Donald Trump’s hush money trial is set to deliver closing arguments to the jury on Tuesday, with both sides aiming to make final points before deliberations begin. This marks the first time a former US president has been charged with felony crimes.
While Trump faces a New York jury, Stormy Daniels continues to endure relentless judgment and abuse, which she fears will intensify as Trump campaigns for the White House again.
‘Gold digger’
“Back in 2018, there was stuff like ‘liar,’ ‘slut,’ ‘gold digger.’ This time around, it’s different. It is direct threats. It is ‘I’m going to come to your house to slit your throat,'” Daniels told The Mirror. The abuse and threats escalated after the decision to charge Trump over alleged hush money payments to her. Anger over her role in Trump’s potential downfall has led some to believe their actions are justified.
“They’re not even using bot accounts, they’re using their real accounts,” she says. “I compare them to suicide bombers. They legitimately think that what they’re doing is right. Those people who see me as a villain. It just makes me scratch my head and really question how they would want their daughters treated, or their sisters, or their mother.”
On Tuesday, the attorneys will address the Manhattan jury one last time in the landmark case. After more than four weeks of testimony, the summations set up an unprecedented task for the jury: deciding whether to convict the presumptive Republican presidential nominee over payments made during the 2016 election to prevent Daniels from publicizing her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump.
Prosecutors will argue that the jury has heard enough to convict Trump on all charges. Defense attorneys will aim to create doubt about the evidence, focusing on discrediting Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, and star prosecution witness.
After closing arguments, the judge will instruct the jury on the law governing the case and the factors they can consider during deliberations. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, which could lead to up to four years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. It’s unclear if prosecutors would seek imprisonment if convicted or if the judge would impose that punishment.
The case centers on a $130,000 payment Cohen made to Daniels in the final days of the 2016 election to keep her from going public with her story of a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied Daniels’ account, and his attorney accused her of fabricating it during hours of questioning.
(With agency inputs)
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