Donald Trump trial live updates: Verdict wait continues as jury deliberates for second day in hush money case

After Judge Juan Merchan wrapped up his instructions to the jury he had one last order for Donald Trump, his legal team and the prosecutors.

‘I do direct all of you to be please here,’ he said Wednesday, before heading for his robing room. ‘You cannot leave the building.’

It is another humbling moment for the man who was leader of the free world for four years and may yet be again after November’s election.

He held up traffic with his motorcade and closed airspace in Air Force One. But for the past five weeks in a New York courtroom, Trump has had to follow rules laid out by a judge and enforced by bailiffs.

Jury deliberations got underway on Thursday and twelve New York jurors now hold the fate of former U.S. President Donald Trump in their hands.

They deliberated for four-and-a-half hours and sent the judge two notes for testimony to be read back before they were sent home.

Here were the big moments of the day:

• Jury Instructions: Judge Juan Merchan read through the jury instructions for the jurors in a calm and even tone. The judge told the jury to consider only the evidence and instructed them to set aside bias and opinions about the ex-president. Merchan then read through the law and the 34 charges against Trump. He also explained how deliberations would proceed.
• Deliberations begin: The twelve jurors were then escorted from the courtroom to begin deliberations. They deliberated for about four and a half hours on the first day of jury deliberations.
• Trump sets expectations: While the jury began deliberations, Trump spoke to the media where he slammed the whole case as ‘rigged’ and put the ‘conflicted’ judge on blast. He said ‘Mother Teresa could not beat those charges.’
• Jury sends two notes: As the jury deliberations continued into the afternoon, the jury sent two notes with requests to the judge. The first requested four pieces of testimony. The jury wants to rehear Pecker’s testimony about a phone conversation with Trump while he was in an investor meeting, about a decision regarding the Karen McDougal life rights deal, and about a Trump Tower meeting. They also want Michael Cohen’s testimony on the meeting. The jury also asked to rehear the jury instructions.

Two court staff members are reading back the testimony of David Pecker from teh transcript.

The jury requested the Pecker testimony about taking a call from Trump while he was at an investors meeting.

They also requested his testimony on the Karen McDougal life rights deal and about a meeting at Trump Tower.

The jury requested the testimony of Michael Cohen about the Trump Tower meeting as well.

Judge Merchan’s read back of jury instructions just concluded.

As he was reading, Donald Trump appeared to have his eyes closed. At times, his chin was down as he slumped in his chair, suggesting he was asleep.

As the read back wrapped up, he visibly jolted in his chair.

Judge Merchan is reading back jury instructions on how to evaluate a witness’ credibility.

‘Under our law, Michael Cohen is an accomplice because there is evidence that he participated in a crime based upon conduct involved in the allegations here against the defendant.’

‘Our law is especially concerned about the testimony of an accomplice who implicates another in the commission of a crime, particularly when the accomplice has received, expects or hopes for a benefit in return for his testimony.’

Jurors took notes when the judge talked about the need for evidence to corroborate what Cohen was saying given he was considered an accomplice in the case.

Testimony from David Pecker would be one of the ways that Cohen’s testimony could be corroborated.

Who says Donald Trump only wears red ties? For the past seven weeks, as he comes and goes from courtroom 1530 he has offered a tour of his tie closet.

Ever aware of his image and how he comes across in photographs, he has limited his typical red tie to a once-a-week outing. It means picture desks know immediately if they are looking at fresh images by checking the color of tie. So today, if it’s not royal blue, they know it is an old picture.

Here’s a run-down of the ties so far:

1. Light blue – it may not be red but Trump seems to favor strong color blocks
2. Royal blue – on display again today
3. Red striped – interesting to note that the stripes run the British way not American
4. Blue striped – again note direction. Trump often takes his cues from the Old World
5. Gold patterend – a faint check gives texture
6. Deep red – old faithful

As well as making sure news organizations have different pictures every day, there is another factor in play. In the confines of a regimented courtroom, with the judge’s rules enforced by bailiffs, neckwear is one of the things that Trump can control.

Judge Merchan is rereading part of the jury instructions as requested by the jury.

The portion deals with the consideration of evidence in the case.

Merchan reads when they judge the fact, they are to only include the evidence.

He also reads that exhibits received into evidence are available upon request.

Merchan reads when they are evaluating the evidence, the jury may consider fact that is proven as well as inference from the facts.

Judge Merchan is going through the requests from the jury so far.

Judge Merchan says there’s a new note from the jury.

It came this morning at 9:32am after two notes were sent yesterday.

The jury had already requested the jury instructions.

The note appears to clarify what part of those instructions they wish to hear.

They wanted to hear that part about ‘how the jury considers the evidence and what inferences can be drawn from the facts,’ the judge says.

The jury also requested headphones to use with the evidence laptop.

The judge says yes to the request and also says they could have speakers for it.

Judge Juan Merchan is on the bench.

Trump is seated between his lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove.

Donald Trump spoke to the media after entering the courthouse.

‘Here we go again,’ he says.

The ex-president slammed the gag order and read excerpts from conservative legal commentators criticizing the case.

His defense lawyer Todd Blanche was at the ex-president’s side.

Trump’s son Eric is in court today.

He is also joined by lawyer Alina Habba, aides Jason Miller, Natalie Harp and campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in court today.

Donald Trump left Trump Tower and headed to his motorcade.

The former president, wearing a shiny blue tie, briefly waved before getting in an SUV.

The jury in Trump’s hush money trial is entering day two of deliberations. Yesterday, they deliberated for more than four hours and sent back two notes before being dismissed for the day. But it’s hard to say where the jury’s at based on the length of deliberations so far.

‘It’s so hard to make predictions around the deliberation process because we’re not in the room,’ says Cheryl Bader, associate professor at Fordham Law. ‘We also don’t have a sense of these 12 people and what their dynamic is.’

‘It’s a lot of testimony; it’s an important case. There’s a lot to get from sitting without being able to talk to anybody for weeks and weeks,’ she adds. ‘So I would think the first thing they just want is to talk about it and talk to each other.’

Bader was not surprised there wasn’t a verdict on day one of deliberations, but she also would not be surprised if there is a verdict by the end of the week.

Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s attorney Alina Habba and his campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt were among his supporters in court on Wednesday as jury deliberations began.

His loyal aide Natalie Harp, known by some as the ‘human printer’ for giving him copies of news articles, was also in the courtroom.

Twelve Manhattan residents have Donald Trump’s fate in their hands as the historic hush money case against the ex-president heads to jury deliberations.

Through six weeks of sometimes salacious and other times grueling witness testimony the jury listened closely as prosecutors laid out their case and Trump’s defense team attempted sow doubt.

Seven men and five women – including a corporate lawyer and a woman who called the ex-president ‘selfish’ – will ultimately determine if Trump is guilty or not guilty of hiding a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about their alleged affair in an effort to influence the 2016 election.

DailyMail.com breaks down what we know about who gets to decide Trump’s innocence or guilt.

Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed the case against him as ‘rigged’ upon leaving the courtroom.

‘Mother Teresa could not beat those charges,’ Trump said speaking to the media. ‘But we’ll see.’

The ex-president also went after Judge Merchan.

‘The judge is so conflicted that he can’t breathe,’ he claimed.

Trump blasted Merchan for contributing to President Biden and suggested he’s done ‘far worse than that, but I’m not allowed to talk about it because of a gag order.’

Donald Trump and his eldest son, Don Jr. put out a TikTok on Wednesday night that saw the duo sitting together in a back room at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse concocting their next mean tweet.

Judge Juan Merchan wrapped up his instructions to the jury on Wednesday as they retired to consider their verdict, but he had one last order for the former president, his legal team and the prosecutors.

‘I do direct all of you to be please here,’ he instructed. You cannot leave the building.’

It means for that for the first time in several weeks, Trump has time on his hands.

Sitting together with his son in one of the courthouse’s white-walled meeting rooms, accompanied with a bottle of Diet Coke and several boxes of chocolates, the pair turned the camera on themselves to create a short clip.