What to know about today's trial
- Prosecutors argued this morning that former President Donald Trump should be held in contempt of court for again violating his gag order.
- Keith Davidson, the former lawyer for the two women who have alleged affairs with Trump — adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal — completed his testimony.
- Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the hush money payment to Daniels. He has pleaded not guilty and denied a relationship with her and McDougal.
- Here's what you missed at the trial Tuesday.
Trump makes stop at fire station
Trump was met by cheers as he greeted firefighters with boxes of pizza as part of a campaign stop at a Midtown Manhattan fire station after his trial wrapped for the day. He also posed for photos.
Outside courtroom, Trump says his legal team will appeal gag order
In remarks to reporters outside of the courtroom, Trump called the gag order "unconstitutional" and said his legal team was working to appeal it. He also appeared to say that he wasn't allowed to testify in the case because of the gag order.
“I’m not allowed, as a presidential candidate — the leading candidate, the Republican Party nominee, and the one who’s leading Biden by a lot -- I’m not allowed to talk,” Trump said.
He added, "There's never been an abuse like this before, this conflicted judge should get out of this case, he should not be having this case. He gives us nothing. It's such a rigged court. So I'm not allowed to testify. Because of an unconstitutional gag order. We're appealing the gag order."
Trial has ended for the day
The trial concluded for the day at 4:23 p.m. ET.
Trump lawyer asks Daus about talking to the FBI
Trump's lawyer, Emil Bove, established that the devices did not come to Daus’s unit until January 2023.
Daus did not have access to the data the FBI seized in 2018, nor did he ask for it or ask what the FBI had done to those devices back in 2018.
Bove went further, asking if anyone spoke to the FBI about their own extraction efforts. Daus said as far as he knows, no.
Michael Avenatti attacks Stormy Daniels and her former lawyer on X
In a tweet, Michael Avenatti, one of Stormy Daniels' former lawyers, accused Davidson, her former attorney who is currently testifying, of lying.
Earlier in the day, Trump's attorneys tried to accuse Davidson and Daniels of "shaking down" Trump in 2016, which Davidson denied. In his tweet, Avenatti claimed that he reviewed text messages that proved "it was a shakedown," and claimed that that was the reason he stopped being Daniels' lawyer in 2019.
Avenatti is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence for tax fraud and stealing from clients.
In cross-examination, Trump's lawyer tries to establish devices could've been manipulated
Bove, Trump's lawyer, is cross-examining Daus, and has asked a series of questions about his credentials.
Bove seems to be trying to establish that the DA’s office was not only sloppy in their data extraction but that these devices could have been manipulated, by asking questions about the chain of custody and whether the intake process was secure.
Transcript shows Trump and Michael Cohen discussing Karen McDougal payment
Prosecutors entered into evidence a transcript of a tape of Trump and Cohen discussing paying off Karen McDougal so that her allegation about having an affair with Trump wouldn't become public.
"I need to open up a company for the transfer of all that info regarding our friend, David, you know, so that — I'm going to do that right away," Cohen said. "And I've spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up."
"So, what do we got to pay for this? 150?" Trump asked.
"...funding. Yes. Um, and it's all the stuff," Cohen said.
"Yea, I was thinking about that," Trump said.
"All the stuff. Because — here, you never know where that company — you never know what he’s...," Cohen said.
"Maybe he gets hit by a truck," Trump said.
Trump then asked about financing and Cohen said, "Well, I'll have to pay something."
"Pay with cash," Trump said.
Trump looking at monitor showing transcript of recording
Trump is looking at the courtroom monitor showing the transcript, and his lawyer Todd Blanche is whispering in his ear.
Trump seems very interested in this particular piece of evidence: Trump himself speaking on a recording in his office with Cohen present.
Prosecutor enters text message into evidence, shows Michael Cohen had more than 39K contacts on his phone
Prosecutor Christopher Conroy is entering some text messages into evidence, including one from Nov. 4, 2016, from Michael Cohen to Hope Hicks.
"Call me," Cohen said.
One exhibit showed that Cohen had more than 39,000 contacts in his phone, including David Pecker, Hope Hicks, Allen Weisselberg, Trump, Dylan Howard, Keith Davidson, Keith Schiller, Melania Trump, Rhona Graff and Gary Farro.
"That is unusual," Daus said about the number of contacts. “I’ve not seen contacts of that many being on a phone.”
Photo reveals Michael Cohen at the White House on a crucial date
Doug Daus, the technology expert on the stand right now, shows a photo Michael Cohen took on Feb. 8, 2017, in the White House.
The date corresponds to a meeting between Trump and Cohen, which prosecutors allege is the date Trump agreed to begin repaying Cohen $130,000 for the payment he made to Stormy Daniels.