Donald Trump trial live updates: Verdict wait continues as jury deliberates for second day in hush money case

After Judge Juan Merchan completed his instructions to the jury, he had one final order for Donald Trump, his legal team and the prosecutors.

“I ask all of you to please be here,” he said Wednesday before heading to his dressing room. “You can’t leave the building.”

It is another moment of humiliation for the man who was leader of the free world for four years and may become leader of the free world again after the November elections.

He stopped traffic with his motorcade and closed Air Force One’s airspace. But for the past five weeks, Trump has had to follow rules set by a judge and enforced by bailiffs in a New York courtroom.

Jury deliberations began on Thursday and twelve New York jurors now hold the fate of former US President Donald Trump in their hands.

They deliberated for four and a half hours and sent the judge two notes as testimony so it could be read before they were sent home.

These were the most important moments of the day:

• Jury instructions: Judge Juan Merchan read through the jury instructions for the jurors in a calm and even tone. The judge told the jury to consider only the evidence and instructed them to put aside prejudices and opinions about the ex-president. Merchan then read through the law and the 34 charges against Trump. He also explained how the deliberations would proceed.
• The deliberations begin: The twelve jurors were then escorted from the courtroom to begin deliberations. On the first day of jury deliberation, approximately four and a half hours were deliberated.
• Trump sets expectations: As the jury began deliberating, Trump spoke to the media, where he labeled the entire case as “rigged” and blasted the “adversarial” judge. He said: ‘Mother Teresa could not refute these allegations.’
• Jury sends two comments: As jury deliberations continued into the afternoon, the jury sent two notes of requests to the judge. The first requested four testimonies. The jury wants to repeat Pecker’s testimony about a phone call with Trump while he was in an investor meeting, about a decision on Karen McDougal’s life rights deal, and about a meeting at Trump Tower. They also want Michael Cohen’s testimony about the meeting. The jury also asked to repeat the jury instructions.

Donald Trump Jr., former President Alina Habba’s attorney and his campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt were among his supporters in court Wednesday as jury deliberations began.

His loyal assistant Natalie Harp, known to some as the “human printer” because she provided him with copies of news articles, was also in the courtroom.

Twelve Manhattanites hold Donald Trump’s fate in their hands as the historic hush-money case against the ex-president heads for jury deliberation.

During six weeks of sometimes salacious and sometimes grueling testimony, the jury listened intently as prosecutors laid out their case and Trump’s defense team tried to sow doubt.

Seven men and five women — including a corporate lawyer and a woman who called the ex-president “selfish” — will ultimately determine whether Trump is guilty or not guilty of concealing a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about their alleged affair in an attempt to influence the 2016 elections.

DailyMail.com provides an overview of what we know about who gets to decide Trump’s innocence or guilt.

Donald Trump on Thursday labeled the case against him as “rigged” as he left the courtroom.

“Mother Teresa could not refute these allegations,” Trump told the media. “But we’ll see.”

The ex-president also went after Judge Merchan.

“The judge is so conflicted he can’t breathe,” he claimed.

Trump blasted Merchan for contributing to President Biden, suggesting he has “done a lot worse than that, but I’m not allowed to talk about it because of a gag order.”

Donald Trump and his eldest son Don Jr. released a TikTok on Wednesday night that showed the duo sitting together in a back room of the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse coming up with their next vile tweet.

Judge Juan Merchan concluded his instructions to the jury on Wednesday as they retired to consider their verdict, but he had one final order for the former president, his legal team and prosecutors.

“I’m ordering all of you to please be here,” he instructed. You can’t leave the building.’

It means Trump has time to spare for the first time in weeks.

Sitting with his son in one of the courthouse’s white-walled conference rooms, accompanied by a bottle of Diet Coke and several boxes of chocolates, the pair turned the camera on themselves to capture a short clip.