ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - May 29, 2024

>> David: TONIGHT, BREAKING NEWS

INVOLVING DONALD TRUMP.

THE JURY NOW DELIBERATING HIS

FATE AND THE TWO KEY QUESTIONS

LATE TODAY FROM THAT JURY.

>>> ALSO BREAKING, WE HAVE

LEARNED OF A VERY CLOSE CALL

BETWEEN AN AMERICAN AIRLINES

PASSENGER JET AND ANOTHER PLANE.

>>> FIRST TONIGHT, THE CASE GOES

TO THE JURY AND WITHIN HOURS THE

BELL RINGS IN COURT, THE FIRST

NOTE FROM THE JURY REQUESTING

KEY TESTIMONY READ BACK TO THEM.

WHAT THEIR REQUEST COULD SIGNAL

IN THE DONALD TRUMP CRIMINAL

TRIAL.

THEN AN HOUR LATER, THE REQUEST

REGARDING THE JUDGE'S

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE JURY AND

WHAT ALL OF THIS BEING MEAN.

>>> ALSO DEVELOPING THIS HOUR,

THE CLOSE CALL ON THE RUNWAY, AN

AMERICAN AIRLINES PASSENGER JET

BARRELING DOWN THE RUNWAY AT 110

MILES PER HOUR SECONDS FROM

TAKEOFF.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CALLING ON

THEM TO ABORT.

ANOTHER PLANE IN THE PATH.

>>> TONIGHT, SUPREME COURT

JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO REFUSING TO

RECUSE HIMSELF FROM CASES

INVOLVING JANUARY 6th DESPITE

THE FLAG SEEN FOR A TIME FLYING

OUTSIDE BOTH OF HIS HOMES.

TONIGHT, HE'S PUTTING THE

RESPONSIBILITY ENTIRELY ON HIS

WIFE.

>>> TONIGHT, THE NEW TURN THE

WORLD'S NUMBER ONE GOLFER

ARRESTED IN LOUISVILLE, NOW THE

CHARGES DROPPED AMID THE RELEASE

OF NEW BODY CAMERA VIDEO AND

WHAT IT SHOWS.

>>> THERE'S ALSO WORD COMING IN,

THE SHOOTING AT A VERY BUSY

KROGER'S GROCERY STORE.

POLICE RACING TO THE SCENE.

WHAT THEY REVEALED MOMENTS AGO.

>>> THE DEADLY HOUSE EXPLOSION

AND FIRE TONIGHT.

AUTHORITIES NOW SAYING AT LEAST

TWO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED.

>>> TONIGHT, THE NEW SEVERE

WEATHER THREAT AS WE COME ON THE

AIR ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES,

POSSIBLE TORNADOES, DAMAGING

WINDS, THEN THE DANGEROUS

STORMS TAKING AIM TOMORROW.

>>> "AMERICA STRONG" TONIGHT.

THE MOVE BY MAJOR LEAGUE

BASEBALL TO MAKE SURE THE STARS

OF THE NEGRO LEAGUE, THAT THEIR

STATS ARE NOW PART OF THE

MAJORS, TOO.

>>> ALSO TONIGHT, NORTH KOREA

DROPPING BALLOONS ON SOUTH KOREA

AND WHAT WAS INSIDE THEM.

>>> AND THE GIANT PANDAS ON

THEIR WAY TO AMERICA.

>> David: GOOD EVENING, AND IT'S

GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US HERE

ON A VERY BUSY WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

WE DO BEGIN WITH THE BREAKING

NEWS INVOLVING DONALD TRUMP AND

HIS FATE IN THE HANDS OF THE

JURY.

THEY'RE FOUR HOURS INTO THE

DELIBERATIONS, THE SIGNAL INSIDE

THAT COURTROOM, THE BELL

RINGING, THE JURY AND THEIR

FIRST NOTE SENT TO THE JUDGE.

WITH VERY SPECIFIC REQUESTS FOR

TESTIMONY TO BE READ BACK TO

THEM.

THAT TESTIMONY INVOLVES A

MEETING AT TRUMP TOWER A LITTLE

MORE THAN A YEAR BEFORE THE 2016

ELECTION.

DONALD TRUMP WAS PART OF THAT

MEETING.

THEY WANT TO HEAR TESTIMONY READ

BACK FROM THE FORMER PUBLISHER

OF "THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER" DAVID

PECKER, AND DONALD TRUMP'S

FORMER LAWYER AND FIXER, MICHAEL

COHEN, AS WELL, ALSO AT THAT

MEETING, AND HIS TESTIMONY TOO.

LATER, ABOUT AN HOUR, THE BELL

RINGING AGAIN.

THE JURY ASKING FOR THE JUDGE'S

INSTRUCTIONS READ AGAIN JUST

HOURS AFTER THEY WERE FIRST

DELIVERED BY THE JUDGE.

DAN ABRAMS IS HERE TONIGHT AND

AARON KATERSKY AT THE COURTHOUSE

LEADING US OFF.

>> Reporter: TONIGHT, THE FATE

OF DONALD TRUMP, THE FIRST

FORMER PRESIDENT EVER TO FACE

CRIMINAL CHARGES, NOW IN THE

HANDS OF THE JURY.

LESS THAN FOUR HOURS INTO

DELIBERATIONS, A BELL RANG IN

COURT, SIGNALING A NOTE FROM THE

JURORS.

THEY WANTED FOUR PIECES OF

KEY TESTIMONY READ BACK TO

THEM INCLUDING TESTIMONY FROM

DAVID PECKER, THE FORMER

NATIONAL ENQUIRER PUBLISHER WHO

BOUGHT AND BURIED STORIES FOR

TRUMP, AND ONE FROM TRUMP'S

FORMER FIXER MICHAEL COHEN ABOUT

A TRUMP TOWER MEETING WITH TRUMP

IN AUGUST 2016, WHERE

PROSECUTORS SAID THE THREE MEN

HATCHED A CONSPIRACY TO CORRUPT

THE 2016 ELECTION.

AN HOUR LATER, JURORS SENDING A

SECOND NOTE ASKING JUDGE JUAN

MERCHAN TO RE-READ INSTRUCTIONS

HE DELIVERED JUST HOURS EARLIER.

MARCHAN TOLD THEM, AS A JUROR

YOU ARE ASKED TO MAKE ANOTHER

VERY IMPORTANT DECISION ABOUT

ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.

MARCHAN MAKING THE TOINT POT

JURORS, THINK OF THE FORMER

PRESIDENT AS ANOTHER MEMBER OF

THE COMMUNITY.

MARCHAN ALSO TELLING THE JURY,

YOU MUST SET ASIDE ANY PERSONAL

OPINIONS OR BIAS YOU MIGHT HAVE

IN FAVOR OF OR AGAINST THE

DEFENDANT AND YOU MUST NOT ALLOW

ANY SUCH OPINIONS TO INFLUENCE

YOUR VERDICT.

THE JURY'S WEIGHING 34 FELONY

COUNTS OF FALSIFYING BUSINESS

RECORDS THAT PROSECUTORS SAY

TRUMP USED TO CONCEAL A

$130,000 HUSH PAYMENT TO PORN

STAR STORMY DANIELS.

TO KEEP HER STORY FROM VOTERS

BEFORE THE ELECTION.

JURORS MUST REACH A UNANIMOUS

DECISION OF GUILTY ON EACH OF

THOSE COUNTS.

THE JURORS WERE GIVEN A LAPTOP

TO TAKE WITH THEM INTO

DELIBERATIONS.

THE COMPUTER LOADED WITH NEARLY

300 PIECES OF EVIDENCE,

INCLUDING THE CHECKS TRUMP

SIGNED TO REIMBURSE COHEN, WHO

WIRED DANIELS THE MONEY, AND THE

INVOICES COHEN SENT THAT

MENTIONED A RETAINER AGREEMENT

THAT HE SAID DID NOT EXIST.

MERCHAN TOLD THE JURORS THEY MAY

NOT DECIDE THE CASE BASED SOLELY

ON COHEN'S TESTIMONY BECAUSE

HE'S AN ACCOMPLICE TO THE

ALLEGED CRIME.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE JUDGE SAID,

EVEN IF YOU FIND THE TESTIMONY

OF MICHAEL COHEN TO BE

BELIEVABLE, YOU MAY NOT CONVICT

THE DEFENDANT SOLELY UPON THAT

TESTIMONY UNLESS YOU ALSO FIND

THAT IT WAS CORROBORATED BY

OTHER EVIDENCE.

IN CLOSING ARGUMENTS, DEFENSE

ATTORNEY TODD BLANCHE TELLING

THE JURY COHEN "LIED TO YOU

REPEATEDLY," CALLING HIM THE

"GREATEST LIAR OF ALL TIME," THE

"MVP OF LIARS," AND SAYING

TRUMP'S FORMER FIXER CAME TO THE

WITNESS STAND BENT ON REVENGE,

WITH "AN AX TO GRIND."

PROSECUTOR JOSHUA STEINGLASS

SAID, WE DIDN'T PICK HIM UP IN A

WITNESS STORE.

THE DEFENDANT PICKED HIM AS A

FIXER BECAUSE HE WAS WILLING TO

LIE AND CHEAT.

THE 12 PERSON JURY, 5 WOMEN AND

7 MEN, INCLUDES 2 NATIVE

NEW YORKERS AND 2 IMMIGRANTS.

THERE ARE TWO ATTORNEYS, A

SPEECH THERAPIST, AND A TEACHER.

THEY ALL SAID THEY COULD BE FAIR

AND IMPARTIAL.

THE JUDGE WITH A FINAL MESSAGE,

URGING THEM TO LISTEN TO EACH

OTHER, BUT SAYING "YOU SHOULD

NOT SURRENDER AN HONEST VIEW OF

THE EVIDENCE SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU

WANT THE TRIAL TO END OR BECAUSE

YOU'RE OUTVOTED."

TRUMP SPEAKING OUTSIDE COURT --

>> MOTHER TERESA COULD NOT BEAT

THESE CHARGES, BUT WE'LL SEE.

>> Reporter: LATE TODAY INSIDE

THAT COURTROOM, DAVID, DEFENSE

ATTORNEYS AND PROSECUTORS STOOD

OVER THICK STACKS OF

TRANSCRIPTS, HASHING OUT WHICH

PORTIONS OF THE TESTIMONY TO

RE-READ TO THE JURY IN ADDITION

TO THE JUDGE'S INSTRUCTIONS.

THAT'S WHERE THE JURY WILL PICK

UP FIRST THING TOMORROW MORNING,

DAVID.

>> David: AARON KATERSKY LEADING

US OFF AT THE COURTHOUSE, AARON,

THANK YOU.

LET'S GET TO LEGAL ANALYST DAN

ABRAMS TONIGHT TO ANSWER SOME OF

YOUR QUESTIONS LIKELY AT HOME.

FIRST OF ALL, THIS WAS REALLY

INTERESTING BECAUSE WE HEARD THE

JUDGE INSTRUCT THE JURY TODAY

NOT TO BASE THEIR DECISION,

GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY, BASED

SOLELY ON MICHAEL COHEN.

WITHIN HOURS THEY ASKED THEIR

FIRST REQUEST, VERY SPECIFIC AND

THEY WANT TESTIMONY NOT JUST

FROM MICHAEL COHEN, BUT FROM

DAVID PECKER FROM "THE NATIONAL

ENQUIRER."

HOW SIGNIFICANT WAS THAT AND HOW

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF HOW SPECIFIC

THEIR REQUESTS WERE SO EARLY ON?

>> LOOK, IT TELLS US THEY'RE

TAKING THE PROSECUTION'S THEORY

THEY'RE ASKING A LOT OF

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS 2015

MEETING AT TRUMP TOWER WHICH

PROSECUTORS ARGUED WAS THE

BEGINNING OF THE SCHEME BETWEEN

DAVID PECKER AND MICHAEL COHEN

AND DONALD TRUMP.

AND THEN THREE OF THE FOUR

REQUESTS RELATE TO SPECIFIC

CONVERSATIONS WITH DONALD TRUMP

HIMSELF, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF

THE CRITICAL QUESTIONS IN THE

CASE IS EXACTLY WHAT DID DONALD

TRUMP KNOW ABOUT THIS, NOT WHAT

WAS MICHAEL COHEN DOING, BUT

WHAT DID DONALD TRUMP KNOW?

SO IT'S INTERESTING IF THE

JURORS NOW LASER FOCUSED ON

THOSE MEETINGS WHERE DONALD

TRUMP WAS PRESENT OR ON THE

PHONE.

>> THE BELL GOES OFF IN THE

COURTROOM, THAT WAS THEIR FIRST

REQUEST.

THERE WERE FOUR PARTS TO THAT

REQUEST.

AN HOUR LATER, THE BELL RINGS

AGAIN.

THEY WANT THE JURY INSTRUCTIONS

FROM THE JUDGE READ BACK TO THEM

AGAIN JUST HOURS LATER.

A LOT OF FOLKS AT HOME MIGHT

SAY, DOES THIS MEAN THERE'S

DISAGREEMENT INSIDE THE JURY

ROOM OR DOES IT MEAN THEY WANT

TO BE CLEAR-EYED ABOUT WHAT IT

IS THEY HAVE TO DECIDE HERE?

>> IT COULD MEAN THERE'S SOME

DISSENSION, BUT NEW YORK LAW IS

DIFFERENT THAN FEDERAL LAW IN

THE SENSE THE JURORS DON'T GET

TO TAKE THE JURY INSTRUCTIONS

BACK WITH THEM INTO THE JURY

ROOM.

SO IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS

ABOUT WHAT THE LAW IS THEY

LITERALLY HAVE TO ASK THE JUDGE

TO RE-READ IT IN COURT.

THE QUESTION IS GOING TO BE

EXACTLY WHAT IS HE GOING TO

RE-READ?

BUT THOSE JURY INSTRUCTIONS ARE

CRITICAL, AND THAT COULD BE

SOMETHING THAT THEY END UP

FIGHTING OVER AT SOME POINT IN

THE JURY ROOM.

>> David: DAN ABRAMS WITH US

HERE TONIGHT.

DAN AND AARON, OUR THANKS TO YOU

BOTH.

WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN TOMORROW

NIGHT.

>>> WE TURN TO THE OTHER

DEVELOPING HEADLINE TONIGHT.

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

SAMUEL ALITO REFUSING TO RECUSE

HIMSELF FROM CASES INVOLVING

JANUARY 6th DESPITE THE FLAGS

SEEN FOR A TIME FLYING OUTSIDE

BOTH OF HIS HOMES.

TONIGHT, HE'S NOW PUTTING THE

RESPONSIBILITY ENTIRELY ON HIS

WIFE.

TERRY MORAN COVERS THE COURT.

>> Reporter: AFTER DAYS OF CALLS

FOR HIM TO STEP ASIDE FROM ALL

SUPREME COURT CASES STEMMING

FROM JANUARY 6th BECAUSE OF TWO

FLAGS FLOWN OUTSIDE HIS HOMES,

TODAY JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO TOLD

CONGRESS HE WILL NOT RECUSE

HIMSELF.

IN A LETTER TO LAWMAKERS, ALITO

WROTE THAT HE WAS NOT INVOLVED

IN THE DECISIONS TO FLY EITHER

OF THE FLAGS AT ISSUE, AND THAT

BOTH WERE RAISED BY HIS WIFE

MARTHA ANN, ADDING, "MY WIFE IS

FOND OF FLYING FLAGS.

I AM NOT."

"THE NEW YORK TIMES" FIRST

PUBLISHED THIS PHOTOGRAPH

SHOWING THE AMERICAN FLAG

OUTSIDE ALITO'S HOUSE, FLYING

UPSIDE DOWN, TRADITIONALLY A

SIGNAL OF DIRE EMERGENCY.

"THE TIMES" SAYS THE PICTURE WAS

TAKEN IN JANUARY 2021, JUST DAYS

AFTER THE JANUARY 6th ATTACK ON

THE CAPITOL.

SOME TRUMP SUPPORTERS THAT DAY

HELD UPSIDE-DOWN AMERICAN FLAGS

AS A SIGN OF THEIR REJECTION OF

JOE BIDEN'S ELECTION.

JUSTICE ALITO RESPONDED TO THE

STORY, BLAMING HIS WIFE.

ALITO ADDING TODAY, "AS I HAVE

STATED PUBLICLY, I HAD NOTHING

WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH THE FLYING

OF THE FLAG.

I WAS NOT EVEN AWARE OF THE

UPSIDE-DOWN FLAG UNTIL IT WAS

CALLED TO MY ATTENTION.

AS SOON AS I SAW IT, I ASKED MY

WIFE TO TAKE IT DOWN.

BUT FOR SEVERAL DAYS, SHE

REFUSED."

THE JUSTICE EXPLAINING THAT,

"SHE WAS GREATLY DISTRESSED AT

THE TIME DUE, IN LARGE PART, TO

A VERY NASTY NEIGHBORHOOD

DISPUTE."

ALITO DEFENDING HER RIGHT TO

FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

"MY WIFE IS A PRIVATE CITIZEN,

AND SHE POSSESSES THE SAME FIRST

AMENDMENT RIGHTS AS EVERY OTHER

AMERICAN."

BUT SOME LEGAL EXPERTS SAY

JUSTICE ALITO HAS A

RESPONSIBILITY TO APPEAR

IMPARTIAL AND THAT FLAG MAY HAVE

COMPROMISED HIM IN THE JANUARY

6th CASES.

THE OTHER FLAG, A PINETREE FLAG

SEEN IN THESE IMAGES PUBLISHED

BY "THE NEW YORK TIMES" OUTSIDE

THE ALITOS' NEW JERSEY BEACH

HOME LAST SUMMER, A

REVOLUTIONARY WAR FLAG ALSO

CARRIED BY SOME PRO-TRUMP

SUPPORTERS ON JANUARY 6th.

ALITO EXPLAINED THAT HIS WIFE

FLEW ALL KINDS OF FLAGS THERE --

TEAM FLAGS, COLLEGE FLAGS,

PATRIOTIC FLAGS, AND MORE,

ADDING, "I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH

THE 'APPEAL TO HEAVEN' FLAG WHEN

MY WIFE FLEW IT.

I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY

CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT HISTORIC

FLAG AND THE 'STOP THE STEAL

MOVEMENT,' AND NEITHER WAS MY

WIFE."

CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS AND SOME

LEGAL EXPERTS ARE SAYING ALITO'S

LETTER IS NOT ENOUGH AND IT

HIGHLIGHTS THE COURT'S REAL

PROBLEM, THE JUSTICES JUDGE

THEMSELVES, AND THE ONLY WAY TO