29 May 2024 , 06:21
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Ex-President Donald Trump was seen holding a handwritten note – with a message he’s uttered repeatedly throughout his hush money trial – during the closing arguments.
Trump was pictured sitting with his hands folded over at least two yellow sticky notes with thick black marker writing in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday morning.
Much of the first note was legible – and included a phrase that Trump would seem to remember given the many times he’s stated it to reporters and on social media.
‘This case should be dismissed by the judge,’ read the note.
One of the notes in ex-President Donald Trump’s hands read, ‘This case should be dismissed by the judge…’ (Picture: Getty Images)
‘But it is totally…’
The rest was covered by his right hand.
An edited version of the photo cropped around Trump and making him appear more orange was shared on Reddit.
‘He had to write that down to remember to say it, after only repeating it 10 million times,’ one Reddit user wrote.
Another remarked: ‘He needs to write that down!?!?’
‘Meanwhile he is so busy repeating that and raging in his mind he isn’t actually paying attention or understanding a thing being said,’ wrote another Reddit user.
Several members of the Trump family accompanied the ex-president in a show of support for the closing arguments. Trump’s youngest daughter, Tiffany Trump, made a rare appearance along with her husband, Michael Boulos. Trump’s two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, and the latter’s wife Lara Trump also went and sat inside the New York courtroom.
‘Where’s Melania?’ a reporter could be heard shouting and Trump walked past his family members.
As Tiffany Trump, Eric Trump, Lara Trump and Don Jr stand behind Donald Trump at the courthouse today, reporter shouts the obvious question: “Where’s Melania?” pic.twitter.com/znsESEXOGi
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) May 28, 2024
Former First Lady Melania Trump, her and her husband’s son Barron, and Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka Trump were not present.
Trump’s lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, told the jury that his client cannot be convicted based on the ‘lies’ of the key witness, his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Blanche denied that Trump knew about the $130,000 payment Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels to silence her on an alleged sexual affair, that is at the center of the trial. Trump has pleaded not guilty to falsifying 34 business records to cover up reimbursing Cohen for the hush money payment to Daniels, and denied the encounter with her.
The defense attorney spent three hours trying to discredit Cohen and also criticized Daniels.
Jurors should come to a’very quick and easy not guilty verdict’, concluded Blanche.
The prosecution had even lengthier closing arguments, running more than five hours.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said that 20 witnesses on the stand over six weeks of the trial showed that Trump is guilty of all the felony counts.
Steinglass argued that Trump’s agreement with The National Enquirer to ‘catch-and-kill’ negative stories about him during his 2016 presidential campaign were a ‘subversion of democracy’.
‘This scheme, cooked up by these men, at this time, could very well be what got President Trump elected,’ said Steinglass.
This was overt election fraud, an act in furtherance of the conspiracy to promote Mr Trump’s election by unlawful means.’
The landmark case – the first criminal trial of any former or current US president –goes to jury deliberations on Wednesday. It remains to be seen how long jurors will deliberate.
Major questions loom ahead of the verdict, including whether Trump will go to jail and how a conviction may affect his 2024 presidential campaign.