NEW YORK: Defence lawyers in Donald Trump’s hush money trial made their final pitch to the jury on Tuesday, insisting the first ever criminal prosecution of a former US president was based on “lies”.

Meanwhile, a federal judge refused a request by prosecutors to impose a gag order barring Trump from making inflammatory comments about law enforcement, after his campaign falsely claimed the FBI was authorised to assassinate him during its search of his Florida estate.

Trump is accused of falsifying business records to reimburse his lawyer, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, when her account of a 2006 sexual encounter could have doomed his 2016 presidential campaign.

“This is a very dangerous day for America,” Trump told reporters before entering the Manhattan courtroom as three of his five children — Don Jr, Eric and Tiffany — stood behind him. “We have a rigged court case that should have never been brought.”

“President Trump is innocent,” his defense attorney Todd Blanche told the jury at the start of what he said would be about two-and-a-half hours of closing arguments.

“The consequences of the lack of proof you have heard over the last five weeks is simple — it’s a not guilty verdict,” Blanche said. He attacked Cohen, the prosecution’s star witness, as a liar.

“He told you a number of things on that witness stand that were lies, pure and simple,” Blanche said. “You cannot convict president Trump of any crime beyond a reasonable doubt on the word of Michael Cohen.”

Then-president Trump was “busy running the country” when the reimbursements were made to Cohen,” he said, and he did not inspect all the invoices that came across his desk.

“There was no intent to defraud and beyond that there was no conspiracy to influence the 2016 election by president Trump,” Blanche said. “He did not commit any crimes.”

Trump had a grave look on his face as his lawyer spoke, his head titled to the side studying the jurors. He gave a thumbs-up as he left the courtroom during a break but did not address reporters.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2024