The jury has begun deliberating in Donald Trump’s hush money trial – as the world waits for the seven men and five women to reach their historic verdict.
The deliberations began on Wednesday after nearly two dozen witnesses, 16 days of testimony and hours of lawyers’ closing arguments.
Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with an alleged scheme to bury stories ahead of his 2016 presidential campaign.
It relates to reimbursements paid to Trump’s then lawyer Michael Cohenafter he made a$130,000 (£102,000) payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.
Prosecutors say the reimbursements were falsely logged as “legal expenses” to hide the true nature of the transactions.
Trump, who is the first ever former US president to face a criminal trial, has denied all wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
Trump will be convicted if the jury unanimously finds he created a false entry in his company’s records, or caused someone else to do so, with the intent of committing or concealing a violation of a state law making it illegal for conspirators “to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means”.
A conviction would mean that jurors all agreed that something unlawful was carried out to boost Trump’s election campaign.
However, they don’t have to be unanimous on what that unlawful thing was.
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2:46
Trump and lawyer audio about hush money
Where will Trump be during the deliberations?
The former US president doesn’t have to stay in the courtroom itself during deliberations but must be in the building.
During the trial, he and his attorneys and security personnel had the use of a courtroom across the hall for breaks.
Where do deliberations take place?
Behind closed doors in a room reserved for the jury.
While the 12 jurors deliberate, the six alternate jurors who have also observed the whole trial will be in a separate space in the courthouse.
If a jury member is unable to continue because of illness or other reasons, an alternate juror will then take that person’s place, and deliberations will start again from the beginning.
What will we know about the discussions?
The public will know very little because they are held in secret.
The identities of the jurors are also kept from the public.
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0:26
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Do we know anything about the deliberations so far?
On the first day of deliberations, the jury sent two notes to the judge as they asked to rehear jury instructions as well as testimonies from National Enquirer publisher David Pecker and Trump’s former lawyer Mr Cohen.
The jury cannot be given a transcript and the testimonies will instead be read to them in the courtroom.
Judge Juan M. Merchan said it will take some time to gather the requested sections and about half an hour for it to be read aloud.
Image: Donald Trump pictured grinning ahead of the judge giving final instructions to the jury. Pic: Reuters
While the attorneys and court were gathering that testimony, jurors sent a request to rehear the judge’s instructions on the laws applicable to the case.
Then jurors were brought into court and asked by the judge whether they wanted to hear all of the legal instructions or just part. After explaining that they could answer by note, he sent them home for the evening.
How long will jurors deliberate?
The jury will deliberate for as long as it takes.
The standard court day runs from 9.30am to 4.30pm local time, with a break for lunch.
Image: Donald Trump walks out of the courthourse after the jury is sent out. Pic: Reuters
Can the jurors go home?
This particular jury isn’t sequestered – the legal term for isolating the panel from the outside world.
This means the jurors can go home at the end of each day.
What are the possible outcomes of the trial?
• Guilty – It only takes a guilty verdict on one count for Trump to receive a criminal conviction.
• Not guilty – To be acquitted, the jury must decide that Trump is not guilty on all counts.
• Hung jury – If the jury can’t reach a unanimous verdict, a hung jury can be declared. The judge would then have to declare a mistrial. A retrial could be held in this case.
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1:47
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What happens if there’s a verdict?
Jurors will send a note to the judge saying they have reached a verdict in the case. The note will not state what that verdict is.
The judge will then summon the former president, his defence team and prosecutors to the courtroom if they’re not already there.
The jury will then be brought in, before the foreperson – which in New York is usually the first juror who was chosen – will be asked whether the panel has reached a verdict.
If the answer is yes, the foreperson will then be asked what the verdict is for each count and will answer either “guilty” or “not guilty”.
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What happens if there isn’t a verdict?
If jurors send a note saying they can’t reach a verdict, the judge will consult with both sides as he decides what to do next.
Defence lawyers might seek an immediate mistrial.
It could be granted, but often the response is to call the jury in for some form of instruction to keep trying.
When would Trump be sentenced if he was found guilty?
If guilty, sentencing will come four to six weeks after the verdict.
He faces up to four years in prison, although legal experts expect the former president to avoid jail time.
Donald Trump has said he plans to hit Canada with a 35% tariff on imported goods, as he warned of a blanket 15 or 20% hike for most other countries.
In a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the US president wrote: “I must mention that the flow of Fentanyl is hardly the only challenge we have with Canada, which has many Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers.”
Mr Trump’s tariffs were allegedly an effort to get Canada to crack down on fentanyl smuggling, and the US president has expressed frustration with Canada’s trade deficit with the US.
In a statement Mr Carney said: “Throughout the current trade negotiations with the United States, the Canadian government has steadfastly defended our workers and businesses. We will continue to do so as we work towards the revised deadline of August 1.”
He added: “Canada has made vital progress to stop the scourge of fentanyl in North America. We are committed to continuing to work with the United States to save lives and protect communities in both our countries.”
The higher rates would go into effect on 1 August.
Shortly after Mr Trump unveiled his “Liberation Day” tariffs on 2 April, there was a huge sell-off on the financial markets. The US president later announced a 90-day negotiating period, during which a 10% baseline tariff would be charged on most imported goods.
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“We’re just going to say all of the remaining countries are going to pay, whether it’s 20% or 15%. We’ll work that out now,” he said.
He added: “I think the tariffs have been very well-received. The stock market hit a new high today.”
The US and UK signed a trade deal in June, with the US president calling it “a fair deal for both” and saying it will “produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income”.
Sir Keir Starmer said the document “implements” the deal to cut tariffs on cars and aerospace, adding: “So this is a very good day for both of our countries – a real sign of strength.”
It comes as Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said a new round of talks between Moscow and Washington on bilateral problems could take place before the end of the summer.
A Palestinian activist who was detained for over three months in a US immigration jail after protesting against Israel is suing Donald Trump’s administration for $20m (£15m) in damages.
Lawyers for Mahmoud Khalil have filed a claim against the administration alleging he was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an antisemite as the government sought to deport him over his role in campus protests.
He described “plain-clothed agents and unmarked cars” taking him “from one place to another, expecting you just to follow orders and shackled all the time”, which he said was “really scary”.
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0:54
Mahmoud Khalil reunites with family after release
Mr Khalil said he was not presented with an arrest warrant and wasn’t told where he was being taken.
He said the detention centre he was taken to was “as far from humane as it could be” and “a place where you have no rights whatsoever”.
“You share a dorm with over 70 men with no privacy, with lights on all the time, with really terrible food. You’re basically being dehumanised at every opportunity. It’s a black hole,” he added.
Mr Khalil said he would also accept an official apology from the Trump administration.
The Trump administration celebrated Mr Khalil’s arrest, promising to deport him and others whose protests against Israel it declared were “pro-terrorist, antisemitic, anti-American activity”.
Mr Khalil said after around 36 hours in captivity he was allowed to speak to his wife, who was pregnant at the time.
“These were very scary hours, I did not know what was happening on the outside. I did not know that my wife was safe,” he said.
Mr Khalil said administration officials had made “absolutely absurd allegations” by saying he as involved in antisemitic activities and supporting Hamas.
“They are weaponising antisemitism, weaponising anti-terrorism in order to stifle speech,” he said. “What I was engaged in is simply opposing a genocide, opposing war crimes, opposing Columbia University’s complicity in the war on Gaza.”
A State Department spokesperson said its actions toward Mr Khalil were fully supported by the law.
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Asked about missing the birth of his son while he was in prison, Mr Khalil said: “I don’t think there’s any word that can describe the agony and the sadness that I went through, to be deprived from such a divine moment, from a moment that my wife and I had always dreamed about.”
Meanwhile, the deportation case against Mr Khalil is continuing to wind its way through the immigration court system.
Donald Trump has praised the Liberian president’s command of English – the West African country’s official language.
The US president reacted with visible surprise to Joseph Boakai’s English-speaking skills during a White House meeting with leaders from the region on Wednesday.
After the Liberian president finished his brief remarks, Mr Trump told him he speaks “such good English” and asked: “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Mr Trump seemed surprised when Mr Boakai laughed and responded he learned in Liberia.
The US president said: “It’s beautiful English.
“I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
Mr Boakai did not tell Mr Trump that English is the official language of Liberia.
The country was founded in 1822 with the aim of relocating freed African slaves and freeborn black citizens from the US.
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Later asked by a reporter if he’ll visit the continent, Mr Trump said, “At some point, I would like to go to Africa.”
But he added that he’d “have to see what the schedule looks like”.
Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, promised to go to Africa in 2023, but only fulfilled the commitment by visiting Angola in December 2024, just weeks before he left office.