just backing up what CNN was saying last night. With his sidekick CC there saying: “Don’t details matter? Doesn’t the jury need to know about the affair and why the payments were made?” Basically contradicting her boss on his radio show.

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Meidas Touch: Stormy Day For Donald J. Trump

Meidas Touch_ Donald Trump Gets CONFRONTED At Trial by Stormy TESTIMONYSource:Meidas Touch looking at the Stormy day (pun intended) for Donald J. Trump.

Source:The New Democrat

“MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on the first part of the testimony at Donald Trump’s criminal trial by the witness he feared the most.”

From the Meidas Touch

“The prosecutors are taking special delight in using TRUMP’S own quotes from his books about KNOWING EVERY DETAIL ABOUT HIS COMPANY down to his penny-pinching, & paper clip counting, to prove that Michael Cohen got fraudulently repaid for paying Stormy Daniels WITH TRUMP’s KNOWLEGE and CONSENT. Michael Popok breaks down the testimony to the jury of Random House executive managing editor Sally Franklin in front of an increasingly frustrated Trump.”

Meidas Touch_ Donald Trump’s OWN BOOKS Become DAMNING Trial EvidenceSource:Meidas Touch looking at the Stormy day (pun intended) for Donald J. Trump.

From the Meidas Touch

As my colleague Fred Schneider wrote yesterday: 

“And then again as a non-lawyer, I would like the alleged affairs with Stephanie Clifford and Karen McDougal actually get established in court, so the defense can’t argue that these women with their lawyer Keith Davidson, we’re extorting Donald Trump.”

From The New Democrat

As I wrote yesterday: 

“And then again as a non-lawyer, I would like the alleged affairs with Stephanie Clifford and Karen McDougal actually get established in court, so the defense can’t argue that these women with their lawyer Keith Davidson, we’re extorting Donald Trump.”

From The New Democrat

As my colleague Fred Schneider wrote earlier today: 

“Now that the Manhattan District Attorney is at let’s say the 5 yard line (to use a football reference) as far as establishing that Donald Trump not only knew about the payments to Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal, but why they were made, the prosecution now wants to establish the affairs actually happened as well. So the defense can’t argue that their client was being extorted. ..

From The New Democrat

I don’t want to sound like CNN legal analyst Ellie Honig here, (and I promise this will be last the time I paraphrase him on this post) but when you are looking at cases like this, it helps to look at it from the perspective of a juror on the case. Whether you think Donald J. Trump is greater than Jesus Christ, or worst than Satan, (and you know where The New Democrat is on that question) if you are going to vote to convict or acquit, you want to make sure you have enough evidence to do either first. And you are not there simply to trash Donald Trump and ruin his life, or to save him.

I only mention that, to try to knock you out into a coma. I’m trying to see how many insomniacs I can put to asleep. Even just for a day. Actually, I have a legitimate reason for that as well. We’re now starting to see the heart of the Manhattan District Attorney’s case:

Manhattan has established that Donald Trump not only knew about Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) not only knew her not just in 2016 (that Trump Tower meeting a good clue there) but they now established that he met her back in 2006 at the Lake Tahoe golf show that she was talking about.

Manhattan has established that the Trump Campaign was freaking out about the public, perhaps especially Republican suburban and urban women and Independents, about these affairs coming out before the 2016 presidential election. Not what Mr. Trump’s wife and son Barron would think about these stories.

Manhattan has established that Karen McDougal and Stephanie Clifford were paid off to keep silent about these stories, at least until after the 2016 election. And they’re damn close to proving beyond a reasonable doubt, that he knew not only that these payments were made, but why they were made.

If you are familiar with the phrase details matter: well, you should be because they do. You don’t just have Stephanie Clifford on the witness stand that she had an affair with Mr. Trump, or that she banged him (to be frank) but you have her up there talking about exactly how they met and what they did that night according to her.

Stephanie Clifford gave the jury deep details about how Mr. Trump and one of his assistants got her up to his suite and that he wanted (my words) like the 16 year old guy whose never got any before, trying to impress the hot girl in school, by trying to look like Hugh Hefner with his white robe. With her basically telling him that he looked ridiculous and asking him to put a shirt on. As well as her asking him:

“Aren’t you worried about your wife finding out about us having sex?”And according to Clifford, Trump saying that they sleep in separate bedrooms”. I guess suggesting that Melania wouldn’t care.

Again, we’re not lawyers here. But if the Manhattan District Attorney not only prove that Donald Trump not only knew about the payments, knew why they were being made, and signed off on them, (and hopefully they can do that before Michael Cohen takes the stand) and that he wasn’t being extorted by Karen McDougal and Stephanie Clifford, they’re going to get their felony convictions. And they’re having an excellent week so far in achieving all of that.

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Don Lemon: ‘LIVE: STORMY WITH A CHANCE OF JAIL! Diane Kiesel & Paul Callan’

Don Lemon_ LIVE_ STORMY WITH A CHANCE OF JAIL! Diane Kiesel & Paul CallanSource:Don Lemon talking to two New York City lawyers about Stephanie Clifford’s (also known as Stormy Daniels) testimony against Defendant Don.

Source:The New Democrat

“Don Lemon sits down with NY Law School Adjunct Professor and Retired NY Supreme Court Justice Diane Kiesel and Former New York City Prosecutor & Criminal Defense Attorney Paul Callan to discuss the latest in Trump’s criminal trial.”

From the Don Lemon Show

As I mentioned yesterday:

“And then again as a non-lawyer, I would like the alleged affairs with Stephanie Clifford and Karen McDougal actually get established in court, so the defense can’t argue that these women with their lawyer Keith Davidson, we’re extorting Donald Trump.”

From The New Democrat

As my colleague Kire Schneider talked about yesterday: 

“I’m with Fred, I want these affairs with Stephanie Clifford and Karen McDougal to be factually established. But maybe in this “perfect omelette” you want both bacon and perhaps chili as well. And if I’m the Manhattan District Attorney, I want both the bacon and chili, not to make my omelette perfect. (One or the other would be fine though) But to make the criminal case against Donald J. Trump perfect.”

From The New Democrat

Now that the Manhattan District Attorney is at let’s say the 5 yard line (to use a football reference) as far as establishing that Donald Trump not only knew about the payments to Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal, but why they were made, the prosecution now wants to establish the affairs actually happened as well. So the defense can’t argue that their client was being extorted.

The fact that Stephanie Clifford not only said that she had an affair in 2006 with Donald J. Trump, but laid out details that only the two people involved in the alleged affair could possibly know about, helps her.

One could could say (especially a MAGA member or good defense lawyer) that this is just the word of a porn chick and reality TV star. (To put it bluntly and if they were completely honest) Who are you going to believe? A tie would go to the defendant in this case. But the fact that Donald Trump’s lawyers are already calling for a mistrial because of the Stormy details, (pun intended) tells me they believe her testimony is not helpful to them and even damaging. But again, I’m not a lawyer.

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Michael Popok: ‘Prosecutors MAKE GOOD ON PROMISE At Donald Trump Trial’

Meidas Touch_ Prosecutors MAKE GOOD ON PROMISE At Donald Trump TrialSource:Meidas Touch– left to right: Manhattan Criminal Judge Juan Merchan & Defendant Don.

Source:The New Democrat

“At the criminal trial of Trump, the prosecutors are following the “statement of facts” script they publicly disclosed last year, to a T. Michael Popok explains the purpose of the “statement of facts”, what the prosecutors have proved already through the first 5 witnesses, and what and in what order is left to come over the next 2-3 weeks including —wait for it—Trump’s disgraced Controller and Accounts Payable Supervisor!”

From the Meidas Touch

“Susanne Craig, New York Times Investigative Reporter, Melissa Murray, NYU Law University Professor and Vaughn Hillyard, NBC News Correspondent, joins Nicolle Wallace on Deadline White House with reaction to Day 12 of the Trump Hush Money trial which included the prosecution calling two Trump Organization employees laying the groundwork for the prosecution’s argument that Donald Trump was a micromanager who would know about every payment being made on his behalf.”

MSNBC_ ‘Double Whammy’ of Trump Organization Employees testify against their old boss in Hush MoneySource:MSNBC with a shot at Defendant Don.

From MSNBC

As my colleague Fred Schneider pointed out earlier today:

“But, as a non-lawyer, I would like to see another credible witness, pre-Michael Cohen, who was close to DJT, or who still is close to DJT, take the stand and back up what David Pecker has exposed (pun intended) and what Hope Hicks said on Friday about DJT’s knowledge about what was going on here and what he intended to do about it. Which was to burry the story, at least before the 2016 presidential election, by paying these women off with his money. Which was the money he paid back to his then lawyer Michael Cohen, for paying off Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal, back in late 2016 before the election.”

From The New Democrat

I’m not much of a baker, or even cook, for that matter, but if I was trying to put together the perfect omelette (let’s say) and I already had the eggs, (well, hopefully) and I have the cheese, I have the tomatoes, the onions, etc. But there’s that one thing left that make this omelette perfect, that I don’t have yet, I think we now have one of the two final ingredients in this case.

Think about it, Donald Trump’s New York hush money case is like that perfect omelette in waiting:

Manhattan has the man who worked with the catch and kill scheme, David Pecker.

They have the bank records that prove that these payments were made.

They have the lawyer for Stephanie Clifford, (also known as Stormy Daniels) Keith Davidson, who negotiated these hush money payments for his clients.

They now know thanks to Hope Hicks that it was the 2016 presidential election that the Trump Campaign was focused on when they learned that the two affairs with these women were about to get out. Not what Donald Trump’s wife Melania or his Barron thought about it.

Now they have the records and the testimony from the Trump Organization’s comptroller, Jeffrey McConney, that these payments were not just made, but that Donald Trump knew about them.

I’m with Fred, I want these affairs with Stephanie Clifford and Karen McDougal to be factually established. But maybe in this “perfect omelette” you want both bacon and perhaps chili as well. And if I’m the Manhattan District Attorney, I want both the bacon and chili, not to make my omelette perfect. (One or the other would be fine though) But to make the criminal case against Donald J. Trump perfect.

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The Bulwark: ‘George Conway Explains: Why Donald Trump WILL Be CONVICTED In The NY Case!’

The Bulwark_ George Conway Explains_ Why Donald Trump WILL be CONVICTED in the NY Case!Source:The Bulwark with Sarah Conwell & George Conway on Donald Trump’s Manhattan trial.

Source:The New Democrat

“Sarah Longwell and George Conway take on Trump’s New York criminal trial: Hope Hicks’ testimony and a story about Trump glaring at George across the courtroom. Don’t worry — George explains it all.”

From The Bulwark

Just to talk about Donald Trump’s latest gag order violations and what could happen in the future: George Conway gets to that in this video around the 15 minute mark (give or take) in this video. He was talking about there”s essentially a bridge that Judge Juan Merchan could take before he throws Defendant Don (as The New Democrat as politely as we can call Donald J. Trump) in Rikers. And just doesn’t settle for $1,000 fine after $1,000 fine.

If this courthouse has a holding tank (for lack of a better name) where the Judge can send unruly defendants, who are like 12 year old boys who are being told that they can’t go to the ballgame or their friend’s party, because they’re failing English or got caught shoplifting, or something.

I sort of got into this 2 weeks ago:

“But I’m wondering if Defendant Don keeps violating the gag order, could the Judge take that out on his lawyer and do that first, before he holds the defendant in contempt and throws him in a holding tank.”

From The New Democrat

As far as this case, I don’t know if Donald Trump is “screwed” yet, as George Conway seems to be implying. But you can see him being screwed (by someone he doesn’t want to get screwed by) from where he’s right now.

The jurors have Donald Trump’s bank records. Thanks to Hope Hicks and David Pecker, they know that Donald Trump not only knew about the payments, knew why they were made, and Donald Trump was concern about the Stormy affairs (pun intended) coming out before the 2016 presidential election, instead of being concern about how these stories would affect his wife Melania and son Barron.

But, as a non-lawyer, I would like to see another credible witness, pre-Michael Cohen, who was close to DJT, or who still is close to DJT, take the stand and back up what David Pecker has exposed (pun intended) and what Hope Hicks said on Friday about DJT’s knowledge about what was going on here and what he intended to do about it. Which was to burry the story, at least before the 2016 presidential election, by paying these women off with his money. Which was the money he paid back to his then lawyer Michael Cohen, for paying off Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal, back in late 2016 before the election.

And then again as a non-lawyer, I would like the alleged affairs with Stephanie Clifford and Karen McDougal actually get established in court, so the defense can’t argue that these women with their lawyer Keith Davidson, we’re extorting Donald Trump.

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