Donald Trump trial LIVE: Ex-president makes very risky move as his longtime assistant Rhona Graff testifies about working for him for 34 years and how she saw Stormy Daniels in the Trump Tower rececption

Gary Farro says he was assigned to work with Michael Cohen based on his ‘ability to handle individuals that may be a little challening.’

He says he worked with Cohen from 2015 through 2018 or 2019, and Cohen held personal accounts and entities with First Republic Bank.

Farro says he didn’t open any accounts for the Trump Organization.

Prosecutor Rebecca Mangold is questioning Farro about his Time at First Republic Bank.

Farro says there are industries the bank decided it wouldn’t do business with including adult entertainment.

He says there are certain types of transactions that require more review by the bank including ones involving wires.

He also says transactions involving political candidates require more review.

New RNC Chairman Michael Whatley disclosed the eye-popping amount of money that the Trump campaign is raking in on each day of his historic trial.

‘I think that what we’re doing is we’re opening up the map. President Biden right now is playing defense all across the country. And President Trump is playing offense all across the country,’ he said Friday.

‘We’re leading in the national polls. We’re leading on the issues, and we’re leading on the polls in every single battleground state,’ said Whatley.

He went on to say that although Democrats are going to have ‘a ton’ of money heading into 2024, Trump’s court appearances are boosting his coffers.

‘What we’ve seen, though, is that every day that President Trump has been in court, we’ve been getting, he’s been getting $1 million or more in small-dollar donations that are coming in online.’

Gary Farro was a senior managing director at First Republic Bank in 2016.

Michael Cohen allegedly wired hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, aka Stephanie Clifford, using the bank.

Someone at the bank reported the wire transaction as suspicious to the Treasury Department.

On October 26, 2016, an employee of the bank whose name is publicly redacted confirmed to Cohen his wire to Daniels’ lawyer was successful.

First Republic Bank was seized and sold by regulators last year.

Donald Trump attempted to shake Rhona Graff’s hand with his finger as the jury looked on.

She appeared uneasy and unsure how to respond and walked out after her testimony.

During her cross-examination, Graff said she loved working for Trump.

‘I neve had the same day twice in all the time. Very stimulating, exciting, fascinating place to be,’ she recalled.

She called Trump ‘fair and respectful’ to her as a boss and noted he gave her promotions.

Graff said ‘I’d like to think’ Trump respected her and said that if he didn’t respect her intelligence ‘I don’t think I would have been there 34 years.’

Graff also testified about seeing Stormy Daniels at Trump Tower before Trump ran for president and recalled having heard Trump say Daniels would be a ‘good contestant’ for The Apprentice.

‘You had heard President Trump say that he thought she would be an interesting addition to The Apprentice?’ Trump’s lawyer asked.

Graff said it was ‘part of the office chatter.’

‘When Stormy Daniels showed up at Trump Tower to meet President Trump, she was there to discuss being cast for The Apprentice?’ Trump’s lawyer asked.

‘I assumed that,’ Graff said.

Trump lawyer Susan Neheles is now asking former Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff questions.

Rhona Graff confirms she kept contact info for Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels while working for the Trump Organization.

Partially redacted exhibits in court show information in the organization’s system for both women.

Graff confirms she believes she created the contact for Trump for McDougal.

The name ‘Stormy’ is also shown which Graff confirms was Stormy Daniels.

Graf was one of the few people who had access to Donald Trump, and has been described as his ‘gatekeeper’ and ‘right hand’.

The executive assistant and senior vice president worked for him for 34 years and had an office right outside his door at Trump Tower.

When he was elected president, she continued to work for the family business and handled any arrangements outside his official duties.

She occasionally acted as his spokesperson and also appeared alongside him on The Apprentice and was a judge on Miss Teen USA.

In a 2004 interview with Real Estate Weekly, Graff said: ‘Everybody knows in order to get through to him they have to go through me, so they are always on their best behavior.

Prosecutors call Rhona Graff, who served as Trump’s executive assistant for many years, to testify next in hush money case.

As she entered the courtroom, Trump looked over at her, according to reporters in the room.

She did not appear to glance at him as she walked to the witness stand.

Graff worked for the Trump Organization for 34 years.

The court heard that she is testifying under subpoena and her former employer is paying her legal fees.

Pecker’s testimony in the Trump hush money trial has wrapped up.

Rhona Graff, who served as Trump’s executive assistant for years, will testify next.

Pecker recalls again his call with Michael Cohen about the Stormy Daniiels story.

Peckers says he told Cohen if the story gets out through another media outlet ‘the boss’ will be very, very angry with him.

Court is back in session after a lunch break. Trump did not say anything when he walked back into the courtroom but he did wave at the cameras.

David Pecker returns to the witness stand.

He is facing re-direct from prosectuors, and then Trump’s lawyers will get to ask questions.

Donald Trump’s defense attorneys questioned whether former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker was being truthful during tense cross-examination on Friday.

Lawyer Emil Bove was confrontational as he tired to show the jury hush-money deals were normal practice at the tabloid and poke holes in Pecker’s story.

Bove had been mostly cordial with Pecker during his two days of cross examination.

But then he questioned if Pecker had an obligation to cooperate with the prosecution.

To be truthful,’ he fired back.

‘I’ve been truthful to the best of my recollection.’

Pecker testified on Thursday that Trump thanked him for his help in suppressing an unsubstantiated story about a lovechild.

But Bove then mentioned notes that show previously told federal authorities that the former president did not express any gratitude.

Pecker again insisted he was being truthful.

Alina Habba slammed the ongoing ‘witch hunt’ into Donald Trump at Manhattan court during a Fox News interview Friday afternoon.

She says that the trial is only showcasing that Trump has done ‘absolutely nothing wrong.’

Habba added that if he is convicted, it would ‘100 percent’ be overturned on appeal.

‘We have judges not allowing evidence that should be permitted,’ she stated.

‘All of those transcripts are examined closely by the appellate court.’

This is a ‘long-game trial,’ Habba added.

Donald Trump called on President Biden to debate him ‘at the Courthouse tonight’ and says he’ll ‘wait around’ after the president told Howard Stern he would debate the ex-president.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote ‘Everyone knows he doesn’t really mean it, but in case he does, I say, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, an old expression used by Fighters.’

The ex-president went on to ‘suggest Monday Evening, Tuesday Evening, or Wednesday Evening at my Rally in Michigan.’

Biden was in New York on Friday for his interview with Stern which Trump also noted ‘so am I, stuck in one of the many Court cases that he instigated.’

The National Enqurier paid women as little as $500 to kill stories about Arnold Schwarzenegger, the hush money trial heard on Friday.

Prosecutor Joshua Steiunglass questioned the magazine’s former publisher David Pecker about the ’30 or 40′ women who came forward when the actor announced he was running for California governor.

At the time, Schwarzenegger was the frontman for two American Media Inc publications.

‘You paid hundreds of thousands to kill those stories?’ Steinglass asked Pecker.

Pecker then said the largest payment was $20,000, but the others were between $500 to $2,000.

Trump is accused of facilitating a $130,000 payment to stop Stormy Daniels talking about their alleged affair.

Asked why he silenced the accusers, Pecker said Schwarzenegger was ‘critical to the bodybuilding industry as well as the supplement industry as well as two publications’.

Pecker is expected to return and finish his testimony after lunch.

The defense has finished questioning Pecker and the proseuctors have begun their re-direct.

Tensions flared in court as Trump’s lawyer Emil Bove asked Pecker about his claim Cohen told him Trump had ‘Jeff Sessions in his pocket.’

Cohen reportedly made the claim in 2018 as American Media Inc was being investigated by the Federal Election Commission.

At the time, Sessions was Attorney General of the United States and Trump was president.

Bove asked Pecker if he was ‘positive’ Cohen said it.

Pecker responded that he was and added he was ‘concerned and worried’ about the investigation.

‘You were concerned because Michael Cohen said something that wasn’t true?’ Bove asked.

‘Correct,’ replied Pecker.

Bove asked if it was really the case that Trump ‘did not have Jeff Sessions in his pocket’ but moved on after an objection.

‘Michael Cohen is prone to exaggeration?’ Bove amended.

A picture of David Pecker and then-President Donald Trump in July 2017 was entered into court evidence.

The photo snapshot shows the two men locked in conversation while strolling through the White House’s signature portico flanked by columns.

They emerged from a now-infamous ‘thank you dinner’ at the White House after Pecker agreed to pay Karen McDougal $150,000 to kill her affair story.

Pecker testified Thursday he was invited to the White House for a ‘thank you dinner’ and as they walked out together he asked about Karen McDougal.

‘As we walked out, President Trump asked me “How’s Karen doing, how’s Karen doing?” So I said “She’s doing well, she’s quiet, everything’s going good.”‘

Pecker said he replied: ‘She’s doing well, she’s quiet, everything’s going good.’

Pecker described the dinner as a ‘thank you dinner’ for everything he had done for the president.

The 81-year-old confirmed he is ‘happy’ to take the stage with his 77-year-old rival in a softball interview with Howard Stern on Friday morning.

The White House and campaign have danced around the question for months.

‘I am, somewhere,’ he said when asked if he is willing to debate Trump.

‘I don’t know when. I’m happy to debate him.’

Trump walked back into the courtroom from a short break.

He waved to the cameras but did not answer shouted questions from reporters.

The court is on a short break.

Trump has left the courtroom, but the lawyers remain in the courtroom.

Pecker recalled Trump once made a joke about Pecker knowing ‘more about information’ than his own FBI Director and Secretary of State.

Bove asked about a meeting where Trump had officials gathered around his Oval Office desk including James Comey and Mike Pompeo.

Pecker said that Trump joked that he knew more information than the officials.

It came while they were discussing a shooting that had taken place at the Fort Lauderdale airport.

Pecker told the jury that Michael Cohen told him that at one point Cohen was talking to Mark Cuban about working with him.

Trump’s attorney Bove asked if Cohen asked Pecker to send photographers to get photos of the meeting between him and Cuban.

Bove asked if the photos would ‘put pressure on Trump to treat Cohen differently?’

The hearing on Trump’s alleged 14 violations of the gag order has been moved to Thursday, May 2 at 9:30 a.m. ET.

It is a change since Judge Merchan had said Thursday evening that the hearing would take place next Wednesday.

He scheduled another hearing after the prosecution added four more violations to the list of Trump’s alleged offenses.

Prosecutor Josh Steinglass repeatedly objected to Bove referring to Trump as ‘President Trump’ when asking Pecker about a June 2016 phone call they had together.

Steinglass said: ‘He wasn’t President Trump in June of 2016!’

Judge Juan Merchan sustained the objection and moved on.

David Pecker is back on the witness stand for cross-examination where Donald Trump’s lawyer Emil Bove suggested articles about Trump’s rivals ‘made sense from a business perspective.’

Bove asked about stories running in the National Enquirer on Bill and Hillary Clinton and whether it was a good business decision to run them.

Pecker said it was. He also confirmed AMI was running articles on the Clintons before the August 2015 meeting.

Bove also asked a line of questions about former Trump aide Hope Hicks.

He pressed for inconsistencies in Pecker’s testimony over Hicks presence at the 2015 Trump Tower meeting.

Pecker conceded that Hicks did not participate or speak during that meeting.

“I’m at the heavily guarded Courthouse. Security is that of Fort Knox, all so that MAGA will not be able to attend this trial, presided over by a highly conflicted pawn of the Democrat Party. It is a sight to behold! Getting ready to do my Courthouse presser. Two minutes!” Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social.

Trump has in front of him on the desk a large stack of papers.

The front page shows the date ‘1813’.

It says: ‘An anatomy of Poltical Prosecution: The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office’s Vendetta Against President Donald Trump’

Donald Trump says he listened to the Supreme Court arguments on immunity which took place on Thursday while Trump was in New York on trial.

‘I heard the argument was brilliant,’ Trump said after walking into court Friday morning.

He says he listened to it last night and he thought it was ‘really great’ and the ‘judges’ questions were great.’

‘All presidents have to have immunity,’ Trump said. ‘It has nothing to do with me, absolutely nothing. All presidents have to have immunity.’

He added that he believes yesterday went ‘very well’ in the New York courtroom as well.

‘It should be over,’ Trump said and attacked the judge has ‘highly conflicted.’

Trump also complained about the ‘freezing courthouse.’

‘It’s very cold in there on purpose I believe,’ said Trump.

Trump entered the packed courtroom pursing his lips and wearing a navy suit and bright blue tie.

He sat at the defense bench with his lawyers. His attorney Todd Blanche has been benched again and is sitting on Trump’s left.

Emil Bove, who was cross-examining David Pecker on Thursday, is to Trump’s right meaning he will continue the questioning.

Donald Trump arrived at the Manhattan criminal court where he wished wife Melania Trump a happy birthday.

‘I want to start by wishing my wife Melania a very happy birthday,’ he said.

‘It’d be best to be with her, but I’m at a courthouse for a rigged trial,’ he added.

Trump said the former first lady is in Florida, and he will be heading there Friday evening.

The ex-president is in court for his hush money trial over payments to a porn star.

They were the untouchables, who used their money, influence and flattery to get into former company CEO David Pecker’s good graces – thus avoiding having their garbage surveyed, their lovers followed, and their peccadillos exposed.

But if you weren’t a friend, then all bets were off. There was nothing – within the law and sometimes skirting it– that wouldn’t be done to bring in a story.

‘He’s the biggest star f***er you’ve ever met,’ a former staffer who worked at the tabloid for more than 20 years told DailyMail.com.

‘He’s a failed Donald Trump. He picks the wrong people and much like Trump, he’s loyal to no one.’

Pecker and his close friendship with Trump has been back in the headlines this week thanks to the former publisher’s scene-stealing appearance at the 45th President’s ongoing hush money trial.

But while that friendship exposed the tabloid practice of ‘catch and kill’ – buying up a story only to keep it quiet for the benefit of a Pecker pal – insiders say that was just the tip of the iceberg.

‘What’s shameful is a lot of what we did was just good old-fashioned reporting but this stuff with Trump has smeared it,’ another insider said.

Donald Trump’s motorcade is on the way to court in Manhattan.

His press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared video footage of his SUV and police escort leaving his residence on Friday morning.

Attorneys for Donald Trump and special counsel Jack Smith made their cases before the Supreme Court on Thursday in the monumental case over whether a president has absolute immunity from prosecution.

There were many blockbuster moments throughout the three-hour hearing as the liberal justices fretted over the rise of Trump as a king if given total immunity.

Meanwhile, the conservative justices said they want to provide some legal safeguards to protect Trump and future presidents from political prosecution.

And there were no shortage of crazy hypotheticals raised about what could happen if a president staged a military coup or committed murder while in office.

The decision in the case will have a sweeping impact not just on the former president for presidential powers in the United States.

The arguments come as former President Donald Trump is facing criminal charges in four cases. He is the first former president ever to face criminal charges.

A decision is expected by the end of June before the Supreme Court recesses for the summer but they could move sooner.

DailyMail.com breaks down the major takeaways:

President Joe Biden told a glitzy fundraiser on Thursday night that he is too busy to watch Donald Trump’s hush money trial.

Biden has kept his thoughts on the trial mostly to himself since it began.

But he has fired multiple jokes at his adversary and mocked his hair.

He also also had battles of his own, including with the teleprompter and struggling over the date of January 6.

One of the hundreds of construction workers who turned out to support Donald Trump in New York has captured the heart of the nation with his savage takedown of Joe Biden.

The unknown worker had been part of the crowds gathered as the former president made a visit to a construction site in Midtown Manhattan on Thursday morning.

Crowds of construction workers and supporters lined up through the night as they anxiously waited to catch a glimpse of their beloved former president in what is normally Liberal heartland.

He is now being hailed as a hero on social media.

‘This is pretty much the sentiment of all blue collar hard working Americans. Really any American for that matter. Well said sir.’

Melania Trump‘s former spokesperson said Hope Hicks and Sarah Huckabee Sanders would check in with her to see how the first lady was ‘dealing’ with the Karen McDougal affair rumors – but didn’t share the details of a ‘deal’ with the National Enquirer.

The revelation came as former National Enquirer CEO David Pecker testified in Donald Trump‘s case involving hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

Pecker was speaking about a joint call with Hicks, who served as White House communications director, and Sanders, who was White House press secretary at the time and is now governor of Arkansas, about a ‘catch-and-kill’ contract given to McDougal.

Donald Trump returns to court on Friday for the hush money trial to watch his lawyers cross-examine former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.

During cross-examination before the court wrapped up for the day, Pecker ran through a series of high-profile arrangements he claimed he came to with celebrities and powerful men.

Pecker also claimed he helped bury stories about Mark Wahlberg and his wife having an argument and Rahm Emanuel having an affair after he left the Obama White House.

Pecker confirmed that he purchased the rights to photographs of Tiger Woods meeting a woman at a parking lot in Florida as part of another deal.

He agreed that they were used as ‘leverage’ to get Woods to appear on the cover of Men’s Fitness magazine.

It came out in court that Pecker also gave Trump the heads up about negative stories for years, and Pecker agreed.

Among the other high-powered men that Pecker did similar favors for was billionaire Ron Perelman, the owner of cosmetics giant Revlon.

Schwarzenegger got $50 million in addition to posts as editor at large of two AMI muscle-building magazines as part of a deal for AMI to buy them, the court heard.

Bove said that ‘30 or 40 women came to you and AMI’ when Schwarzenegger declared his candidacy. Pecker agreed.

‘Not that high. Hundreds of thousands of dollars,’ Pecker said.

Pecker confirmed that Schwarzenegger did not pay him back.