Built on lies . The former president on trial for Fraud Lashing out repeatedly at the judge and new yorks Attorney General with his Flagship Properties and his Family Business at stake. Could he lose it all . Go ahead and try, House Speaker mccarthy says a defiant message who want him out. Californias governor, gavin newsom has made his pick. Whos replacing the late senator Dianne Feinstein and what candidates running for that same seat have to say about her. And back on the bench, the Supreme Court opening a new term with major cases on social media and free speech on the docket. Our nbc News Reporters are following all of the latest developments. We begin with Lisa Rubin Outside The Manhattan Courthouse where former President Trump is in court for his civil fraud trial. I think one thing that was immediately apparent was trumps anger and i wonder what you saw and what you think at least how it compares to Previous Court appearances where youve seen him . Well, chris, i have now been in courtrooms for each of the cases that areacing former President Trump. I also sat through a trial earlier this spring that he didnt even bother to show up at. And this oneimarly is a civil trial. Trump was under no oblation to come. As you noted he is much angrier than i recall him in florida, when he was indicted criminally on multiple count of obtaining and then hoarding classified documents, a case that could compromise his liberty. The fact that trump is all the more emotional about his financial empire, his value as a businessman than he is about potentially losing his liberty in some respects tells you everything you need to know about donald trump, that what he cares most about isnt the potential threat of jail. Its his standing in the larger american imagination, and were seeing that today in full voice, chris. Lisa rubin, thank you. We continue to see these pictures. That was a brief time that a camera was allowed in. Were also Getting Court sketches in for the first time from the Court Sketch Artist inside. So well keep you posted on what we see when they go back into session. Lets go to capitol hill now where a battle is heating up over the speakers seat. Nbcs sahil kapur joins us from capitol hill. You were in with a group of reporters as Kevin Mccarthy spoke. What did he have to say . Reporter thats right, chris. One thing mccarthy said in the gaggle with reporters moments ago was that he has not cut any side deal with President Biden on the issue of ukraine aid, trying to rebut one of the main accusations that congressman matt gaetz has been making as a basis for removing him from the speakership. Now, gaetz still has not triggered that motion to vacate, although he indicates it could be coming on later this week. He indicates its unacceptable for Speaker Mccarthy to rely on democratic votes to fund the government as he did in the shocking turnover over the weekend. Gaetz wont guarantee he has the votes to remove mccarthy as speaker, and doesnt say he should be speaker when pressed about him. Gaetz has maintained he would be willing to go to as many as 15 ballots to remove mccarthy as speaker in the first place. Mccarthy has dialed up his push back on gaetz. Hes not taking this lying down anymore. He and gaetz have had a war of words lately. Lets play what those two have said. Im pointing to specific things that kevin agreed to that he hasnt complied with. Hes just trying to subjugate his real and significant breaches of our agreement as a personal dispute. That says more about him than what were trying to do to change washington. Im going to focus on the work im supposed to do. I think this is a question to the institution itself. I know in the past the other leaders together always believed this should never be in play. Im not worried about it. Reporter now, chris, the first question for matt gaetz is whether he has at least five republican votes to remove Speaker Mccarthy. Without that, all of that is moot, and mccarthy wouldnt respond when i asked him a moment ago whether hes confident that gaetz doesnt have the five votes. The second question if gaetz does muster five votes, what did democrats do. They could have a crucial role here. There are discussions happening among democrats as to whether they should entertain the idea of bailing out Speaker Mccarthy either by voting against gaetz motion or voting present, which would lower the threshold and allow mccarthy to continue with fewer numbers of republican votes. At the end of the day, chris, this all comes as congress has six and a half weeks to fund the government after the shortterm deal. What we saw this weekend as difficult as it was, that was the easy part. What comes next in the appropriations battle is going to be much tougher, and it looks like we may have a speakers battle on our hands when that happens. That was the easy part. Thank you, sahil kapur. Appreciate it. Lawmakers are getting ready to welcome a new senator after California Governor Gavin Newsom announced his pick to fill Dianne Feinsteins seat. Ryan nobles is following that. There was a lot of controversy, a lot of anticipation. Give us the back story and what are you hearing from members on the hill . Reporter i think theres a mix of both excitement about the appointment of laphonza butt butler as the next senator of california. In her capacity as the person in charge of emilys list, which is an Advocacy Group that seeks to promote women in support of reproductive rights but statement theres a bit of anxiety because this was an appointment that gavin newsom at one point said he was going to appoint someone who is a care taker, this was someone who is not going to get an advantage in the upcoming race to replace feinstein should she leave her seat before the end of her term, and of course theres already quite a bit of a battle for the democratic nomination in that race. Adam schiff is running for it. Katie porter, as is barbara lee, also an africanamerican. Newsom made the promise that he was going to appoint an africanamerican woman to the seat should it come to that. Barbara lee and her supporters hoped he would pick her. This is how she responded to the appointment of butler earlier today. With regard to laphonza, i wish her well. It would have been great because i did want to build the vacancy if that occurred. Listen, we have to focus on what were doing, and im running very seriously. Reporter so this obviously complicates the matters in california. Butler was praised for her work as an advocate, and many people feel excited about her taking on the job. The Open Question is she going to stick in the senate and not worry about the campaign, step aside or is she going to jump head first into it. If thats the case, chris, shes going to have to get campaigning quickly. Many candidates who are in the race have been on the ground for quite a while and raised millions of dollars. California perhaps the most expensive state in the country to run sate wide. Chris. Ryan nobles, thank you. Lets go to the Supreme Court now because the term started today and justices will hear a case on social media with major First Amendment implications. Cnbcs Morgan Brennan joins me for cnbc on msnbc. This is going to be a key decision that will determine free speech guidelines. On friday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear whether state laws regulating social Media Companies violate the constitution, and heres whats at stake, texas and florida passed laws in 2021 that bar the biggest Social Media Platforms from removing posts based on the viewpoints they express, with some already existing legal exceptions. Supporters argue that these laws are needed to combat censorship, whether its the removal of posts expressing views on, for example, the pandemic or claims of Election Fraud or even decisions by platforms like facebook and twitter to bar President Trump after the january 6th riots. The laws opponents which are led by two tech trade groups argue the First Amendment prevents the government from telling private companies whether and how to disseminate speech. It all comes at a time when the influence of Speech Companies on society is being hotly debated. Youve got republicans critical of moderation decisions. Democrats claiming not enough is done to prevent the spread of hateful speech. How the Supreme Court rules could have nationwide repercussions for how social media and really all web sites display user generated content. If the Court Upholds the laws, for example, that could open the door to more State Legislation requiring platforms like facebook or you tube or tiktok to treat content in specific ways within certain jurisdictions. This has made it to the Supreme Court, which is blocked enforcement of the laws in the meantime, after two federal appeals courts divided on their rulings. This will be among the most prominent of the Supreme Courts new term, and the ruling, though, is not likely to come until next year, chris. Morgan brennan, thank you so much. Still ahead, he spent years bragging about his wealth. Can donald trump afford to lose his new york fraud case. Ill talk to the investigative journalist who has covered his financial situation for years. Thats next. Were back in 60 seconds. 60 secs this is Spring Semester at fairfieldsuisun unified. They switched to google tools for education because theres never been a reported Ransomware Attack on a chromebook. Now theyre focused on learning knowing that their data is secure. were seeing some action at the courthouse. We just saw, in fact, our cameras did, new York Attorney general Letitia James walking back into the courthouse. She and donald trump were very very close sitting in that courtroom this morning. Weve not seen him return yet. But it all begs the question, what is trump tower without trump . Well, the former president is, indeed, at new york citys courthouse, facing the very real prospect that he could be barred from doing business in the very city where he built that business, hosting a tv show. Trump tower, 40 wall street, Trump Park Avenue and his west chester golf club. As we see him, he just walked back into the courtroom. I want to bring in Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist david k. Johnson, he has been reporting on trumps financial situation literally for decades and is author of the book, the big cheat, how donald trump Fleeced America and enriched himself and his family. Also with us, coanchor of pbs news hour, and msnbc political contributor, geoff bennett. David, let me start with you. The judge had given the Trump Organization as you put it cleverly, the corporate death penalty. I dont know how much youve had time to watch what donald trump has been doing this morning, but hes spoken as vividly as ive heard him, as angrily as i have seen him, what do you think as someone who has covered him so closely for so long is going on . Well, your correspondent got it exactly correct. Donald is absolutely livid because donald is his money. Thats the most important thing to understand. And its the reason he inflates the size of his money. When he announced he was running for president in 2015, he said he was worth more than 10 million. When he became president , he had to file his ethics form. He first asked if he could sign it, submit it without signing it under penalty of perjury, his net worth fell by 70 , and even those were pretty inflated values. Donald just makes these things up. He creates his own reality. I guess, then, that leads us to, doesnt it, david, the question of the courts, and reality is reality. You dont get to you can make your argument, but the truth is the truth, right . This was the key point in the judges decision that trump going around and saying, oh, Everybody Knows you cant believe my Financial Statements and other remarks, that doesnt cut it in the real world. He, in fact, described that as a fantasy, and so donald as of right now is not in business. He has lost his Business Licenses and the Trump Organization is eyes wide open, blind trust, and all of the 500 or so entities underneath, they are no longer in business under donald trump. A courtappointed monitor will operate those businesses until theres a final resolution, which will be a transfer of those, a liquidation of them, probably at fire sale prices to other parties. Geoff, you covered the trump white house, i want to get your reaction to reporting in the courtroom. Michael cohen, we all know as the one time fixer, then turned trump attacker, witness for the prosecution, trump was reportedly staring intently at that video of Michael Cohen being played and many times shaking his head. And then in his opening trumps lawyer called cohen a serial liar. But what must it be like for donald trump, who prizes loyalty overall, to know that a series of people who he thought were loyal to him are going to get on the stand likely and say that he is the serial liar . One imagines, chris, that its deeply unnerving for the former president. Donald trumps perceived Financial Success is key to his public image. It was really the core appeal of his candidacy in 2016 and even today when i do reporting trips and go to the reddest of red counties and talk to people who still support donald trump, they say they support him because in their view, hes not a politician. Hes a successful businessman whos going to leverage his Business Skills and acumen to their benefit. This is of course after he was in the white house for four years and held the highest office in the land. So this case risks showing to the American People once and for all that for all of the talk and the bluster that that was really just a facade or to quote the judge in this case, that donald ump and his codefendants are liable for persistent and repeated fraud. And setting aside a second the perception problems, to davids point, there are real dollars and cents problems here for the former president because as david mentioned in a prior ruling, the Trump Organizations Business Certificates were cancelled, which means well have to see how this plays out, there could be appeals and other things, but that could spell the end of the Trump Organization as we know it, and if the Attorney General gets what she wants in this case, the 250 million judgment, which could be even higher than that, the receiver who will effectively be in charge of the Trump Organization, would likely have to sell off assets in order to pay that fine, and in order to pay creditors. So the Trump Building on fifth avenue that served as backdrop for the apprentice and the kickoff for the 2016 campaign, and where donald trump once lived before he changed his residency to florida, that could potentially no longer be his. You can see why for the former president , this poses an existential threat. Many of the things this judge looked at and will have to consider are things that you have detailed over the years, like why there are ten stories mysteriously missing from trump tower. Tell us about some of the things that would seem obvious to almost anyone but will play into whatever decision is ultimately made by this judge. Well, donald has claimed that his mansion and the surrounding property in West Chester County are worth 290 million. Theres never been a house in america sold for that kind of money. The highest appraisal he has is 30 million, thats on the assumption he could carve up the real estate and put up seven or eight mansions. Local authorities said you cannot carve up the land to put more mansions, the property is worth something closer to 10 million. That means maybe 29, 30 times the actual value is what trump claimed. Youre exactly right about the claiming trump towers 68 stories when its 58 stories. Hes also said maralago is Worth Hundreds of millions of dollars. The judge put a range around 20 million. And theres no way its Worth Hundreds of millions of dollars. It doesnt have the revenue from the weddings and the business meetings, and the hotel guests there to support that. You sound and were really out of time, but i can only give you 30 seconds, david. You sound supremely confident about the way this trial is going to go. Yes, because the only issue here is the damages. The judge has already found donald trump is a fraudst