showing that america will be there. message sent across the world on saturday. can't overstate it. >> we'll have much more with david ignatius on this in a moment. our other huge story this morning starts today. opening statements set to begin this morning in former president donald trump's criminal hush money trial. after jury selection wrapped up on friday, the 12-person jury is made up of seven men and five women, along with six alternates. later this morning, both the prosecution and the defense are expected to lay out their cases during opening statements. according to "the new york times," the prosecution plans to frame trump's actions of payments to keep adult film actress stormy daniels quiet about an alleged affair as election interference. the defense, meanwhile, will seize on three apparent weak points. witness credibility, the
donald trump, it is the first chance they will have two so doubt in jurors' mind is to say it had nothing to do with the election, it was about hiding embarrassing information from his family. donald trump, although he has changed his story, he has now said he admits to reimbursing michael cohen, but he denies all wrongdoing in the extramarital affair.- denies all wrongdoing in the extramarital affair. thank you for that. i extramarital affair. thank you for that i know— extramarital affair. thank you for that. i know you _ extramarital affair. thank you for that. i know you will _ extramarital affair. thank you for that. i know you will keep - extramarital affair. thank you for that. i know you will keep across | that. i know you will keep across every twist and turn in new york. i want to speak to ronald sullivan from harvard law school and a faculty advisor. thank you for coming on the programme. thank you for having me. what is at play here when both sides, prosecution and defence, first get up and speak to thejury as a defence, first get up and speak to the jury as a whole?— the jury as a whole? what is at stake? a lot _ the jury as a whole? what is at stake? a lot is _ the jury as a whole? what is at stake? a lot is at _ the jury as a whole? what is at stake? a lot is at stake. - the jury as a whole? what is at
star, who alleges that she received a hush money payment from michael cohen, a lawyer for the trump organisation, just before the 2016 election to keep silent about her claimed affair with donald trump. and this is michael cohen. he is the fixer, he pleaded guilty to making the hush money payment to stormy daniels in 2018 but says that trump directed him to send that money. next we have karen mcdougal, who is also expected to be a witness. she claims to have had a previous illicit affair with mr trump and also says she was paid hush money by american media incorporated, which is the parent company of the national enquirer, for his story, forcing her to keep quiet. which brings me finally to david pecker. he was the then chairman and ceo of that tabloid and part of a catch and kill the scheme to support donald trump's 2016 presidential run. so essentially what he would do is buy the rights to stories
not a choir boy, right? he's not an angel, but that doesn't make him a criminal. the hook here is that trump is the client here. i don't know that trump is going to actually allow todd blanche to say anything negative about trump or even, you know, admit to potential infidelities in his marriage or having these types of affairs, things like that. i'll be interested to see just how far blanche goes in acknowledging some of these unsavory, you know, we call them awful but lawful things that trump did in the lead up to this election. i'll be really interested to see how far trump -- >> we should mention that trump has denied having had any affair. he's admitted to paying cohen, but he's denied that underlying allegation related to an affair. so vaughn, as the opening statements continue from todd blanche, donald trump's attorney, what else is he saying? >> reporter: to that point
"national enquirer" spent on as witness to describe what is called an illegal scheme with donald trump to buy negative stories about him to help the trump election campaign. pecker explain the process at the tabloid how the stories are prepared and their case sometime spot and how it was up to him to okay paying for the "juicy stories." one of those juicy stories was from former "playboy" playmate karen mcdougal to. they claim she had an affair with trump which the inquirer bought for $150,000 but did not run as part of that catch and kill scheme. trump defense lawyer told the jury that the former president did not violate the law. the former president thought that checks to the lawyer michael cohen over his legal expenses and not his prosecutors claim to reimburse cohen to pay stormy daniels. "i have a spoiler alert. there is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. it's called democracy.
prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the thoughts and the intentions in donald trump's mind at the time that he was engaged in effective believe, bank stormy daniels to remain silent on the issues of her alleged affair with donald trump quite a day ahead of us. >> andrei tarkovsky. thank you very much for being here to help us understand it. i really appreciate your time. >> let's go now to capitol hill. where house speaker mike johnson's long journey to yes, on ukraine aid has come to an end. pretty remarkable i was with him the night before he made the decision. he preyed on it. and the next day, he said, i want to be on the right side of history the house speaker coming to a decision last week to defy his party's right flank and push through $60 billion in aid for ukraine after months of resistance how did he get their prayer trump and his own son to put it
received a hush money payment from michael cohen, a lawyer for the trump organisation, just before the 2016 election to keep silent about her claimed affair with donald trump. and this is michael cohen. he is the fixer, he pleaded guilty to making the hush money payment to stormy daniels in 2018 but says that trump directed him to send that money. next we have karen mcdougal, who is also expected to be a witness. she claims to have had a previous illicit affair with mr trump and also says she was paid hush money by american media incorporated, which is the parent company of the national enquirer, for his story, forcing her to keep quiet. which brings me finally to david pecker. he was the then chairman and ceo of that tabloid and part of a catch and kill scheme to support donald trump's 2016 presidential run. so essentially what he would do is buy the rights to stories
hush money was election fraud, pure and simple, orchestrated by donald trump. the court will hear evidence from trumpet�*s for my fixer, now sworn enemy, michael cohen. he will describe making that payment on mr trump's instructions. the defence will grant him, an admitted liar and convicted criminal, who is now obsessed with his former boss. michael cohen was earlier involved in paying off a playboy model, karen mcdougal, who also said she had an affair with donald trump. he even recorded a conversation with mr trump about the deal which the prosecution will use to show a pattern of behaviour. the first witness ros david peckerfrom the national enquirer magazine. he bought miss mcdougal�*s story not so he could publish it but so he could suppress it in order to help donald trump's political campaign. mr trump is innocent until proven guilty, his lawyer reminded the jury, saying is innocent until proven guilty, his lawyer reminded thejury, saying his behaviour is not criminal, there is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election, it is called democracy. donald trump will be back in court tomorrow. this case is
statements in the historic criminal hush money case against donald trump set to begin just a few hours from now, cnn has learned that david, the former chairman of the national enquirer, is parent company company is expected to be the first witness called by the manhattan da's office, according to a person familiar with the plans, was a central player in the alleged scheme to pay hush money to adult film star stormy daniels to cover up her alleged affair with trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election is the first in a string of witnesses expected to take the stand. >> they include trump's former fixer, michael cohen, stormy daniels herself, the former trump aid hope hicks, and karen mcdougal, who has also alleged that she was paid to conceal an affair with trump the former president briefly spoke to the media after jury selection wrapped up on friday we just had another theory the trial
to find a jury. in fact, the court has had to whittle it down from hundreds of people to just 12 jurors. their identities will remain anonymous due to security concerns but we do know there are five women and seven men. now for the witnesses. of course, at the heart of the trial we have stormy daniels, the adult film star, who alleges that she received a hush money payment from michael cohen, a lawyer for the trump organisation, just before the 2016 election to keep silent about her claimed affair with donald trump. and this is michael cohen. he is the fixer, he pleaded guilty to making the hush money payment to stormy daniels in 2018 but says that trump directed him to send that money. next we have karen mcdougal, who is also expected to be a witness. she claims to have had a previous illicit affair with mr trump and also says she was paid hush money by american media incorporated,