It’s Tuesday. It’s only a few days until the holiday weekend. We’ve got this!! Here’s what’s happening today:
Former President Trump’s defense team rested its case this morning *without* him testifying. Oh, and by the way, the trial hit a new level of chaos yesterday. So much so that the judge cleared the room to scold a witness. Senate Republicans are nervous about the outcome of the former president’s trial.
Comcast’s new Netflix-Peacock-Apple TV+ bundle will be priced at $15 per month. President Biden is in New England today.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@digital-staging.thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. |
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And on the 20th day, we rest: |
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After 20 days of trial proceedings, former President Trump’s defense team rested its case this morning in the Manhattan hush money trial.
Which answers the big question we all had: After weeks of uncertainty over whether Trump would take the stand, Trump did *not* testify in the trial. (The Hill)
Where the trial stands: Prosecutors rested their case Monday with Trump’s ex-fixer Michael Cohen as their last witness. But that doesn’t mean that closing arguments are happening this week. The judge told the court to expect closing statements to happen after the Memorial Day holiday. |
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Now THAT was some wild stuff: |
The judge in former President Trump’s hush money trial abruptly cleared the courtroom Monday after chaos broke out over a defiant defense witness.
OK, *what* happened?: The defense called Robert Costello, a former legal adviser to Cohen, to the stand to rebut the former attorney’s testimony. Costello made audible comments and noticeable reactions to objections. Judge Juan Merchan then cleared the courtroom and chewed out the witness over “decorum.” Judge Merchan scolded Costello: “You don’t give me a side eye. You don’t roll your eyes. You understand that?” “Are you staring me down?” Merchan also asked Costello.
Read yesterday’s transcript, via The Washington Post
If you’re wondering who this man is: ‘Who is Robert Costello, the Trump witness accused of staring down judge?’
What happened when the courtroom was cleared: “Reporters shouted questions as security began to clear the room, with some asking a media lawyer present to object. Officers ushered everyone out, saying that they would explain what happened outside. After a few minutes, reporters were allowed back in without reason.” 🗨️ Today’s live blog from the courtroom Read more on the drama in the courtroom, via The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld, Lauren Sforza and Ella Lee |
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Senate Republicans are *nervous*, let me tell you: |
The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports that Republican senators are nervously anticipating the verdict in Trump’s hush money trial.
On one hand: “GOP lawmakers say a failure to secure a conviction would be a major embarrassment for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg that would strengthen Trump.”
But on the other hand: “[They] admit they don’t know how a conviction would play out, given that between 20 percent and 30 percent of GOP primary voters said they would not see Trump as fit for office if convicted of a felony.”
The big question: How would an acquittal or a conviction play among swing voters?
Read more: ‘Senate Republicans see Trump verdict as political wild card’ |
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A campaign video posted on former President Trump’s Truth Social referenced establishing a “unified Reich.” Yes, as in the German Empire. 🙃
How it has played: The video has been widely criticized. The Biden campaign said it is “echoing Nazi Germany.”
And the White House slammed the video as ‘sickening’: “It is abhorrent, sickening, and disgraceful for anyone to promote content associated with Germany’s Nazi government under Adolf Hitler,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement.
What the Trump campaign is saying about the video: “This was not a campaign video, it was created by a random account online and reposted by a staffer who clearly did not see the word, while the President was in court,” Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told The Associated Press. Read more: What we know about the video |
“The Iranian government began funeral proceedings Tuesday for its late president, foreign minister and other officials killed in a helicopter crash, as the country attempts to regain footing after the deaths left the Islamic Republic with an uncertain future,” reports The Hill’s Nick Robertson. What’s happening today?: “Thousands of mourners dressed in black walked a procession in Tabriz, the nearest major city to the crash site, Tuesday morning alongside the caskets of those killed. The bodies were then transported to Tehran and later to the holy city of Qom.”
What we know about the crash: “Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed when his helicopter crashed under heavy fog and severe weather in the mountainous northwest of Iran Saturday evening. Authorities took nearly a day to locate the crash site due to the difficult weather and terrain. The circumstances of the crash, which also killed Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, are under investigation by the country’s military.” (The Hill)
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It’s the border, bay-by. Let’s talk about you and me.: |
President Biden spoke with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Monday to discuss a bipartisan border security bill. Keep in mind: Last week, Biden spoke with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). 💡 Keep in mind about the vote: The bipartisan bill has opposition on both sides and is expected to fail. But on the campaign trail, Democrats can then say that they tried to pass a border bill. (The Hill)
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🍓 Celebrate: Today is National Strawberries and Cream Day! 🥛 ‘How Free School Meals Went Mainstream’: The New York Times’s Susan Shain writes how “over the past decade, many more schools started to offer free meals to all children, regardless of family income.”
🦞 But, but the cheddar bay biscuits!: Red Lobster has filed for bankruptcy. The Wall Street Journal’s Heather Haddon writes how “Red Lobster gets stung by endless shrimp.”
💵 Speaking of cheddar: The Wall Street Journal reports on “the highest paid CEOs of 2023.”
🥓 It’s still ‘facon’: The Washington Post taste-tested nine fake bacons to give you a review on what tastes best. Here are its ‘facon’ scores
📺 That’s not a bad price, tbh: Comcast is releasing a bundle that will include access to Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+. Well, the company announced today that it will cost $15 a month for customers. |
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The House and Senate are in. President Biden is in New Hampshire and Massachusetts today, and Vice President Harris is in Pennsylvania. (all times Eastern) |
12:05 p.m.: Harris speaks at the 2024 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Quadrennial Convention in Pennsylvania. 💻 Livestream
1:30 p.m.: Biden delivers remarks in Nashua, N.H., on the PACT Act.💻 Livestream
2:15 p.m.: Senate votes. 📆 Today’s agenda 3:50 p.m.: Harris returns to Washington.
5 p.m.: Biden participates in campaign receptions in Boston. 6:30 p.m.: First and last House votes. 📆 Today’s agenda
10:25 p.m.: Biden returns to the White House.
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