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The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell

Closing arguments in Trump’s hush money trial Tuesday

The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell

NBC News

Policy, Msnbc, Politics, President, Washington, Congress, Government, Senate, News

4.45.9K Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2024

⏱️ 85 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Tonight on The Last Word: Jack Smith urges Judge Cannon to modify the conditions of Donald Trump’s release in the classified documents case after his attacks on the FBI. Also, dozens are killed in the Rafah camp after an Israeli airstrike. Plus, President Biden honors U.S. troops as Trump attacks E. Jean Carroll and judges in a Memorial Day message. Vladimir Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine is now in its third year. Louisiana becomes the first state to classify abortion pills as controlled dangerous substances. A new book by Eddie Glaude, Jr. explores how ordinary Americans can help achieve a more perfect democracy. And Texas’ first openly LBGTQ+ state senator is running for reelection. Joyce Vance, Bradley Moss, Allie Raffa, Kelley Robinson, Rep. Barbara Lee, Amb. Michael McFaul, Glenn Kirschner, Ryan Reilly, Kaitlyn Joshua, Mini Timmaraju, Raf Sanchez, Eddie Glaude, and Texas Sen. Molly Cook join Katie Phang.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Donald Trump will be back in court tomorrow morning for closing arguments in his New York

0:05.2

election interference trial.

0:07.2

He's been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide a hush

0:11.6

money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels

0:14.3

before the 2016 election for her alleged sexual encounter with Donald Trump.

0:19.9

NBC News reports that about a dozen members of the public have already lined up

0:25.1

and are continuing to do so even in the rain to get a seat for this historic moment.

0:30.2

Closing arguments will be both the prosecution and the defense's final chance

0:34.4

to weave the evidence into the narrative of their case for the jury's deliberations.

0:39.8

In New York, the defense goes first, arguing that the prosecution has a

0:44.7

failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Donald Trump committed the crime

0:48.5

of falsifying business records with the intent to influence the 2016 election.

0:54.0

Then the prosecution will recap its case,

0:57.0

tying together testimony from its 20 witnesses

1:00.0

and the evidence, including documents with handwritten notes accounting for just how the

1:05.6

hush money payment was to be reimbursed to Michael Cohen, who testified that he did it

1:11.0

at the direction of and for the benefit of Donald Trump.

1:15.0

Closing arguments are expected to take up most if not the entire day tomorrow,

1:20.0

which will be followed by Judge Mershawn, giving the jury instructions, which is expected to last

1:24.7

about an hour.

1:26.2

Then Donald Trump's fate will be in the hands of the jury, which could reach a verdict

1:29.9

at any point after that, potentially even as early as this week.

...

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