Trump posts a fake video mocking actor Robert De Niro
While Trump awaits a verdict, he posted a video featuring fake audio over actor Robert De Niro speaking at a recent news conference held by the Biden campaign alongside two former police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The video features audio that altered De Niro’s remarks at the news conference. The audio includes a fake voice-over asking people to put on a mask and keep their distance, calling himself a “washed up actor” (an insult Trump waged at him in a recent post), accuses Biden of having “sick perversions,” saying he has "always been jealous" of Trump and other remarks containing homophobic rhetoric.
The post comes as part of a series of posts to Trump’s Truth Social platform this morning asserting prosecutors have no case against him in the hush money trial.
Anti-Trump protesters rally away from his supporters
At least two anti-Trump demonstrators are holding court on the opposite side of the park, holding signs/banners (“Convict Trump Already,” “Convict the Bum”) and talking to the media.
Court is on a lunch break
The jurors themselves are not technically on a break, though, as they can continue to deliberate over lunch.
Trump gets a TV to watch in his courthouse holding room
As the former president passes the time in his courthouse holding room waiting on the jury to finish its deliberations, NBC News has learned he has managed to get a television put in the room today (he didn’t have one yesterday). When asked what channel the TV is turned to, the source demurred.
Trump supporter heckles media outside courthouse
I counted around a dozen Trump supporters in the park across the street from the courthouse — a smaller crowd than the one that showed up yesterday around this time. The news crews have been repeatedly and profanely heckled by the Trump supporter in the anti-Biden cape, but otherwise the demonstration seems relatively quiet.
Merchan instructs jury not to deliberate while audio is being set up
Merchan said the court would provide jurors with headphones and speakers as the jury was excused from the room to continue deliberations. He said they should hold off on deliberating until the audio is set up.
Jurors began deliberations again around 11:20 a.m.
A slow-moving Trump exits the courtroom with his tired-looking lawyers
Eric Trump smiled to some of the reporters in the back on his way. Not knowingly, just a general smile.
A dour, slow-moving Trump just exited the courtroom, doing his usual scan of the gallery; he is followed by exhausted-looking lawyer Todd Blanche and an even more-tired-looking lawyer Emil Bove.
Court's readback concludes
The court’s readback has concluded. The attorneys and Trump were excused.
Jury deliberations are set to begin shortly as jurors prepare to head out of the courtroom.
Court moves onto the last jury request: Michael Cohen's testimony
We’ve moved on to the last request from the jury: Michael Cohen’s testimony about the August 2015 meeting under direct examination by the prosecutors.
This is about Cohen’s side of the conversation with Pecker about negative stories Pecker may come upon.
Court reads back Trump lawyer's cross-examination of David Pecker about his meeting with prosecutors in July 2018
The section they are reviewing now concerns Pecker’s meeting with prosecutors in July 2018 and, specifically, notes thereof, which do not reflect that Pecker told the government that Hope Hicks was at that August 2015 meeting. Pecker testified that he did not mention Hicks being there when he met with the government in July 2018.