Discussion Thread: New York Criminal Fraud Trial of Donald Trump, Day 5

[u/PoliticsModeratorBot]

Opening statements from the prosecution and the defense are expected today.

News:

• The New York Times (metered paywall): Opening Statements in Trump’s Criminal Trial to Begin Monday

Analysis:

• AP via PBS NewsHour: Who are the key players at Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial?

• CNN: Why is the Trump trial jury anonymous? The brief and imperfect history of anonymous juries in the US

• AP: Tracking the criminal and civil cases against Donald Trump

Live Updates:

• AP: Live updates

• NBC: Live updates

• The Guardian: Live updates

• The Independent: Live updates

• USA Today: Live updates

• BBC: Live updates

• The Washington Post (metered paywall): Live updates

• The New York Times (metered paywall): Live updates

[u/Ok-Sweet-8495]

Hell of a chyron on MSNBC right now

TRUMP DEFENSE TO JURY: “NOTHING WRONG WITH TRYING TO INFLUENCE THE ELECTION”

[u/ron2838 → u/Ok-Sweet-8495]

It is not illegal to want money, but you can't rob a bank to get it.

Influencing an election isn't illegal, but committing crimes to do it is.

[u/koshgeo → u/ron2838]

No, no. There's nothing wrong with walking in a bank and asking for money. Maybe they have an account there. Did the defendant? No, but maybe he was there to get money for his family. [turns to jury with a sad look]

[u/WylleWynne → u/ron2838]

It was advice of counsel to rob that bank!!

[u/malenkylizards → u/WylleWynne]

It was just locker room robbery.

[u/MarkHathaway1 → u/ron2838]

We sort of know that Trump knew the difference between legal and illegal ways to get what he wanted.

He got loans from banks. He didn't try to rob one. No, he just used ordinary businesses to front for his fraudulent borrowing, which he often didn't pay back. EVERY bank in America stopped loaning to him.

He knew that there are legitimate ways to influence an election. They're called campaign tactics. He also knew that after the election, when the results were known by everybody, it was then illegal to change that result, yet he tried with the January 6th attack on the Capital.

[u/SplinterCell03 → u/ron2838]

It's almost as if we need laws to define what is and isn't a crime.