Is we are winning this trial. If we had a fair trial and a fair judge i dont think he wouldve allowed this trial to take place. Everything is legal. They are doing this because for politics they want to get biden elected. Sandra here we got a big day of testimony in new yorks criminal trial against former President Donald Trump perry former president , his former aide i should say hope is that my kicks is on the stand they are facing questions from prosecutors. We are following every moment of this. Welcome everyone i am sandra smith in new york, john gray to be with you. John going to be with you, sandra i am john roberts This Is America reports. Before we keep going i have a question perry did you run up 12 flights or did you take elevator . I casually took the elevator, i had seconds left tv magic. John all right while you were a runner in college. Still got it in you. Taking the stand and talk about her transition from working with the Trump Organization to working for a president ial campaign. Sandra hicks was also a question about that 2015 meeting at trump tower where former National Enquirer publisher david packer agreed to bury negative stories. Making a direct connection of Hiding Payoffs to Karen Mcdougal and a Stormy Daniels to trump interfering with the election. John we have our allstar legal eagles lined up standing by with analysis but first Sandra Shannon bream outside of the new york supreme court, shannon what do we need to know what has happened so far . Sander and john they are on a quick lunch break for now but i have to tell you there was a bit of a murmur kind of an audible gasp inside the courthouse when hope hicks was announced as a next one to take the stand. She is a murky witness that Everyone Wants to hear and see. You will remember days ago david packer who was once the publisher of the National Enquirer hinted she was part of the 2015 meeting at trump tower that involved a number of people strategizing how to protect then candidate donald trump and his efforts to become President Donald Trump. Today she testified she could not run for a specific meeting with President Trump and David Pecker She was a part of but she remembers conversations on phone calls between them which was negative for other candidates people like ben carson and others, ted cruz so she has a lot of information a lot of knowledge about that but did not say she was in the 2015 meeting at so many people and the prosecutors feel is really critical to this entire case. She has also been asked quite a bit about the access how i would take how they came to find out about it, what was the conversation in the campaign was there panic . Was she aware of reaction to the tape . And this is one of the things that defense has fought about again and again to give it away from the jury. They are hearing about access Hollywood Tape again. Is it probative of what the case is actually about which is allegedly falsifying Business Documents with respect to a payment to Stephanie Clifford known as a Stormy Daniels it is the kind of thing you have to think the defense will tack down to their list of things they will talk about and appeal whether or not the jury should hear about this access Hollywood Tape and hearing it repeatedly. Guys . John judge has not allowed to be played in court saying it would probably be prejudicial but there certainly hearing a lot about it and the content. I remember when it landed on the Campaign Trail October 7th 2016 like 1,000pound bomb. And clearly it had a lot of reverberations on trump tower as well. The strategy of the prosecution seems to be delay a case that when that tape came out trump became so desperate about quashing an ever bad stories that might come out that he was willing to do things like pay off Stormy Daniels, have Karen Mcdougal paid off. How do you think theyre doing and trying to make that case . I think you are right. That seems to be the path they are going down to say all of these things were connected. There was a panic, this was specifically about quieting stories that could hurt the campaign versus somebody who may want to quiet a story because they wouldnt want their wife to find out. They are continuing to say this is a campaign issue. Will be interesting to see if the jury finds those links together but again, this is a case about counts against alleged or President Donald Trump or welldefined Business Documents. The jury has to be drawn back to that, the defense has to do a good job at trying to take away the emotion from these deals and allegations and women stepping forward and access Hollywood Tape, can they do that . I mean the jury asked to put these things aside so they are not probative of the guilt of something but we will see if they are able to do that again paired we have talked about the fact there are attorneys on this jury they will be probably a little bit more methodical about getting to what is the crime, you know are these dots connected question what do we get beyond a reasonable doubt question work there is plenty for the jury to consider that the defense team argues is not relevant to this particular c case. Sandra shannon i am still catching up as i was running to the studio on some of the last emails before they took the thee minute break. I heard. Sandra im trying to wrap my mind around possibly what do you believe the former president as he exited it is known he gave a thumbs up to the camera although he did not say any anything. Usually does that at the end of the day. How do you think he would say this is going based on what has transpired so far in the courtroom . He does seem more engaged today sitting at the Defense Table he seems to be sending notes and whispering back and forth primarily with the attorney todd blanche and others on his team. He does seem like he is little more actively involved in talking about what is going on in the courtroom as part of his defense. He was very subdued as hope hicks took the stand she seemed shaky and nervous and she said to the jury i am very nervous. It was clear from the beginning she was uncomfortable. I think it was interesting to a lot of us too that she has not had communication with formal President Trump since fall or summer of 2022, so she he is obviously very interested in what she has to say today and seems actively engaged in a way we are not seen in other days. John from what i know of hope hicks and i interacted with her a lot as Munication Instructor at the white house and the Press Secretary of the Campaign Prior to that the last place she wants to be his front and center in the limelight. But she did Say Something interesting that i did not know about at the time. That is that there were rumors of another tape out there. And she dispatch Michael Cohen to look into that. Apparently that came up as a dry well there was nothing there. But then there was also this idea when the Wall Street Journal article was about to hit regarding Karen Mcdougal, she actually went so far as to ask Two Called David Parker and she called David Packard find out what was going on with that article. Yes with the prosecutions direct examination of her you heard about all that scrambling of being notified and reporters being tipped off that a story was coming and you are right. Cohen has been known not only as an attorney but as a fixer. So he is part of these conversations that hope is relating again and again from the stand that she was part of trying to track these things down, quiet these things down, and certainly the conversations with david parker were ongoing multiple times. Phone calls and other communications with all kinds of people in his circle, hope hicks testified she had known david pecker before she had known from because she worked in p. R. For a long time so she had familiarity with him by the what the prosecution is trying to get to is there was a sense of panic on the Campaign Trail that these were related to the campaign and not just personal issues for donald trump. John if i can just put a button on that too, hope hicks testified that pecker explained that mcdougall was paid for fitness columns it was very legit and thats with the contract was for. Hicks went on to say she believes she spoke with cohen before pecker she doesnt really remember the conversation with cohen but Michael Feigned that he really didnt know what i was talking about. So cohen was clearly trying to keep it under wraps. Yes and you can see from what she has testified to so far that there were multiple lines of trying to keep things under wraps in the closing days heading into the final debates and also to the final ballot box. And people getting there to make their decision. She talks about knowing as these things came out including the access Hollywood Tape that it would last multiple news cycles it was huge news and they knew they had to get some sort of control of it if they could. Sandra shannon, we know you are there and we will stay in touch with you as that is set to resume in the courtroom shortly. The trial. And we will check back in with you soon, shannon, thank you. [chanting] its despicable the school will allow another countrys flag to fly at del mcfly in country. This may be bidens vietnam. John minutes from now scheduled at 1 30 white house we pressed on the chaos caused by antiisrael protests nationwide the nypd in new york moving and early this morning to move a protest and came in on nyus campus after they asked for help paired we have Fox Team Coverage on peter doocy on whether the Biden Administration will open civil rights investigations into brazen acts of antisemitism at those protests, but we begin with molly limes and mall you watch the new york Police Movement this morning what did you see . John they made quick work of this site at nyu they were moving fast and fact they cleared two encampments the one at nyu including some at the new school they made 56 arrests in total all in manhattan. That right after 6 00 a. M. Sleeping protesters roused from their tents. They were warned of arrests via Police Bullhorn if they did not leave the illegal encampments swiftly come the nypd moved within hours the tents and the trash were gone nypds tragic response also where they had several Campus Buildings among the protest demands in new york divest and ties to israel but some chanting and propaganda threatened violence which includes signs at nyu that read death to israel, Death To America i hope you captured, i know you captured the complete hatred for israel that was beind and to be hatred for the nypd being spewed by the use of the school. That is something that is upsetting as a father and as new york city people, correct . Since April 18th Police have detained, arrested roughly 2,000 people at arrests all around the country at least 44 College Campus round 24 different states. John Law Enforcement the latest, as always thank you. Sandra we have yet to hear whether the Justice Department wasnt here or any action with civil rights investigations in these hateful acts of antisemitism peter doocy is at the white house now, a big question this hour, peter, now we are waiting on this briefing to begin we are told it is sliding back a little bit, 1 45 p. M. Eastern time, is there any sign of action on this, peter . There may be a bit of movement here, sandra. And nothing has happened yet but we know white House Antisemitism Task force met this week to focus on three things a source familiar is telling us. Campus security, online and antisemitism and federal coronation with Law Enforcement to protect jewish communities. We know while there have not been any civil rights investigations opened by the doj, our team over there is telling us there are discussions about potential civil rights investigations. At the moment the fbis main goal in addressing protests is assisting local police we are also hearing more about what exactly took President Biden so long to come out and speak about the company, Campus Protests even if it was just for 4 minutes. He doesnt need to follow anyone or follow someone else. It has nothing to do with anyone following anyones lead, the president has been a leader on this. The only time we expect to see President Biden today is later this afternoon on a Medal Of Freedom of event where Award Winners include john kerry and al gore both General Election runnerups. Sandra . Sandra peter, what do you think will be the Big Questions in that room today . Maybe dont give away exec and what you will be asking but what do you believe will be the hot topics . Still the Campus Protests because President Biden, it was helpful to hear him come out and talk about this for 4 minutes yesterday, but there have been weeks they have been weeks of build up here. Everybody in the Briefing Room has been tracking it pretty much nonstop a lot of people have been up all night watching what is happening at campuses on the west coast. So there is more to know about President Bidens position and the white house response particularly what the fbi with the doj are going to do or not going to do than just the fourminute trunk we got yesterday. I think will be dominated by Campus Protests. Sandra we will be watching for that a lot of potential news could come from it. John . John all right, developing story from capitol hill just across the street Texas DemocratHenry Cuellar has been indicted by the apartment stomach department of justice today. They raided his home in 2022 as part of a probe into u. S. Businessmen with ties to azerbaijan. Chad pilgrim is live on capitol hill with the latest. This comes as quite a surprise because i was told he was not a target of this investigation. Thats right, john. Henry cuellar maintained his innocence after the raid he is the former chair of the house Azerbaijan Caucus and just last month cuellars attorney said he was not the target of an investigation. Now in a statement cuellar says he sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee he says the actions i took in congress were consistent with the actions of many of my colleagues cuellar has always cooperated in the probe. Sandra so you will cooperate meaning there is an Ongoing Investigation . We will cooperate with Law Enforcement when they ask us to do that. Why was there a raid . Again, as i said, we will cooperate if there is any questions on that issue. The doj has not unsealed the indictment yet, we are told that could come later today. A cuellar is running for reelection in a massive district that runs from san antonio to the border. He said today he is not dropping out. Turgor republicans are in a runoff later this month. That will determine cuellars up one of the solitary President Biden carried the district by seven points, house number Credit Leaders announce their support for cuellar last year, he faced a major Primary Challenge from the left in 2022. Be 11 is one of the most moderate democrats in the house. He is also prolife. Back to you. John chad for us, thank you, now this. They have been violence every single day. On the first Night Mike Close friend, lonnie, was physically assaulted and pushed off the lee for holding a sign condemning hamas. Sandra you will remember that w ucla med student talking about the volatile situation on our campus. Our next guest is a jewish student who says her professor forced her to attend an antiisrael demonstration. Wait until you hear what happened to that professor. The student joins us live just ahead. Youre the first to know when high rate debt is stressing your budget. But your familys service has earned you a big advantage. The va home loan benefit. 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