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payments that trump ended up directing that his books and records be doctored. so yeah, these are the witnesses you get in trials. you know, it's interesting to me, jose, if this trial in some ways is unique because it's the former president as a defendant, and in other ways, it's extraordinarily ordinary, right? these are how openings are done. this is how evidence is deduced, this is how and why the witnesses are ccalled. you can walk into any courtroom in america and hear the judge charge the jury with these sort of instructions before their opening statements and then you would hear these sorts of opening statements and you would see these sorts of witnesses in almost any criminal trial. what's different here is donald trump is the defendant. >> joining us now is former u.s. attorney and msnbc legal analyst, barbara mcquaid. they're obviously trying to get ahead of potential credibility questions around michael cohen, and colangelo saying cohen's
that the defense attorneys don't have to do anything. they don't even have to offer an opening statement. she's 100% right. but if they choose to provide an opening statement, they typically do one of two things. either they ask the jury to keep an open mind and point out how high the burden is to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. or if they choose and plan to put on a case, they can begin to foreshadow that now. they can talk about some of the things they will adduce or some of the witnesses they might call. a little more risk in that strategy for a defense attorney. that don't have to do anything. the burden never shifts to the defense. prosecutors better produce. good defense attorneys like caroline know if a prosecutor promises x and they fail to produce x at trial, they're going to hear about it from caroline in closing.
we are expecting a shorter day, so we may not hear from any witnesses. we have seen donald trump, these pictures are from the last week, but we've seen pictures of him in court this morning. things are getting under way. this morning. things are getting underway. in this morning. things are getting under way. in terms of the admin that has been dealt with so far this morning, there was a question about one of thejurors morning, there was a question about one of the jurors potentially carrying on or not, which has been resolved. all thejury carrying on or not, which has been resolved. all the jury are carrying on or not, which has been resolved. all thejury are in carrying on or not, which has been resolved. all the jury are in and setting. there's been other legal matters to be dealing with before we hear from the main event of the day, which those legal arguments from the prosecution and the defence. as a reminder, donald trump is accused of trying to cover up money payments to the adult star stormy daniels before the adult star stormy daniels before the 2016 election. he pleaded not guilty to 3a accounts. plenty of
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
this moment? yes, i do. an opening statement is — this moment? yes, i do. an opening statement is not _ this moment? yes, i do. an opening statement is not an _ this moment? yes, i do. an opening statement is not an argument - this moment? yes, i do. an opening l statement is not an argument because no evidence is omitted, but it's a chance for the prosecutor and defence lawyer to provide a road map to the jury defence lawyer to provide a road map to thejury and defence lawyer to provide a road map to the jury and world of what they can expect, what the theme of the case will be, who the major witnesses will be, the major evidence, and how they expect to prove their case, in this case beyond reasonable doubt because it's a criminal trial. just beyond reasonable doubt because it's a criminal trial.— a criminal trial. just map out what we can exaect- — a criminal trial. just map out what we can expect. we _ a criminal trial. just map out what we can expect. we will— a criminal trial. just map out what we can expect. we will hear- a criminal trial. just map out what we can expect. we will hear more| we can expect. we will hear more from the prosecution, and then what? then the defence will have a chance to present their side of the story, and then the first witness will be called. we been given news the first witness is the former publisher of the national enquirer, he was involved in this alleged plot to cover up stories about donald trump's extramarital affairs. then is it a succession _
payment was not in a vacuum, that he was accustomed to doing these grab and slash methods, to kill negative stories. and that the former president precisely what process his subordinate use in order to make it happen. that will be the first witness. then there will be a couple interesting witnesses like michael cohen, his formerfixer, stormy daniels, the former adult actress. much of the trial will be extraordinarily boring because it will be about financial records, and you will have accountants and record keepers coming on giving endless pieces of paper to the jury about different accounting methods and inputs and invoices, and that sort of thing. but the prosecution has to do it because the case is about falsification of business records. accountants across the world will be
0bviously, donald trump himself is at the heart of the trial but there are a number of key players, described as a bit of a hollywood blockbuster cast. so let's take a look. first of all we have justicejuan merchan. now he is a seasoned new york judge who also proceeded over the trump organisation's tax fraud case. next we have alvin bragg. he is the prosecutor, he inherited the trump investigation when he took office in 2021. and his former colleague, todd blanche, who is trump's top trial lawyer. interestingly, he is a former registered democrat before he became a republican and took on the biggest client of his life. it has not been easy 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
witnesses in the trial potentially this afternoon or into tomorrow. plenty more reaction in a moment. mps have finished debating the government's rwanda bill, which aimns to send some asylum seekers to rwands. rishi sunak said today he wants the first plaves to take off within "10—12 weeks". the bill has been going back and forth between the commons and lords forth between the commons and lords forfour forth between the commons and lords for four months. pm says he wants that to happen today. let's take a closer look at the controversial rwanda asylum policy. so far this year, more than 6,000 migrants have made the journey across the channel from continental europe to england. under the policy, anyone "entering the uk illegally", could be sent to rwanda, with no limit on numbers. the government hopes the policy will stop people trying to make the dangerous crossing in small boats.
from prosecutors today as they make their opening statements when you approach a case like this, what are the goals? >> of the start of something like this? and how will you be able to tell whether you think prosecutors have been effective the prosecutors need to lay out their case and they need to establish essentially what facts they're going to present, but also how those facts are going to play in with the various legal elements that the required to prove throughout the course of the trial? >> it will likely sound much like the original indictment, but will be much more colorful. colorful. i'm sure trial lawyers at the end of the day are putting on a bit of a show for the jury. we can expect the defense will similarly take their opportunity to give an opening thank statement, and they will start to present issues with credibility of witnesses, but also really hammer on the legal elements and how difficult it is for the
be if if and when he decides not to testify, who go while we just saw their case, it was a disaster esther, they didn't have anything on me. my attorneys tore down michael cohen and they're joke of okc case and they're joke batch of witnesses. they got nothing. i don't need to take the stand. that's it. that's what he'll say publicly i think that makes sense. >> i think a lot of sense and it's also i think it helps that it's not televised, right? so if it was televising, that might be a little different calculation asked me to the voters if he's trying to filter to the media. i think that's a good point. yeah. if this were televised and he were on the stand, that's interesting. i mean, that would be yeah. that would be a moment elie honig, thank you for starting. >> what's gonna be a long day for you with us thanks. appreciate having you all right. coming up next here. jewish students at columbia university urged to stay home for their own safety as campus confrontations intensified plus north korea accused of firing multiple ballistic missiles just hours ago the white. house correspondents dinner live