Donald Trump Hush Money Trial Updates: First Week of Witness Testimony Wraps Up

First week of witness testimony is over

The testimony of Gary Farro is being paused for the day and court is wrapping up. Judge Juan Merchan is giving jurors instructions, there will be no court on Monday.

Quick recap: After several hours on the stand this week, former publisher of the National Enquirer David Pecker is done with his testimony.

Prosecutors called Rhona Graff, Trump's former executive assistant at the Trump Organization, to the witness stand this afternoon. She testified briefly.

Gary Farro, Michael Cohen's former banker, took the stand late Friday afternoon. He will resume his testimony will court resumes next week.

Election talk: While the trial was underway today, Biden told Howard Stern in an interview that he would be "happy" to debate Trump. Trump responded as he left the courtroom a few moments ago.

"I've invited Biden to debate," Trump told reporters. "He [Biden] can do it anytime he wants, including tonight. I'm ready, here we are, I invited him to the courthouse that he has us tied up in."

"I'm ready, willing, and able. And if he wants, I'll do it on Monday night, Tuesday night or Wednesday night," Trump said, later adding, just tell me where!"

Gary Farro called as third witness

The prosecution has called Gary Farro as its third witness.

In 2015, Farro was a senior managing director at First Republic Bank, where he worked until last year's SVB collapse. He testifies that certain transactions require more reviews, including wires, account openings and those involving a political candidate.

Among the transactions that the bank would not process at all are any transactions involving adult entertainment. He also lists transactions to a sanctioned country, to a person of interest and the gambling industry.

Farro reveals that Cohen was assigned as a client of his in 2015 after one of his colleagues left. Farro says he was selected because "of my knowledge and ability to handle clients many people find challenging." He adds that Cohen told him he worked for Trump and that he was "very excited to be working for him."

Farro recalls that over the phone, Cohen tells him on October 13, 2016 that he'd like to open up an LLC account for real estate management consulting. The business is named "Resolution Consultants" and established in Delaware on September 30, 2016. Cohen is the sole member.

The Resolution Consultants account is never opened because Cohen fails to fund it.

Thirteen days after originally asking Farro to help him open the LLC account, Cohen calls him to tell him he's "changing course" and that he wants to open a different account.

Trump attempts to greet Graff after testimony

Trump attorney Susan Necheles asks Graff about The Celebrity Apprentice. She testifies that Trump was "fairly hands-on" with the show that elevated him to "rockstar status." She recalls "vaguely" remembering that Trump was considering Stormy Daniels for the show.

After a short testimony, Trump attempts to greet Graff as she leaves the stand. The extent of their exchange is not clear from our vantage point. However, the move appears to shock the courtroom, where murmurs are heard. Jurors were still in the box at this moment.

Court is taking a short break.

Graff describes Trump as a "thoughtful" boss

The DA's office uses their time with Graff having her verify a series of calendar events scheduled between January 16 to January 19 of 2017. These were items she entered into the Trump Organization's system.

The defense, on the other hand, begins their cross-examination of establishing Graff's feelings towards Trump and how he treated her.

When asked if Trump respected her intelligence, Graff answers, "I don't think I would have been there 34 years if he didn't." She adds that while they spoke about business "99.9 percent of the time," he would on occasion ask about her family and poke his head into her office at the end of the day to tell her to go home to her family, which she says she saw as "thoughtful."

Prosecutors call Rhona Graff as their second witness

Rhona Graff has now been called to the witness stand.

Graff did not look at Trump as she walked up to the stand, but she appeared to glance at him when she got to the stand. Graff worked as Trump's former executive assistant at the Trump Organization.

She begins by telling the court she worked for Trump for 34 years between October 1987 to April 2021. Her office was on the 26th floor of the Trump Tower. She is here under a subpoena, primarily to verify documents. She testifies that her attorneys are being paid for by the Trump Organization.

Pecker smiles at Trump

Pecker smiled and nodded at Trump as he finished his testimony. He is leaving the witness stand.

Court is back

Court is back in session. David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, is back on the stand.

Pecker is again testifying about his conversation with then-editor of the National Enquirer Dylan Howard about Stormy Daniels' story. Pecker told Howard there was no way he would purchase the story for $120,000 and said he did not want to be associated with an adult film star.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass read documentation from Pecker's testimony to a grand jury, where he also recalled his January 2017 meeting with Trump at Trump Tower.

At that meeting, Pecker says Trump thanked him for handling Karen McDougal's story; Trump called her a "good" girl. Trump also thanked Pecker for handling the doorman story, Pecker testifies.

The prosecution has wrapped up its redirect. Trump attorney Emil Bove is now asking his final questions of Pecker.

Trump to Biden: "Let's do the debate at the courthouse tonight"

During an interview with Howard Stern this morning, Biden said he would be "happy" to debate Trump.

Trump responded during the court's lunch break, suggesting, "let's do the Debate at the Courthouse tonight - on National Television, I'll wait around!"

Here's Trump's response on Truth Social: "Everyone knows he doesn't really mean it, but in case he does, I say, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, an old expression used by Fighters," Trump wrote Friday afternoon.

"I suggest Monday Evening, Tuesday Evening, or Wednesday Evening at my Rally in Michigan," the post continues. "In the alternative, he's in New York City today, although probably doesn't know it, and so am I, stuck in one of the many Court cases that he instigated as ELECTION INTERFERENCE AGAINST A POLITICAL OPPONENT - A CONTINUING WITCH HUNT! It's the only way he thinks he can win."

Lunch

Court is taking a lunch break. Steinglass will wrap up his redirect of David Pecker when court resumes.

Prosecution begins redirect

Emil Bove has just wrapped up his cross-examination of David Pecker. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is leading the redirect.

On redirect, Pecker agrees that the purpose of AMI obtaining rights to Karen McDougal's story alleging a relationship with Trump was to prevent it from influencing the 2016 election.

Pecker explains that it was his understanding that he'd use any information coming out about Trump or the campaign, related specifically to women who would be selling their stories, comparing it to his experience with Arnold Schwarzenegger during his run for California governor.

Pecker recalled magazine sales increased when Trump announced he was running for president in 2016. Readers liked positive stories about Trump, Pecker testifies.

Gag order hearing moved

Judge Juan Merchan postponed the hearing over potential gag order violations by another day, moving it to Thursday, May 2 at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Yesterday, prosecutors said Trump violated the gag order four more times in the last three days. Prosecutors have now presented 14 total potential violations and are asking the former president be fined the maximum $1,000 for each.

Pecker back on the stand

David Pecker is back on the stand as cross-examination continues. He appeared to watch Trump as the former president whispered to attorney Todd Blanche at the defense table.

Trump attorney Emil Bove again confirmed with Pecker that American Media Inc. (AMI) entered into a non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors.

Bove asks: there's no admission by AMI in this agreement of a campaign violation right? Pecker answers, "no."

Pecker hesitates in his answers as Bove asks whether the federal investigation into him had to be closed before Hudson News Group could acquire the Enquirer and two other tabloids. He eventually says the negotiations "would have added onto the stress of the transaction."

When asked if Michael Cohen was prone to exaggeration, Pecker agreed.

In a lighter moment: While showing the negotiation agreement in court, Bove asks, "Can you zoom in please? It's not a vision test."

Biden: "Happy" to debate Trump

President Joe Biden said he would be "happy" to debate Trump.

"I am, somewhere. I don't know when. I'm happy to debate him," he said during an interview with Howard Stern released Friday morning.

Trump's campaign recently called for earlier presidential debates between the two candidates.

Trump points to last row of reporters

Trump points at the last row of reporters on his way out of the courtroom for a short break. We speculate he may have recognized Norm Eisen, Newsweek's Katherine Fung reports.

Eisen just posted on X, saying, "Trump just pointed at me and scowled as he left the courtroom. I guess he's not a fan."

Photos: A look inside court

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Pecker: Trump didn't buy stories because they "always get out"

Bove brings up Pecker's previous testimony regarding former Playboy model Karen McDougal's story of an alleged relationship with Trump. When Pecker discussed this with Trump over the phone, the former president said he doesn't buy stories because they "always get out."

Read more from this part of Pecker's testimony from Newsweek's Katherine Fung here.

Stormy Daniels "absolutely ready" to testify

Who else will testify? Stormy Daniels recently said she's "absolutely ready" to testify in the hush money trial.

"I'm hoping with all of my heart that they call me," she said during an interview on The View in late March.

Should she take the stand, her cross-examination could get "wild and unpredictable," a New York attorney tells Newsweek.

Janos Marton, who previously ran for Manhattan district attorney, explained that prosecutors will try to keep the adult film star's evidence as close to the indictment's wording as possible, but Trump's team will likely try to draw her into other areas of her life.

"We shouldn't expect any salacious bombshells or any more than necessary to prove what happened between Trump and Daniels," Marton said. "The cross-examination from Trump's team could be more wild and unpredictable, though."

Read more from Newsweek's Sean O'Driscoll here.

David Pecker returns for cross-examination

David Pecker is back on the stand. Trump attorney Emil Bove is now continuing cross-examination.

Bove establishes that Pecker ran negative stories about Trump's political opponents, like Hillary Clinton, before the Trump Tower meeting in August of 2015.

Pecker confirms that the National Enquirer would reframe stories from other outlets because it was "quick" and "efficient." Bove shows several headlines from other outlets covering Trump's 2016 Republican rival Ben Carson as an example.

The defense's insistence on referring to Trump as "President Trump" out of respect for his office seems to catch his lawyers off guard when Bove asks Pecker if someone interrupted a meeting to inform him that "President Trump" was on the phone.

"They didn't say President Trump," Pecker responded. The meeting took place before Trump was elected.

Asked why his testimony from yesterday is inconsistent with the FBI report from his interview with federal prosecutors, Pecker tells Bove, "I know what the truth is. I can't state why it was written this way."

Trump wishes Melania "happy birthday"

Court is now in session for a fourth day of witness testimony.

Former President Donald Trump briefly addressed the media before walking into the courtroom this morning, wishing his wife Melania a happy birthday.

"I want to start by wishing my wife Melania a very happy birthday," Trump said to reporters. "It would be nice to be with her, but I'm in a courthouse for a rigged trial."

Trump said he will be going to Florida to be with the former first lady after court this evening.

Just before walking into the courthouse, Trump posted on Truth Social: "I'm at the heavily guarded Courthouse. Security is that of Fort Knox, all so that MAGA will not be able to attend this trial, presided over by a highly conflicted pawn of the Democrat Party. It is a sight to behold!"

Soon: Witness testimony continues

Good morning, it's 9 a.m. in New York City.

Court is set to resume in about 30 minutes. David Pecker is expected to return to the stand for cross-examination.

Quick recap: This is the trial's eighth day and we've covered quite a bit of ground. The jury selection process began last week, and by last Friday, 12 jurors and six alternates had been chosen.

This week, the prosecution called its first witness to the stand, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. The defense began cross-examining Pecker late Thursday and will pick back up today.

Gag order: Discussions over potential gag order violations have continued throughout the trial. Thursday, the prosecution said Trump violated the gag order four more times in the last three days. Prosecutors have now presented 14 total potential violations, they are asking he be fined $1,000 for each. A hearing on the matter has been set for next week.

Newsweek senior reporter Katherine Fung is in the courtroom.

Get caught up: Here's what happened in court Thursday.