The Full Belmonte, 4/27/2024
Trump’s lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution’s first witness in hush money trial
“Donald Trump’s defense team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution’s first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican’s 2016 presidential campaign.” Read More at AP News
Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media alongside his attorney Todd Blanche (right) after leaving the courtroom at the end of the day today. | Pool photo by Dave Sanders
“MIXED FORTUNES — The prosecution in the Trump trial got what they wanted from former American Media CEO David Pecker this week — a concession that the hush money payments he made on behalf of Trump were done in order to help Donald Trump’s campaign for president.
Over the course of five days, Pecker made more than a few assertions that were useful in the case against Trump. He testified that he made ‘catch and kill’ deals with a former Trump Tower doorman and former Playboy model Karen McDougal to keep potential bombshell stories quiet in the midst of the election.
All were direct torpedo hits to the defense’s opening statement Monday, in which Trump lawyer Todd Blanche argued that any and all hush money payments were to keep negative stories from reaching Trump’s family’s eyes, rather than the voting public. Prosecutors want to prove the payments corrupted the 2016 election, Trump’s lawyers want the jury to believe that they had little to do with politics and everything to do with protecting Trump’s family.
In the midst of his testimony, Pecker provided new details about Trump’s 2016 campaign and White House operations. Pecker detailed a ‘thank you’ dinner that Trump hosted for him at the White House in July 2017 for his help keeping these stories private. ‘It’s your dinner,’ Pecker testified Trump told him. When Pecker arrived, Trump also inquired as to how Karen McDougal was doing.
The former publisher of the National Enquirer tabloid also testified as to Trump fixer Michael Cohen’s insistence that Trump ‘has [then-attorney general] Jeff Sessions in his pocket,’ altogether painting a picture of the former president as a man willing to bend rules and regulations to his personal and political benefit.
The prosecution’s successful week in Manhattan court was made all the more important by another legal proceeding about 250 miles away in Washington.
In a hearing at the Supreme Court on Thursday concerning Trump’s claim of immunity from federal criminal charges, Trump’s team had a shockingly good day. While legal observers generally assumed the Court would swat down Trump’s argument that a former president should be immune from prosecution relating to his time in office, at least three justices — John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch — suggested that the Court would at the very least have to send the case back to lower courts to determine just what evidence special counsel Jack Smith could bring to trial. That’s in addition to two justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, who appeared to fully accept Trump’s claims of presidential immunity.
Alito went so far as to put forward the argument that not granting full presidential immunity from prosecution would in fact make the president more likely to commit crimes in an attempt to stay in office.
Even if the Court doesn’t entirely endorse Trump’s insistence that he’s fully immune, sending the case back down to a lower court would end any hope that prosecutors had to bring it before the election. And that’s a victory of sorts for Trump — if he wins in November, the decision would for all intents and purposes stop him from being prosecuted for his attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election at all, given that he would be able to shut down the work of the special counsel as president.
The Manhattan hush money case is largely considered to be the weakest legal case of the four criminal cases in which Trump has been indicted. But the big, bright spotlight on it grew even more intense this week. All indications are that this is the only bite at the apple that criminal prosecutors around the country are going to get at Trump this year.
And with next week scheduled to feature testimony from additional witnesses — who have yet to be identified — the two sides are digging in. Trump’s lawyers are trying to undermine Pecker and other witnesses in order to stick to their argument that none of the payments were politically motivated. The prosecution, meanwhile, seeks to tie all of the hush money payments to malfeasance related to the 2016 election.
Legal observers have likened this trial, largely about falsifying business records, to getting Al Capone on tax evasion. But the events of the week revealed that it’s suddenly more important than originally thought — it’s the only case that will conclude before the presidential election. If the pressure wasn’t ratcheted all the way up before, it certainly is now.” [POLITICO]
Blinken's warnings to Xi
Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping today in Beijing. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool
“The Chinese government may be attempting to influence the U.S. election, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a CNN interview today as he ended a three-day trip to China.
‘We have seen, generally speaking, evidence of attempts to influence and arguably interfere, and we want to make sure that that's cut off as quickly as possible,’ Blinken said.
‘Any interference by China in our election is something that we're looking very carefully at and is totally unacceptable to us, so I wanted to make sure that they heard that message again,’ Blinken said.
Blinken also raised concerns about the materials and other assistance China has been providing to the Russian military.
‘Russia would struggle to sustain its assault on Ukraine without China's support,’ Blinken said after a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.” [Axios]
U.S.-China Tensions
Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 26.Mark Schiefelbein/AFP via Getty Images
“U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday after three days of talks between Blinken and top Chinese officials and business leaders, including a 5 1/2-hour meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. This was Blinken’s second visit to China since U.S. President Joe Biden took office and the second high-level trip by a U.S. official to the country this month; Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen spent five days in the country in early April meeting with Chinese officials and finance leaders. That came on the heels of a rare phone call between Biden and Xi on April 2.
The flurry of diplomatic contacts reflects an effort by the two world powers to stabilize their relationship after the period of animosity earlier in Biden’s tenure, and it comes despite numerous areas of disagreement that continue to strain relations. ‘We are committed to maintaining and strengthening lines of communication between us’ to prevent ‘any miscommunications, any misperceptions, and any miscalculations,’ Blinken said during his visit.
Xi expressed similar aspirations: ‘China and the United States should be partners rather than rivals,’ Xi told Blinken, adding that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the two countries establishing diplomatic ties.
Yet tensions remained high as both sides accused the other of trying to stifle their respective economies and influence their foreign-policy strategies. ‘The United States has adopted an endless stream of measures to suppress China’s economy, trade, science, and technology,’ Wang said. Xi appeared to echo this sentiment, blaming Washington for trying to hinder China’s technological progress and encircling its interests in the Indo-Pacific, specifically regarding Taiwan and the South China Sea.
Blinken pointed fingers as well, accusing Beijing of endangering U.S. jobs with cheap Chinese exports. He also threatened to place new sanctions on China—adding to the more than 100 sanctions that already exist on Chinese individuals and entities—if Beijing does not curb its support for Russia in its war against Ukraine. In April, a senior Biden administration official said China has provided Moscow with semiconductors, drones, and other materials that fill critical gaps in Russian supply chains. ‘Russia would struggle to sustain its assault on Ukraine without China’s support,’ Blinken said on Friday.
China has denied providing weapons to Russia and maintains its neutrality in the war. However, soon after Blinken arrived in Beijing on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he will visit China in May.
Among other top concerns, Blinken told CNN on Friday that Washington has seen evidence of Chinese attempts to ‘influence and arguably interfere’ in the United States’ upcoming presidential election despite Xi pledging not to do so during his meeting with Biden at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco last November. Campaign rhetoric has since grown more hawkish as Biden faces pressure to better protect U.S. industries from Chinese competition.
Few agreements emerged during this week’s talks, and there was reportedly no mention of the recently passed U.S. law that will ban TikTok if its Chinese owner, ByteDance, does not sell it within a year. However, both sides established their first joint conversation on artificial intelligence, to be held in the coming weeks. And the United States and China agreed to continue improving bilateral communication between their militaries as well as increase cultural exchanges, with Blinken saying he supports more U.S. citizens studying in China.” [Foreign Policy]
“Senior resignations. Political chaos in Vietnam escalated on Friday after Vuong Dinh Hue, the chair of Vietnam’s National Assembly, resigned. Hue was the fourth most powerful member of the country’s Communist Party, and his decision marks the latest high-level resignation over a sweeping corruption investigation that has accused senior leaders of violating party regulations, including former Vietnamese Presidents Vo Van Thuong and Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
In more resignation news, caretaker Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry officially stepped down on Thursday. Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert, who has overseen the country since Henry left on a diplomatic mission to Kenya two months ago and was prevented from returning, will lead a transitional council of representatives from several political parties to prepare for future presidential elections. The council was formally sworn in on Thursday. Regional experts hope a new government will be able to accept the deployment of a United Nations-approved security force to combat rampant gang violence across Port-au-Prince.” [Foreign Policy]
“Round two. India kicked off the second phase of its general elections on Friday with 88 out of 543 lower house seats up for grabs. Voter turnout on Friday, however, was only 61 percent—lower than last week’s 65 percent. Five years ago, turnout during the second phase reached 68 percent. India’s Election Commission expressed concern that unseasonably hot weather, among other factors, could affect turnout.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party are leading in the polls. The right-wing leader has accused the opposition Indian National Congress party of favoring minority Muslims and planning to introduce an inheritance tax, charges that Congress members have denied. In turn, Congress blamed Modi for using Hindu nationalist language to distract voters from key issues, such as unemployment and India’s rising cost of living. General elections conclude on June 1, and votes will be counted on June 4.” [Foreign Policy]
“Funding support. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a $6 billion military aid package to Ukraine on Friday. It will include critical interceptors for air defense systems, counter-drone systems, artillery ammunition, air-to-ground munitions, and other maintenance and support equipment. ‘If Putin prevails in Ukraine, the security circumstances would be global,’ Austin said, pointing to Biden’s past comment that the Russian president would not stop in Kyiv.
This is the largest U.S. package solely dedicated to Ukraine’s war effort to date, and it comes after Biden signed off on a $95 billion funding package on Wednesday that includes around $61 billion for Ukraine. Another aid package of up to $1 billion was approved earlier this week.” [Foreign Policy]
Menthols, marketed by brands including Newport and Kool, account for more than a third of all cigarettes sold in the U.S. annually.
PHOTO: MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES
The Biden administration is reversing course on its plan to ban menthol cigarettes.
“The decision comes after weighing the potential public-health benefits of banning minty smokes ( read for free) against the political risk of angering some Black voters in an election year. The White House said that it needs more time to consult with outside groups on the matter. Menthols account for more than a third of all cigarettes sold in the U.S. each year and are predominantly used by Black and Hispanic smokers, according to a WSJ analysis of National Survey on Drug Use and Health data. Some Black community leaders had fought the ban, saying it would expand the illicit market for cigarettes and lead police to racially profile Black smokers. The ACLU and some members of the Congressional Black Caucus expressed similar concerns.” [Wall Street Journal]
Donald Trump’s allies are drawing up plans that would attempt to erode the Fed’s independence, if the former president wins a second term.
“Some advisers argue that he should be consulted on interest-rate decisions, and a secret draft document recommends subjecting Fed regulations to White House review and more forcefully using the Treasury Department as a check on the central bank, according to people familiar with the matter. They also say some contend that Trump would have the authority to oust Jerome Powell as Fed chair before his four-year term ends in 2026, though Powell would likely remain on the central bank’s board of governors. It couldn’t be determined whether Trump is aware of or signed off on the effort, but some people close to the discussions believe he gave it his blessing. The Fed has enjoyed considerable operational autonomy in setting interest rates since the Truman administration.” [Wall Street Journal]
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Music
Republic Records, via Associated Press
““The Tortured Poets Department,” Taylor Swift’s latest album, is not universally loved. The Times’s pop music team discussed its lukewarm reception.
Beyoncé shared her hair-care routine on Instagram to promote her new line of products. In it, she rejected the idea that ‘people who wear wigs don’t have long and healthy hair.’
RZA, the leader of the Wu-Tang Clan, spoke to The Times about his veganism and the connection between masculinity and meat.
The estate of Tupac Shakur threatened to sue Drake over his use of the rapper’s voice — likely generated by A.I. — in a diss tracked aimed at Kendrick Lamar, Pitchfork reports.
The Spice Girls reunited at Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday party. A video of them singing their 1997 song “Stop” was posted on Instagram by David Beckham.
Film and TV
Bill Skarsgard in “Boy Kills World.” Roadside Attractions/Lionsgate
Read The Times’s critics on the films that are worth seeing — or at least knowing about — this week, including Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” and “Boy Kills World,” starring Bill Skarsgard.
The rom-com “Anyone but You,” which is led by Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, beat box-office odds to become a hit. The actors discussed its success and leaning into on-set romance rumors.
Other Big Stories
A Second City performance in Brooklyn. Carlos Perez
New York City’s improv scene took a hit during the pandemic. Now, a new energy can be seen in performances throughout the city, our comedy columnist writes.
In the latest Fashion Chatter column, Ruth La Ferla spoke to the activist Gloria Steinem, who was tapped to promote a campaign about self-acceptance, about her beauty ideals.
The nominees for the Turner Prize, the prestigious British art award, were announced. The four chosen artists draw on personal history and identity in their work.
Here are 10 highlights from the Venice Biennale, which opened last week.
The Getty Museum in Los Angeles will return an ancient bronze head to Turkey. An antiquities dealer sold the work in 1971, but it was later found to have been looted.” [New York Times]