The third week of Donald Trump’s trial has ended in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York. These last few days have been marked by the testimony of former porn actress Stormy Daniels. On the stand, she stood out for her raw and detailed account of her night with the former President of the United States. Pugnacious during cross-examination, she defended herself forcefully against the defense who sought to discredit her. Donald Trump has always denied having had a relationship with the porn actress.
This Friday, other witnesses in the case took the stand. Judge Juan Merchan was able to hear from one of Donald Trump’s direct assistants at the White House as well as two specialists from telephone companies. Two paralegals read exchanges of messages between the protagonists. These messages focused in particular on the financial negotiations carried out for the exclusivity of Stormy Daniels’ story.
A long-awaited testimony
Next week will once again be marked by this story that has plagued Donald Trump for months. Indeed, the court will hear from Michael Cohen, the former lawyer who became sworn enemy of the former American president. The lawyer is at the heart of the case, because it was he who made the hidden payments of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels at the origin of these criminal proceedings.
His hearing is particularly awaited by commentators, because Michael Cohen says he acted at the request of the Republican candidate to ensure the silence of the X actress in the last days of the 2016 presidential election campaign. has since turned against his former client. The issue is to know what the former president knew about the negotiations carried out to buy the silence of Stormy Daniels. Before the hearing adjourned, Joshua Steinglass, one of the prosecutors, indicated that the prosecution would call two witnesses to the stand on Monday, without giving their names.
Prosecutions for accounting falsifications
This week has been complicated for Donald Trump. Judge Juan Merchan did not at all appreciate the defendant’s attitude. The latter did not stop verbally insulting the witnesses and the jurors. After imposing several fines of $1,000, the judge threatened him with prison if he continued to violate his instructions. This did not prevent the candidate for the 2024 presidential election from denouncing a “horrible” trial intended to prevent him from campaigning.
Donald Trump is being prosecuted for 34 crimes of accounting falsification and for concealing the reimbursement of $130,000 to Michael Cohen in the Trump Organization’s accounts. He faces conviction and potentially prison time. While the elections are being held on November 5, what would be the consequences for the electorate? In another development, Donald Trump’s federal trial in Washington for unlawful attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election could begin before November. However, the Supreme Court would have to quickly reject the immunity that Donald Trump claims as a former president.
If he were re-elected and inaugurated in January 2025, Donald Trump could order the abandonment of federal proceedings against him in Washington and Florida, where he is being prosecuted for withholding classified documents after his departure from the White House.