ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - May 28, 2024

tonight breaking news as we come on the air  the closing arguments right now in Donald  

Trump's criminal trial next the jury gets  this case also developing the tornado watch  

right now and the new dangerous system sweeping  through and the major building explosion debris  

raining down the images coming in now first  tonight jurors listening intently Donald Trump  

looking at the jury the defense lawyers and  the prosecution directly addressing the jury  

making their closing arguments what both sides  argued in these Final hours also tonight this D  

system sweeping through with speed and damaging  winds at the tornado watch right now after deadly  

storms this holiday the woman who survived holding  onto a door knob in her home Ginger Z is here  

tracking this new threat in the hours ahead the  imag is coming in tonight that massive building  

explosion late today in Youngstown Ohio they are  trying to account for everyone First Responders  

racing to the scene the Urgent Manhunt tonight  for three suspects in the killing of a former  

actor on General Hospital authorities believe the  actor interrupted them as they were stealing a key  

part from his car A Part authorities say has  valuable medals being stolen and resold also  

just in tonight a US military jet has gone down  an F-35 fighter jet crash we have news on the  

Pilot's condition and the other plane crash seven  people jumping out and surviving tonight Israel  

intensifying its ground assault on Rafa after that  deadly Israeli air strike that killed two Hamas  

leaders and then ignited a fire on a camp killing  dozens of displaced Palestinians back here at home  

tonight Jimmy Kimmel's emotional message about his  7-year-old son's third heart surgery tonight the  

news on Bruce Springstein the new message has now  posted and Diane Sawyer is here tonight the ABC  

News exclusive the sisters of Nicole Brown sitting  down with Diane 30 years after Nicole's death just  

weeks now after OJ Simpson's death their message  now to any family facing down domestic violence  

and [Music] grief from ABC News world headquarters  in New York this is World News Tonight with David  

mure good evening and it's great to be back with  all of you at home after the Memorial Day holiday  

I know for many of you it brought devastating  storms there are new concerns right now and  

we'll go to Ginger Z with this new forecast in a  moment also news on that major building explosion  

a short time ago in Ohio but we are going to  begin tonight with the dramatic scene playing  

out in court closing arguments in the criminal  trial of former president Trump tonight the jury  

has now agreed to stay later than normal to wrap  up these closing arguments the jury will then get  

this case all day today the defense addressing  the jurors and the prosecution making its closing  

arguments right to the jury too Donald Trump  studying the juror faces as well all listening  

intently ABC's senior investigative correspondent  Erin kerki leading us off with the scene inside  

that courtroom who was there who was noticeably  absent and the final argument from both sides  

tonight a jury of five women and seven men on the  brink of deciding the first ever criminal trial  

of a former American president we see how it goes  this is a very dangerous day for America it's a  

very sad day in a packed and stuffy courtroom  jurors heard hours of closing arguments the  

defense went first telling jurors they cannot  convict former president Donald Trump based on  

testimony from the prosecution's key witness  Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen defense  

attorney Todd Bland said Cohen told you a number  of things on that witness stand that were lies  

pure and simple he called Cohen the greatest liar  of all time an MVP of liars and said Cohen came  

to the witness stand bent on Revenge with an ax  to grind but when Trump's lawyer told the jury  

you cannot send someone to prison based upon the  words of Michael Cohen judge Juan Maran said that  

went too far calling the comment outrageous and  improper and then reminding the jury they have no  

say on sentencing the jury listen as blanch said  Trump did not commit any crimes and distanced the  

former president from the invoices and Records  presented in the case insisting Trump was too  

busy to look at the checks he signed and there  was no conspiracy to influence the 2016 election  

Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying  business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money  

payment 12 days before the 2016 election so voters  wouldn't learn of his sexual trist with porn star  

stormmy Daniels that Trump denies ever happened  on the witness stand Daniels provided details that  

prosecutors today said we're cringeworthy but  ring true Grew From what Trump was wearing to  

the contents of his toiletry bag Trump's lawyers  called Daniel's testimony pure embarrassment meant  

to inflame the jury the defense arguing Daniels  was out to extort Trump saying she saw a time to  

strike after the release of the Access Hollywood  tape where Trump was caught on camera bragging  

about groping women when you're a star they let  you do it you can do anything prosecutors called  

that Access Hollywood tape the equivalent of a  category 5 hurricane hitting the campaign but  

the defense said it wasn't a doomsday event  Trump was merely concerned about his family  

and his wife before his closing was finished  blanch with his final words to the jury this  

isn't a referendum of your views on President  Trump this is a very easy and quick not guilty  

verdict but then it was the prosecution's turn  putting Trump at the center of what it called  

a conspiracy and a coverup that could very well  be what got president Trump elected that Trump  

was deeply concerned Daniel's story was capable  of costing him the whole election and he knew  

it so prosecutors argued that's what motivated  Trump to disguise the payments as legal expenses  

prosecutor Josh steinglass addressing critics of  the case you may say who cares who cares if Mr  

Trump slept with a porn star 10 years before the  2016 election but he added it's hard to say that  

the American people don't have the right to decide  for themselves and the prosecutor acknowledging  

Michael Cohen's a complicated witness saying  the defense goes on and on about Michael Cohen  

is immoral or a liar or a thief we didn't choose  Michael Cohen to be a witness we didn't pick him  

up at a witness store door the defendant chose  him as a fixer because he was willing to lie  

and cheat and the prosecution in their closing  argument also bringing up that Access Hollywood  

tape directly refuting what the defense had said  arguing the defendant's primary concern was not  

his family but the election jurors watched it  all intently along with Trump's eldest sons and  

daughter Tiffany who joined him in court today  but notably absent daughter Ivanka and Trump's  

wife Melania so let's get right to Aaron kki live  again tonight outside the Courthouse Aaron the  

jury agreeing to stay later than normal tonight to  wrap up these closing arguments uh take us inside  

the courtroom the defense directly addressing the  jury the prosecution directly addressing the jury  

at at times you reported Donald Trump squarely  studying the jury too he occasionally glanced  

right over at the people who will decide his fate  those five women and seven men David sometimes he  

kept focused on his lawyer or shook his head if he  heard something he didn't like from the prosecutor  

but after these lengthy closing arguments and  5 weeks of testimony from 22 Witnesses the jury  

will have this case tomorrow David Eric aturki  leading us off here Aaron thank you we turn out  

of the breaking news the image is coming in right  now from downtown Youngstown Ohio the scene of  

a massive and devastating building explosion a  bank on the first floor ripped open there were  

alarms just before the explosion apartments in  the building above tonight the race to account  

for everyone there several people rushed to the  hospital ABC's Alex Perez with late reporting for  

us tonight uh terrifying building explosion in  Youngstown Ohio just before 3:00 sending debris  

flying and creating a plume of dust the front of  a Chase Bank on the first floor ripped off one  

witness standing about 30 ft away says he heard an  alarm sound right before the explosion people were  

running all over the place smoke debris there was  stuff coming like insulation and paper flying all  

over the place coming out of the bank SE multiple  ambulance at this location multiple people trapped  

in the basement rescued one we're working  on second First Responders scrambling to the  

scene to rescue residents from apartment in the  building a Fire official say at least seven people  

were transported to the hospital one in critical  condition at least two people are still reported  

missing and David Witnesses reported smelling gas  after the blast and authorities say that is one  

of the possibilities they are investigating as  they work to pinpoint what exactly caused this  

blast David Alex pz tonight Alex thank you it was  a weekend of deadly Memorial Day storms and then  

today another dangerous system a sweeping right  through from Dallas to Houston there is a tornado  

watch right now as we're on the air Ginger is  standing by for us this all comes after tornadoes  

and severe storms from Texas all the way up to  the Northeast This Tornado just south of Scranton  

Pennsylvania ginger has these new storms tonight  in ABC's Mora vial in Frisco Texas tonight North  

of Dallas tonight after a devastating and deadly  Memorial Day holiday weekend and of violent storms  

yet another horrific system sweeping through  Texas oh my God torrential rain inundating  

drivers on Interstate 635 in Dallas CCTV footage  showing this American Airlines plane pushed by the  

wind away from the gate at DFW Airport Americans  says high winds affected multiple aircrafts more  

than 600 flights in and out of Dallas airports  cancelled in Garland Cindy nolles and her hust  

been nearly crushed by that tree on their house  had you waited 10 15 seconds longer you would have  

been right there where that tree fell he would  have been under it definitely so by the time the  

storms made their way to Houston outages topped  a million across the state C your head cover your  

head this latest round comes after a deadly  weekend with more than 70 reported tornadoes  

horrifying vide showing motorists Sheltering from  an ef2 tornado at this gas station in Valley View

not far from there Yolanda Vasquez showing  me how she survived yes holding at the door  

knob that's it just holding a door knob and  praying praying to God David the home you see  

behind me just had a new roof installed after  suffering from hail damage that it received a  

few months ago during a storm lightning hit it  this morning and then a fire basically consumed  

the entire thing everyone was safe inside  but needless to say people here in North  

Texas are on edge knowing that more rain is  in the forecast for later this week David now  

that home hit twice this spring has been just  a devastating spring Maria thank you let's get  

right to chief meteorologist Ginger Z tracking it  all again tonight for us hi Ginger hi David the  

busiest severe weather season to date in 13 years  so it is definitely not something we're imagining  

here and it keeps going tonight we've got those  storms that are blasting on I 10 just west of  

New Orleans that's from the morning storms that  hit Dallas but also brand new ones coming into  

the high plains from Colorado down through the  Texas Panhandle we're going to see more action  

as we go through tonight and then after the sun  sets things will start to diminish a bit by 2:  

a.m or so it'll kind of die out but then tomorrow  we're going to look for a new area that is Rockies  

and High Plains you could see big hail and also  damaging winds as the main hazards Rapid City is  

in that region and then North Texas David gets  it again by Thursday all right we'll be watching  

it all week right here with you thanks Ginger  we turn now of the Urgent manh hunt for three  

ects in the killing of a former actor in General  Hospital authorities believe the actor interrupted  

them as they were stealing a key part from his  car A Part authorities say has valuable Metals  

being stolen and resold Matt Gman from Los Angeles  tonight tonight the LAPD seeking The public's help  

to locate the suspects involved in the tragic  murder of former General Hospital star Johnny  

Wacker suspects are three males wearing masks  weapon used the unknown caliber handgun still  

outstanding early Saturday morning morning his  mother says Wacker was leaving his bartending  

job and walking to his car with a female coworker  in downtown Los Angeles he saw his car kind of  

jacked up to one side and he said hey hey man you  tell him my car three suspects allegedly trying  

to steal the catalytic converter and Johnny  immediately stepped in front of the coworker  

and the person shot him right then point blank  according to police the suspects wearing dark  

clothing then fled the scene in a dark colored  sedan the 37-year-old was rushed to the hospital  

where he was pronounced dead you kicked me  out W actor was best known for playing the  

role of Brando Corbin in more than 100 episodes  of General Hospital so you're taking me to jail  

he also appeared on shows like NCIS and Criminal  Minds his family devastated by the loss one of the  

worst Parts is uh just not being able to have  a conversation with them again one of my best  

friends David theft of catalytic converters has  been epidemic the past couple of years because of  

the value of the precious metals they contain now  the LAPD telling us their homicide investigation  

is now in full swing they're trying to get some  of the surveillance video from that area but they  

tell us they have made no arrests and they have no  suspects David Matt Gutman reporting from La Matt  

thank you tonight Israel is now pushing farther  into Rafa and the White House is now condemning  

the loss of dozens of civilians after an Israeli  airstrike killed two Hamas leaders but so many  

civilians too when a fire then ignited at a camp  tonight the White House telling reporters Israel  

has not violated President Biden's Red Line Britt  clenet in Israel again tonight tonight sources  

tell ABC News Israeli tanks have moved into the  center of Rua following an air strike Sunday  

evening that triggered a catastrophic Inferno at  a refugee camp there 50 Palestinians were killed  

about half of them women and children according  to the Hamas run Health Ministry AWA Naf says she  

could hear Sunday's explosions less than a mile  away what did it sound like he understood that  

this is something very big the IDF said that the  fire ignited due to unforeseen consequences are  

you saying nothing went wrong operationally the  the attack per se was according to procedure the  

reason for the casualties was the fire that broke  out afterwards Israeli officials say the strike  

that killed two Hamas leaders may have triggered  secondary explosions possibly from stored weapons  

or fuel canisters nearby Israeli leader  Benjamin Netanyahu called it a tragic mishap  

the attack Drew International condemnation you've  all seen the images they're they're heartbreaking  

they're horrific David the White House tonight  saying it does not believe any red lines have  

been crossed because it's not a fullscale ground  invasion in Rafa adding that it sees nothing to  

prompt a change in US policy towards Israel  David Brit Clinton in Tel Aviv Forest thank  

you Brit we turn next this evening to the Diane  soyer exclusive her new interview with Nicole  

Brown's sisters it comes 30 years after Diane's  first interview interview with the family after  

Nicole was killed in June of 1994 and tonight here  just weeks after OJ Simpson's death their message  

to any family facing domestic violence and grief  here's Diane it's been 30 years since Nicole Brown  

was murdered and I walked into the living room  where her family had gathered Three Sisters in  

shock and anguish Denise Dominique and Tanya and  now the three sisters walk into the room today

hi beautiful lady 30 years yeah can you believe it  a new lifetime documentary has Unearthed pictures  

and videos of their radiant sister Nicole with all  her vitality and warmth a loving mother I love you  

love you it's the voice of Nicole that we wanted  to hear I hope they get a true sense of who Nicole  

is in this documentary she was only 18 years old  working as a waitress in the hope of studying  

photography when a glamorous customer fastened on  her at the time their sister didn't tell them the  

truth of his brutality I saw a picture you know  the very young Polaroid picture of Nicole right I  

said oh my God Nick I said look at that black eye  and she said no no no it was the makeup artist at  

the studio I didn't know it was a real black eye  I had no idea later they were stunned when they  

read Nicole's chilling secret diaries of her life  Dominique found them I found her will her Diaries  

just stacked in a box underneath the kitchen  cabinet with the kids artwork and all a bunch  

of other stuff so she was trying to hide it yeah  it wasn't next to her bed where she might write  

where he might look it wasn't on her mattress it  wasn't any place obvious from her grave the truth  

the attack the first year they met he threw a fit  chased me grabbed me threw me into walls for the  

past 30 years the brown sisters have fought for  the protection of women in abusive situations  

Denise helped secure funding for the violence  against women act we are going to stand up and say  

no and has traveled the country using the power  of Nicole's story I sit there and I go why did  

it have to take my sister yeah what did it have to  take Nicole for people to understand that domestic  

violence can kill our thanks to Diane and to  Nicole's sisters their bravery their courage all  

these years later and the new lifetime documentary  The Life and murder of Nicole Brown Simpson  

premieres this Saturday and Diane of course will  have much more with Nicole Brown sisters tomorrow  

on Good Morning America in the meantime when we  come back here tonight the news coming in this  

evening there's been a crash of a US military jet  in F35 and then the other plane crash seven people  

jumping out and surviving and the new headline  tonight involving Bruce Springsteen his new video  

message in tonight tonight news here on an F-35  crash First Responders on the scene of a marine  

F-35 fighter jet going down in Albuquerque  New Mexico the new F35 crashing shortly after  

takeoff from Albuquerque International Airport  the pilot ejecting in serious condition tonight  

to another plane crash on a remarkable Escape in  Butler Missouri the small Cessna going down in a  

Hayfield the pilot and six skydivers jumping and  parachuting to safety the passengers jumping first  

followed by the pilot they all survived when  we come back tonight Jimmy Kimmel's emotional  

message his seven-year-olds third heart surgery  and the news on Bruce Springstein tonight his  

new message here to the index tonight in Jimmy  Kimmel revealing his seven-year-old son Billy  

underwent his third open heart surgery this  weekend Kimel sharing this image here of his  

son Billy smiling in his hospital bed saying he's  happy and healthy thanking the brilliant medical  

staff at Children's Hospital Los Angeles of  course we're all cheering for Billy right  

here in a moment here the new video put out by  Bruce Springsteen new message tonight before we  

go tonight the boss is back but his doctors are  asking him to slow down a bit at least for a few

days now 74 the boss apologizing for canceling  three dates on his European tour his doctors  

telling him to rest his vocal cords for about  10 days in a new message tonight Springsteen  

promising to return I could not send for  you but we will be back to Marseilles to  

Prague and to Milan to give you the show of your  life that I promise you as you know Springsteen  

was sidelined for months because of peptic  ulcer disease he plans to resume the tour  

in Madrid June 12th of course we can't  wait got to listen to your doctors I'm  

David M thank you for watching here from  all of us here have a good evening good  

night thank you for making World News Tonight  with David M America's most watched newscast