In the concluding remarks of Donald Trump's criminal trial, his attorney passionately implored the jurors on Tuesday to find the former president innocent, vehemently denouncing a key witness as the "MVP of liars." Conversely, a prosecutor urged the panel to "remain focused on the facts" and hold Trump accountable.
"In the pursuit of justice and on behalf of the people of the state of New York, I appeal to you to find the defendant guilty," prosecutor Joshua Steinglass addressed the jury Tuesday night, concluding the closing arguments in Manhattan criminal court. In an impassioned conclusion to his extensive four-hour summary of what he termed the "overwhelming" evidence in the case, Steinglass emphasized that "there are no special privileges for this defendant."
"Donald Trump cannot shoot someone on Fifth Avenue during rush hour and evade accountability," he noted, alluding to Trump's infamous 2016 statement regarding his supporters during his campaign. The judge sustained an objection from Trump's lawyer regarding the remark.
With the conclusion of the closing arguments, the jury is slated to commence deliberations on Wednesday to determine Trump's culpability in the first criminal trial of a former president. He faces 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, centered much of his closing argument on discrediting Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer and a pivotal witness in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case.
"Michael Cohen is the GLOAT. He's arguably the most prolific liar of all time," Blanche asserted to the jurors as he approached the conclusion of his summation.
Steinglass emphasized that it's not Cohen who is under scrutiny, but rather Trump, the individual Cohen served for a decade. "We didn’t select Michael Cohen. We didn’t pluck him from a witness emporium. Mr. Trump chose Mr. Cohen for the very qualities his attorneys now urge you to disregard," he informed the jury.
Furthermore, he conveyed to the panel, "it’s challenging to envision a case with more corroboration." He asserted that the evidence indicates Trump, Cohen, and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker orchestrated a "scheme" to illicitly conceal damaging information about Trump, which "might very well be what secured President Trump's election."
Preceding Steinglass, Blanche argued that prosecutors from Bragg’s office had failed to meet the burden of proving Trump's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt concerning falsifying business records related to the hush money payment made by Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign.
Steinglass acknowledged Cohen's transformation from an unwavering Trump devotee to someone who harbors animosity toward his former employer, attributing this change to Trump abandoning him and allowing him to shoulder the blame for the Daniels' payment with federal prosecutors, "while the defendant, until now, has evaded justice."
Blanche maintained: “President Trump is innocent. He did not commit any crimes, and the district attorney has not met their burden of proof. Period.” He asserted that the trial was "not a judgment on your opinions of President Trump," and that “if you concentrate solely on the evidence presented in this courtroom, a not guilty verdict is very, very swift and straightforward.”
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