New York Jury Hears Closing Arguments as Trump Hush-Money Trial Nears End

The jury listened to closing arguments in the criminal trial of former US president Donald Trump on Tuesday. Defense attorneys sought to portray their client as a victim of blackmail, while prosecutors emphasised their case's focal point: election interference.

After over four weeks of testimony, jurors endured hours of closing arguments before potentially commencing deliberations as early as Wednesday.

Defense lawyer Todd Blanche targeted the prosecution's witnesses, notably Michael Cohen, Trump's former legal representative and fixer. Blanche labeled Cohen as "literally the MVP of liars" and urged jurors to scrutinise his testimony due to his history of falsehoods, including a 2018 guilty plea for lying to Congress.

Blanche also challenged the credibility of another key witness, adult film star Stormy Daniels, alleging she attempted to extort Trump by threatening to disclose their alleged affair during the 2016 election campaign.

Prosecutors, led by District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, emphasised their allegation of a scheme to unlawfully influence the 2016 election by suppressing Daniels's story. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass refuted the defense's argument that Trump sought to shield his reputation and family, pointing out the timing of the payment to Daniels.

Regarding Cohen's reliability, Steinglass acknowledged his shortcomings but stressed that Trump had selected him as his fixer for a reason, alleging Cohen's willingness to deceive on Trump's behalf.

In his closing remarks, Steinglass urged jurors to focus on evidence rather than distractions, emphasizing logical inferences drawn from the evidence presented.

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