During the trial on Tuesday, Donald J. Trump’s lawyer vigorously argued for nearly three hours to convince the jury to acquit, meticulously dissecting the criminal case against the former president.
The prosecutor then took the floor and delivered a forceful closing argument, aiming to prove Mr. Trump’s guilt in falsifying records to cover up a scandal involving a porn star. The prosecutor, Joshua Steinglass, presented a compelling case based on witness testimony and documents in what was the first criminal trial of an American president.
As the day turned to evening, the courthouse quieted down, and after nearly 10 hours of arguments, Mr. Steinglass made his final plea to the jury.
The defense aimed to create reasonable doubt, while the prosecution sought to tell a convincing story with only one possible conclusion.
In the morning session, Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, launched a vigorous defense, challenging the prosecution’s claims about falsified records and Michael D. Cohen’s credibility. Mr. Blanche portrayed Mr. Cohen as a dishonest individual seeking revenge and attacked the prosecution’s reliance on him as a key witness.
In a strong rebuttal, Mr. Steinglass defended Mr. Cohen and highlighted the damaging testimony of other witnesses loyal to Mr. Trump, including David Pecker.
The prosecutor accused Mr. Trump of a coverup and conspiracy related to a hush-money deal with a porn star, while the defense argued that Mr. Cohen acted independently and the records were accurate.
The prosecution contended that Mr. Trump directed the hush-money deal and falsified records, while the defense maintained that Mr. Cohen was solely responsible and the records were legitimate.
The trial focused on the alleged falsification of business records, with Mr. Trump facing multiple felony counts.
Mr. Steinglass argued that the evidence pointed to Mr. Trump’s involvement in the scheme, while Mr. Blanche tried to portray Mr. Trump as unaware of the details and the checks as routine.
The trial will soon conclude with jury deliberations, as both sides made their final arguments based on extensive evidence and witness testimonies.
