Trump hush money trial concludes its first week as ex-president rants about presidential immunity: Live updates

A busy day in Congress is unfolding this lunchtime.

Right here’s a quick abstract of what’s occurring.

219-213: Home defeated a GOP revised border safety and immigration coverage invoice, thought of underneath suspension of the principles which wanted a two-thirds vote for passage. 5 Democrats voted Sure with all Republicans.

249-167: Home authorised Nunn (R-IA) modification to the laws of nationwide safety measures requiring Treasury Dept. to submit a report and briefing to Congress figuring out all property of the Iranian Authorities or lined individuals valued at greater than $5m.

360-58: Home handed the primary of 4 overseas help payments which incorporates laws to power China to divest from TikTok in a single yr or the app faces a ban within the US. Additionally handed was a invoice for utilizing seized Russian property to rebuild Ukraine (REPO Act) in addition to sanctions on Russia and Iran, and for fentanyl trafficking.

385-34-1: Home authorised $8.1bn in overseas help for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific Area, the second of 4 nationwide safety payments the Home is voting on at the moment to be merged into one package deal and despatched to the Senate. Tlaib (D-MI) voted Current.

Town of New York is “crime-ridden and dying,” in keeping with Donald Trump. He has referred to as a prison case in opposition to him a “mess,” the decide hopelessly “conflicted,” and the prosecutor a “thug.” The previous president’s attorneys declare that the complete borough of Manhattan is “overwhelmingly biased” in opposition to him.

Ought to Mr Trump finally be discovered responsible, he may theoretically face greater than a decade in jail, according to CNN chief legal analyst Laura Coates, who factors out that the felony counts in opposition to Mr Trump are labeled as Class E crimes in New York, that are the bottom stage felonies within the state.

However it’s somewhat extra sophisticated than that, as Joe Sommerlad explains:

Donald Trump is again on Fact Social, once more sharing his theories on presidential immunity, this time along with his caps-lock off:

If a President doesn’t have Immunity, the Opposing Celebration, throughout his/her time period in Workplace, can extort and blackmail the President by saying that, “should you don’t give us all the things we wish, we are going to Indict you for stuff you did whereas in Workplace,” even when all the things achieved was completely Authorized and Applicable. That might be the top of the Presidency, and our Nation, as we all know it, and is simply one of many many Traps there can be for a President with out Presidential Immunity. Obama, Bush, and shortly, Crooked Joe Biden, would all be in BIG TROUBLE. If a President doesn’t have IMMUNITY, he/she might be nothing greater than a “Ceremonial” President, hardly ever having the braveness to do what needs to be achieved for our Nation. This isn’t what the Founders had in thoughts! Shield Presidential Immunity. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Particular counsel Jack Smith has urged the US Supreme Court to reject Mr Trump’s “unprecedented” declare that presidential immunity protects him from going through federal expenses for attempting to overturn the 2020 election.

In a 66-page authorized submitting on 8 April, the particular counsel’s workplace wrote that “a bedrock precept of our constitutional order is that no individual is above the legislation — together with the president”.

“The Structure doesn’t give a president the ability to conspire to defraud the US within the certification of presidential-election outcomes, impede proceedings for doing so or deprive voters of the impact of their votes,” the submitting provides.

In a typical presidential election yr, candidates will spend the 11 months main as much as election day shaking arms and kissing infants at rallies because the primaries unfold.

As a substitute, the ex-president might be compelled to juggle his campaign for the White House whereas additionally defending himself in federal and state courts in 4 totally different instances which have hearings and trial dates scattered all through 2024.

Ariana Baio walks us by means of the previous president’s sophisticated schedule…

Alex Woodward watched proceedings in courtroom on Friday:

5 remaining alternate jurors had been chosen on Friday, concluding a four-day week of jury selection to start the first-ever prison trial of an American president.

The previous president, craning his neck to observe a remaining pool of potential jurors, leaned ahead in his chair and scribbled notes on the defence desk as a bunch of Manhattan residents had been quizzed about their opinions of him.

“I consider we have now a full panel,” New York Justice Juan Merchan advised the courtroom on Friday afternoon, after seating 5 alternates.

Jurors have been instructed to return to the prison courthouse on Monday morning, and attorneys are anticipated to ship opening arguments in a case that might last as long as two months.

Donald Trump’s request to halt his New York hush cash trial was rejected by an appeals courtroom decide after a jury panel was chosen within the historic case.

The Friday afternoon ruling got here simply hours after the jury of 12 folks and 6 alternates was seated within the case, which means opening statements can start on Monday.

Justice Marsha Michael took simply minutes to difficulty the ruling after a brief listening to.

Graeme Massie has the story:

The former first lady has to date shied away from the path in the course of the 2024 marketing campaign however at the moment will attend a Mar-a-Lago occasion hosted by the LGBT+ group the Log Cabin Republicans.

Gustaf Kilander has the story:

And the courtroom is “freezing”: