The Faulkner Focus 5/28/24 FULL END SHOW | BREAKING NEWS TODAY May 28, 2024

at uh January 6 and that some of them

hadn't told the truth and so on and so

forth Dao of course dropping his usual

bad language sorry about that um but in

the meantime Jason Miller comes out and

he answers back to that this is the

first time that Republicans have been

challenged at all outside the courthouse

supporting Donald Trump the former

president inside has had guests inside

also with him lawmakers of we've seen

over the last couple of weeks however

outside has been kind of a more steady

drum beat for him you've had people GA

to watch that media from all over the

world as you might imagine today is the

first day that the Biden campaign has

decided that maybe they want to share

some of that Limelight uh so they've

stepped in and of course we heard from

the uh the White House today that at

some point after the verdict probably

rather immediately you'll hear not the

president take a stage that would be you

know more political cuz who doesn't

think this is about politics I I don't

know where that one person is but anyway

so it won't be on like a stage somewhere

at a campaign event that he'll speak

he'll speak to the ation from the White

House about this case when the verdict

comes down politics are looming large

looming large you see it right now let's

go to the courtroom and what's happening

in that historic Showdown former

president Trump's defense is giving its

closing arguments in his New York

criminal trial and then it will be the

prosecution's turn and we've been

following this together for weeks now

minute-by-minute coverage reminder on

the right side of your screen is from

our team inside the courtroom in the

Overflow room giving us an everyday Tik

Tok of what's going on so you can check

that moment by moment we'll also have

everything that's going on in analysis

right here live you are in the fauler

focus I'm Harris fauler arguments are

hours long they are a recap by both the

defense in the prosecution today a recap

of their key points from The Trial what

each side wants to put at the top of a

juror's mind before that person begins

deliberating in that group of jurors of

12 22 Witnesses have taken the stand in

the trial and they include David pecker

the Tabloid publisher who testified he

bought and buried negative stories about

a lot of celebrities not just the former

president Donald Trump stormmy Daniels

the sex film worker at the center of the

case gave well she's a sex film worker

so the details were graphic who didn't

see that coming I bet the prosecution

did anyway what they didn't Bank on was

how unrelated they were going to be

taken to the actual charges in question

she talked about a lot just didn't have

anything to do with this case Michael

con the former attorney and so-called

fixer convicted liar and prisoned for it

whose credibility has been hit over and

over again by the defense Robert

Costello a former legal advisor to

Michael Cohen who says Michael Cohen is

a liar was a liar then and is a liar now

that's a lot of lying but he's on the

stand as a star witness for the

prosecution at least he was here's the

former president before the start of the

arguments today

they should have brought this case seven

years ago not in the middle of my

presidential election we have a rigged

court case that should have never been

brought and it should have been brought

in another jurisdiction this is a very

dangerous day for America it's a very

Saad day thank you are you worried about

a

conviction so five ways this could go

take a look at your screen if you're not

directly in front of your phone or

device or TV or whatever you're watching

on jurors could find Trump guilty on all

counts jurors could find Trump Trump

guilty on some counts jurors could

acquit him of all charges it could also

potentially end in a hung jury or a

fifth less likely outcome a bench ruling

with no jury involved so that would just

be the judge the New York Post cover

with a dig at the Manhattan district

attorney who brought this case after

many people including the feds had

already passed on trying to have this

adjudicated look at it nothing to brag

about notice that you just like Alvin

Bragg the da who brought the case spells

his last name constitutional law

attorney and Fox News contributor

Jonathan Turley is standing by first to

senior correspondent Eric Shawn to catch

us up on what already has happened in

the courthouse

Eric well lot happening outside the

courthouse as far as inside the

courthouse right now it is the case put

put forward for former president Trump

by his defense attorney Tod blanch and

Mr blanch is echoing exactly what his

client said this morning or arrived here

in court and that is that Manhattan

district attorney Alan brag has no

case everybody says this is crazy this

is not a trial that should happen it's a

it's a very sad day this is a dark day

in America we have a rigged court case

that should have never been

brought in aimation of the jury Bland

said that Trump had nothing to do with

preparing the paperwork invoices and

checks and that he did think he was

properly paying Michael Cohen for his

Legal Services Bland said quote

president Trump is innocent he did not

commit any crimes the district attorney

did not meet the burden of proof period

blance told the jury that the case is

not about Stormy Daniels or the

salacious story surrounding her but

about the documents and that Trump had

nothing to do with the alleged scheme he

noted that Michael Cohen a repeated liar

continued to render legal services for

the former president when he was paying

him and told everybody who was Trump's

personal attorney and of course blanch

brought up that Cohen is an admitted

serial liar who has lied under oath in

the past and cannot be believed he said

quote Cohen lied to you he lied to you

the story Mr Cohen told on the witness

stand is not true then prosecutors will

have the last word in his closing it is

expected that Assistant Attorney Joshua

steinglass will lay out the evidence

against Trump and he will claim that

Michael Cohen did tell the truth and his

claims are corroborated ated by other

Witnesses and the documents and Harris

as you noted there's a lot of activity

outside Pro Trump supporters here in the

park and we heard that uh Biden campaign

supported a news conference by some

supporters including actor Robert dairo

here's part of what daero just

said I love this

city I love this city I don't want to

destroy it Donald Trump wants to destroy

not only the city but the country and

eventually he could destroy the

world well as he was speaking you could

hear their prot Trump supporters are

yelling at him saying we love Trump we

love our country uh saying that merchan

a judge merchan Juan mchan should be uh

uh uh actually thrown into jail

according to one so that's a bit of the

atmosphere out here well inside the uh

summations are continuing we expect them

to continue through at least lunch the

jury likely getting this case finally

tomorrow then we will all wait to see

what happens Harris back to you oh we

are perched and ready great job Eric

Sean always thank you Jonathan turley's

new opinion piece here's why the case

against Trump should end in not guilty a

quote from that piece this case should

have been Mis dismissed for a lack of

evidence or cognizable crime the jury

will be reminded that the burden is on

the government not the defense end of

quote there and here's at the White

House today

in focus with me now great to have you

Jonathan Turley has stepped away for

just a second so talk to me if you would

about the case for Donald Trump and why

this all just needs to be found not

guilty well I think that this case uh

really never re really amounted to much

other than Michael Cohen which is

surprised many of us we thought that

Bragg was holding more evidence and more

witnesses otherwise no one would go

forward with this in fact Bragg himself

said that there was no way he would

bring a case that would call Michael

Cohen on the stand well he ended up

putting on a case that was entirely

Michael Cohen literally he's the only

witness that has addressed the elements

of the crime and even he wasn't able to

establish that they occurred and so what

we're really looking at now is really

what Robert daero said you know I I

would love to replay it because what

Robert daero said was this is all about

Trump destroying America it was no

reference to the actual crimes this this

case was a vehicle to stop Trump in his

View and he says that out in front of

the courthouse it was a telling moment

because I think that brag really hopes

that the jury won't look beyond the

identity of the defendant that's the

reason I think the defense has to be

very honest and very open with this jury

and to tell them look we know that some

of you don't like the defendant the

question is whether that's enough for

you or whether you believe that no one

in New York should be convicted without

a cognizable crime or evidence because

this case has neither um Jonathan I want

to hit this with you because you you you

brought up who we did see you know the

one witness that you say actually did at

least talk about what was happening in

the case he even during that questioning

though it was never made clear what the

underlying crime was and all of this so

there you have your star witness but the

other person who didn't testify was

someone who the New York Times has

written about the star witness who never

testified at Trump's trial is is the

headline for them and they say that

there was a third person in the room in

terms of when a check or several checks

would have been signed and that would be

uh Alan we

weiselberg and and the prosecution

didn't call him to testify although he

knows the truth this is according to the

New York Times he has not told it ever

he is serving time in Riker's Island we

know that after pleading guilty to a

perjury in an unrelated civil case

involving Trump so I I want to ask you

what could weiselberg have brought this

case and is that a Miss for the defense

too they could have called

him quite frankly I don't think it is a

Miss for the defense uh for a couple of

reasons first of all as I said in that

New York Post piece the absence of

weiselberg has got to be hit by the uh

defense in its closing argument there's

only one reason why the government would

not call Wis ber and that's that

weiselberg would contradict Cohen why

else would you put a Serial purger on

the stand but not the guy that he keeps

on referencing it was an agreement

between Cohen and weiselberg that

defined this as a retainer and yet they

didn't call that other half of the

agreement for the defense there's

reasons why they didn't call him because

weiselberg could have been just as they

saw with Castello used to bring in a

whole bunch of other areas uh that they

could control also for weiselberg this

is a prosecution that has repeatedly

threatened him to prosecute him again so

he won't be eager to cross the

prosecutors and look at another stint at

Rikers yeah well and what you're saying

is they probably wouldn't have cut him

uh you know a sweetheart deal as we've

seen with some uh Jonathan turle thank

you so very much for getting us kicked

off here with what's going on from your

legal perspective all that experience we

appreciate it thank you Harris well we

are following closing arguments minute

by minute again the right box on your

screen uh we'll have an update that you

can just check on the screen real

quickly and of course all the coverage

all the analysis a former president of

the United States now en closing

arguments the prosecution as you heard

from Jonathan Turley what will they work

with a lying star witness a Fox News

Alert as we are waiting inside the

courtroom right now are the closing

arguments that began about 2 hours well

about 90 minutes or so they're expected

to go all day long the defense goes

first first in this New York trial and

president Trump's defense uh delivering

that now Trey gouty former Federal

prosecutor former South Carolina

congressman and host of Sunday night in

America right here on fnc Leo Terell

also a Fox News contributor and Lee

zeldon former Republican Congressman of

New York a legal surrogate to former

president Trump great to see all of you

um Trey I'm going to start with you and

and the idea that Michael Cohen is the

star Witness I want to play something

and then have you talk out of it this is

Michael Cohen's former attorney Bob

Costello who testified at the trial we

know uh he told Fox that Cohen's

statements changed on the payment to

Stormy Daniels that's what this case is

supposed to be about that payment that

hush money as it's been called let's

watch what Bob cast or rather yeah Bob

Costello and see what he

said he kept on saying I have nothing on

Donald Trump and then when we got into

the discussion of the Stormy Daniels NDA

he said specifically and I

cross-examined him on this this was my

idea it was his idea to take care of the

NDA because he had been contacted by a

lawyer for Stormy Daniels who said she

was going to claim that Donald Trump had

sex with her cooh said I didn't believe

the allegation but nevertheless it would

be embarrassing to Melania that's

Michael coh's

words Trey your

response yeah I was actually in the the

courtroom last week when Mr Costello

testified the words he used his

testimony could have been incredibly

helpful to the defense regrettably his

demeanor the manner in which he

testified was not uh you cannot get into

a fight with the judge the jury is going

to relate to the judge so at best I

thought his testimony was a wash and it

may have actually wound up hurting the

defense I will also say this I want to

say hello to my old colleague Lee zeldon

who's a former prosecutor look the

prosecution's going to stand up and say

Michael Costello is I mean Michael C is

not a great witness he he he he he's

convicted perjurer he doesn't like Trump

but guess what we didn't pick him Donald

Trump picked the witnesses I would have

preferred a Catholic none I would have

preferred a first grade school teacher

but that's not who Donald Trump used as

his lawyer that's not who he used to

engage in this Catan kill scheme so we

didn't pick Michael Cohen as a witness

Donald Trump did that is what the

prosecution's going to argue later this

afternoon so um Lee Eldon I didn't

realize you guys had known each other

from your prosecutorial days that's

great information when I interviewed uh

the former president at the White House

it was the day after Michael Cohen had

been um sentenced and that would have

been in December of 2018 when I sat down

with him I asked him why in the world

did you hire this guy and what he said

was he made a mistake that he never

should have hired Michael Cohen that was

was all those years ago and so when the

prosecution makes the argument well he

pick

them everybody has known that all the

way down in the last six years right and

look at where we are today yet Alvin

Bragg picks this case and picks that guy

to be the star witness they did in fact

do the

choosing yeah they really didn't have

anyone else to call to be able to give

this testimony in place of Michael Cohen

uh there was some conversation here

about the CFO weiselberg who the

prosecution decides not to call uh but

weiselberg is not going to testify what

Cohen was testifying to and there was no

other option so you put you put it all

on Michael Cohen to prove your entire

case and this is somebody who is a

convicted perjurer who has contradicted

himself with past statements that have

been made over the years uh now you're

in a situation where you're in court

you're giving closing arguments the

defense has to go first here in this new

york-based trial

and they still don't know what the

underlying charge is to elevate this

from misdemeanor to a felony we might

for the first time hear it during the

prosecution's closing argument but

that's the last word of the entire case

uh and the defense doesn't get an

opportunity to rebut it this is

something that should have been known

UPF front uh and here here we are uh at

this point giving closing arguments

they've entirely relied on this one

person uh and they should have passed on

his prosecution real quickly Le could

they have changed this around I mean I

know in New York and I mentioned that

the defense goes first or in New York I

get it but in a place where you don't

have the crime where you don't know what

that underlying second crime is could

the judge have made his own judgment in

this and said we're going to we're going

to flip-flop it because you've got to

know what to defend and so prosecution

you go first so we can be clear on what

all the crimes are and the jury can be

two and then defend you go second could

that have

happened well I I'll tell you first is

with the judge's Powers when the

prosecution rested the judge just issued

a directed verdict at that point the

judge still could order a directed

verdict at this point flipping the order

in as far as fundamental fairness the

burden is on the government and in this

case where you have to establish that

there's an underlying charge which they

still haven't indicated what it is in

all fairness they should have been

giving the defense an opportunity to

respond all right I I want get back to

and and go forward because Leo I feel

like the jurors may forget some of this

testimony uh and and I would imagine

this is where the defense will go why

would president Trump have not wanted

anybody to know that he had even met a

sex film worker named Stormy Daniels

let's watch hopix his former White House

comms director talk to that uh right

here's what she said in court of course

we can't show you the video cuz we

didn't have C cameras in court but we've

got what she said she said I don't think

he wanted anyone in his his family to be

hurt or embarrassed by what's happening

on the campaign president Trump really

values Mrs Trump's opinion and she

doesn't weigh in all the time but when

she does it's meaningful to him I think

he was just concerned about what her

perception of this would be I know that

was weighing on him

Leo hope hick Harris is a credible

witness she has no dog in the fight so

what she gave the Trump defense team

were

alternatives to the idea that Trump

alleged ually PID this money to hide a

or was a campaign violation she was

credible and that's why her testimony

should be played in hard by the def

defense team let me be very clear about

this the defense team is focusing on

Witnesses or jurors haris that are very

solidly in the Trump camp and I can

guarantee you that the defense team is

aware of the jurors who are in their

camp they're playing to the attorneys

they're play to the two attorneys who

are going to probably provide the

Insight on the information you know what

uh there is in fact a Daily Caller

article about that and it says the panel

of 12 jurors includes a young corporate

law attorney and a civil litigation

attorney and the headline uh was that

perhaps the brag team should worry that

having lawyers on the Trump jury could

lead to an acquittal your thoughts on

that

Leo oh there's no question about it

because I'll tell you right now now most

attorneys do not want attorneys in the

jury box but in this case we don't know

what the charges are when you have

credibility at issue Todd blanch is

playing to those two attorneys Harris

because he's hoping that they provide

the Insight that this trial judge did

not provide he's hoping that these two

attorneys provide just common sense

logic as far as the rule of law and what

facts were played as of right now we

have three attorneys here on your show

we don't know what the federal charges

are we don't know what facts actually

indicates a crime against Trump but yet

those two attorneys are critical to this

case that's fascinating and you only

need one Trey I've heard you say it so

many times Trey Lee and Leo thank you so

very much for joining me early I

appreciate you former president Trump's

legal team giving their closing

arguments right now and then the

prosecution will do the same thing we're

with you all day long here on Fox News

channel fnc for the cool kids stay here

arguments are underway right now in

former president Trump's new criminal

trial Politico is reporting that once

the verdict is in President Biden will

jump into the pool and actually break

his silence on the case and that he will

do so from the White House rather than

from a campaign stump now remember right

when we got this uh hour started I was

talking about how he would want to I

would imagine avoid the appearance of a

political statement um and so he'll do

this from the White House house but it's

political what's going on so I don't

know hatack anybody does that even come

into play Fox News contributor Charlie

hurt doesn't buy any of this

watch look at all of the big major

issues that Americans actually care

about that took uh Joe Biden a long time

to address it took him a long time to

address the attack in Israel the

terrorist attack in Israel it it has

taken him forever to address the crisis

at the border and I would argue he still

has never actually addressed it but even

before the verdict is read

he's announcing that he's going to

address this issue it's because this is

the issue that that Joe Biden is running

on I think it's going to fail I think

it's the whole thing is blown up in his

face well Donald Trump's trial is

wrapping up and the president's son

Hunter Biden will face two trials during

the campaign on gun and tax charges the

president paid a surprised visit over

the weekend to a key witness in Hunter

Biden's gun trial H his former

girlfriend hi Biden the Widow of

Hunter's brother Bo all of this Politico

is reporting Democrats are and this is a

quote and full-blown freakout over

Biden's re-election chances Peter duy at

the White House Peter to witness the

freak

out we're always looking for a freak out

Harris but despite all of that going on

the Biden campaign they're not talking

about the economy they're not talking

about immigration they're not even in a

swing state they are talking about

democracy in New York

City um we're here primarily because of

the threat that Donald Trump poses to

the United States of America and to our

democracy the president is now expected

to address the Trump verdict guilty or

not guilty from the White House to show

the end result as just part of a normal

judicial proceeding that should be

respected that is according to a report

in Politico that we hope Karine can

flesh out at today's briefing in the

meantime we are getting a better sense

of how the Biden campaign plans to keep

attacking Trump pre verdict they are

invoking n 11 and January 6th and

they're warning that if Trump gets

elected he might never leave the White

House again and the messenger for that

Robert

dairo this buffoon running for president

no never could happen we'd forgotten the

lessons of history that showed us other

clowns who weren't taken seriously until

they became vicious

dictators with Trump we have a second

chance and no one is laughing now

President Biden doesn't have any public

events on his schedule today but the

next couple times that we see him we

expect that to be the theme he's going

to keep talking including when he's at