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Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.
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on GMA you’re going to love it it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that me whenever wherever news breaks it’s so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London in Buffalo yaldi Texas Edinburough Scotland reporting from Rolling Fork Mississippi Ukrainian refugees here in warong we’re heading to a small community outside of Mexico City getting you behind the stories as they happen ABC News live Prime we’ll take you there stream ABC News live week nights wherever you stream your news only on ABC News live right now there’s just so much happening in our world so much at stake at the start of every morning and that’s why Good Morning America we’re right here and we got you we got you we got you police across the country are reporting a rash of break-ins by South American burglars targeting upscale homes authorities held a town hall in a Detroit suburb last night where County officials have seen burglaries amounting to $1 million in stolen goods per week the thieves are highly skilled working in teams to stake out expensive houses and returning when no one’s home we’re very concerned like all of our neighbors they’ve done pre- Ops surveillance we’ve seen here and across the country utilizing trail cameras remote battery operated cameras trackers on cars and even drone units police urge homeowners to set up security systems with hardwired cameras and keep some lights on now to the troubles plaguing the missusa pageant two winners giving up their crowns in recent days and now we are hearing from their mothers for the first time since their resignations the mothers of missusa Noelia Voit and Miss Teen USA Uma Sophia Shasta are speaking out about what prompted their daughters to give up the crowns they had worked so hard to achieve they need to tell their own story because it’s not right that they are silenced for the rest of their life the beauty queens claim a toxic work environment is to blame void even mentioning bullying and harassment but they are bound by contracts which include confidentiality Clauses when Voit posted her resignation online the sentences appeared to begin with letters that spelled out I am silenced both mothers spoke to Good Morning America’s Ariel rushi if your daughters were sitting here without an NDA what would they say they will the job of their dreams turned out to be a nightmare yeah definitely and what they wanted to achieve together together as because they have such a similar background such a similar platform impacting young people with their books with their experiences voy claims she was made to feel unsafe at events which she says culminated in being sexually harassed in giving up her crown she says she wanted to focus on her mental health the missusa organization responding saying it respects void’s need to prioritize her mental health as for sasta her Miss Teen USA runner up also declined the crown telling the New York Post I didn’t feel like it was the right decision considering all the circumstances no comment yet from the CEO of missusa about the harassment allegations but later on Good Morning America voit’s mother explains one case of harassment her daughter suffered coming up Judge Judy and her new legal battle also ahead the new era in women’s sports tips off tonight in Israel a nation at war after that brutal surprise attack by Hamas on the ground in Ukraine reporting from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting ABC News live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in Turkey in Rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 2024 campaign Trail in Iceland let’s go yeah traveling with the president in Mexico City wherever the story from the front lines from Southern Israel outside the Gaza Strip in beir from the FBI reporting from the nurses on the picket line here at 10 Downing Street in London streaming live to you wherever the story is wherever the story is wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere America’s number one streaming news hi to play dress up and this is the night to do it the meel is the Super Bowl of red carpet it’s a celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the Met Gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that let’s go the ship is incredible it feels like living in a science fiction movie we just saw what no one has seen before wow look at that oh my gosh we are heading into the unknown Hammer Hammer Hammer it doesn’t get any more Cutting Edge than this you sound like a fool that’s your opinion my opinion is the only one that counts Judge Judy is heading to court as a plaintiff Judy shinin is suing the parent company of the national Inquirer and InTouch weekly a story claimed she’s trying to help Infamous Brothers Lyall and Eric Mendez get a new trial in the murder of their parents no comment yet from the publisher hundreds of people mourned a 15-year-old girl who was killed while water skiing off of South Florida beach authorities say Ella Adler was in the water when she was fatally hit by a passing boat which never stopped police are seeking The public’s help they are trying to find that boat’s driver a $20,000 reward has been offered we turn now to the historic night in women’s sports not just for Caitlyn Clark the WNBA season now just hours away from tip off the anticipation never higher rookie Superstars Cameron Brink Angel Reese and Camila cardoo bringing an unprecedented level of interest in women’s basketball along with Caitlyn Clark getting much of the attention I feel now like getting out there for the first time it’s really exciting and it’ll be super special Clark’s Indiana Fever kick off in Connecticut tonight against the Sun the team selling out a home opener for the first time in more than 20 years Clark in the incredibly popular draft class ushering in a new era of the WNBA all teams will soon get charter flights for away games instead of flying commercial many teams also getting new state-of-the-art practice facil and they’re cashing in on endorsement deals when you’re on the court Nothing Else Matters Kim Kardashian’s clothing brand skims just releasing its first campaign featuring WNBA Stars Kardashian saying the brand is championing women in sports and stands for women’s empowerment Caitlyn Clark already signed a reported $28 million deal with Nike but one WNBA star suggests Clark’s success has a lot to do with being white Las Vegas Aces star Asia Wilson saying it doesn’t matter how hard I work it doesn’t matter what we all do as black women we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug that’s why it boils my blood when people say it’s not about race because it is what’s IND disputable this will be a season like no other now the four WNBA games tonight will air on ESPN 2 and ESPN plus two games including the fever will also stream on Disney plus Britney Griner though will miss her season opener tonight due to a toe injury that back right before the season over I know hope she gets back on the court soon coming up a big move for George Clooney but first the miracle baby weighing just 1 lb 1 o at Birth now going home let’s go the ship is incredible it feels like living in a science fiction movie we just saw what no one has seen before wow look at that oh my gosh we are heading into the unknown Hammer Hammer Hammer it doesn’t get any more Cutting Edge than [Music] this hi I’m Andy and I’m Sabrina and we’re moms juggling tons of stuff every day like all you moms out there and you know what we love really love Pop Culture so listen now to our new podcast pop culture moms wherever you get your podcast with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that I’m Gio Bonitas covering the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge here in Maryland wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live time to check the pulse we begin with the miracle baby who beat all the odds she has just spent her first night at home near Chicago late last year little Nyla was born at just 22 weeks she weighed 1B 1 o and was given only a 10% chance of survival but a team of 15 people cared for her and now nearly 6 months later they have helped to send her home we have so many family friends who are so excited and they pray for us and took care of us and everyone’s ready to celebrate this little one for sure we are all thinking of little Nyla she now weighs 10 lbs her doctors say she is a fighter we agree next George Clooney is preparing to make his Broadway debut he’s taking his 2005 film good night and good luck which was fantastic to the stage this time Clooney will take the lead role playing journalist Edward aruro the play is set to open next year next a new toy if you want to clean in style but it’ll cost you check out the first mop from Dyson the company says the cordless batterypowered wash G1 uses mechanical agitation to clean up spills instead of using fans or special motor it goes on sale this fall for 700 bucks next a special night at the Ballpark a fan in Seattle caught not one but two foul balls and they came on backtack plays he held up his souvenirs on a night he and a lot of fans will never forget next a giraffe showing gratitude after getting his neck adjusted Jerry the giraffe in Oklahoma could not stop swooning after a chiropractor worked his magic snapped something back in place a Jerry showered him with hugs and kisses meanwhile in Oregon a real life Ambi and Thumper a homeowner captured this scene the deer and the rabbit spent some time together they were hanging out look at them just like their cartoon counterparts so adorable you’re move Disney for a movie here right top headlines [Music] next whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly Miss strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere let’s go the ship is incredible it feels like living in a science fiction movie we just saw what no one has seen before wow look at that oh my gosh we are heading into the unknown Hammer Hammer Hammer it doesn’t get any more Cutting Edge than [Music] this what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America we are part of an operation is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate militants came in from different directions nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to go the house is destroyed but the flag not a any how important it made the USA great work hi appreciate you thank it’s David David I’m David I know you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love [Music] that checking more top stories Israeli settlers were seeing blocking an aid Convoy from entering Gaza destroying supplies there are reports that American doctors are trapped inaz a the state department says it is working with Israel to reopen the Rafa border crossing so that they can leave the FBI has joined the investigation into the death of a South Carolina pastor’s wife 30-year-old Micah Miller was found dead in a park last month a medical examiner said she died by Suicide but friends rais doubts she recently served her husband with divorce papers the three major airlines are suing trying to prevent a government rule requiring them to make fees easier for consumers to see American Delta and United say the rule will only confuse customers violent storms including a possible tornado have killed at least two people in Louisiana homes were damaged and thousands were left without power today’s forecast more storms from Northern Florida to Georgia showers from New England to the Midwest and the Northern Plains finally a dance class for new parents that is surging in popularity Danny new shows us oh my God how long has she been crying about a week and a half it has been reported that from time to time newborns can cry a little early on that was kind of like the way I got him to stop crying I just dance with them but choreographer and father Russell lepley says you could just try dancing [Music] together welcome to baby dance club which meets weekly at Russell’s flux flow Dance Center in Columbus Ohio we do like 30 minutes of dancing and then 30 minutes of holding the studio for Community Building here we go the idea came to Russell in early 2023 when he and his partner fely had just adopted their son Charlie that period when you’re having an infant is so much work that it’s good to have a community and not feel lonely not only did it turn out that other parents around Ohio were looking to connect through [Music] movement but this video Russell shared early on immediately shot up to nearly 35 million views on Instagram I really didn’t expect it to go like viral on the internet now about a year in Russell is even training others around the world teaching them both the methodology and perhaps most importantly the safety precautions we have keep the music around 60 DB and then also making sure that you know how we’re holding the baby is thoughtful and intentional because while kids are quite resilient you can’t try everything do you ever Simba the kids we do not I thought it could be fun Russell did say many have been asking if you will now naturally transition into toddler dance but his son Charlie is only 15 months old so he’s not quite there yet guys but he will be he will be moving and grooving that’s what’s making news in America this morning have a great day everyone ABC News America’s number one news [Music] source hi I’m d today on ABC News live first Donald Trump’s former fixer back on the stand Michael Cohen is getting ready for cross-examination what he told the prosecution about the former president’s instructions to pay off Stormy Daniels and how Cohen secured the money so his wife wouldn’t find out damaging storms slam the South with at least four reported tornadoes in three states the latest on the threat and where the severe weather is moving next the Port of Baltimore is one step closer to fully reopening the timeline now after a successful controlled explosion plus an ABC News exclusive inside the situation room with the duty officer on January 6th what he told our George Stephanopoulos about how close we came to losing Mike Pence but we begin with former president Trump’s criminal hush money trial Trump’s former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen is set to face tough questions from the defense as he takes takes the stand for a second day Cohen told the jury yesterday that Trump directed him to make the payment at the center of the case to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ABC News senior investigative correspondent Aon kerki has the latest from the moment he heard Stormy Daniels was shopping a story about a long-denied sexual trist with Donald Trump Michael Cohen said he knew it would be catastrophic for the 2016 campaign he said Trump knew it too women will hate me Cohen recalled Trump saying guys may think it’s cool but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign the Access Hollywood tape had already become public Trump heard boasting of groping women when you’re a star they let you do it you can do anything Cohen testified Trump told him to spin it and the spin that he wanted to put on it was that this is locker room talk something that Melania had recommended seated at the defense table Trump appeared to make a face when he heard that one of his few reactions to Cohen’s testimony for much of it Trump shut his eyes in seeming disinterest Cohen recalled asking how Melania Trump was taking the news about stormy Daniels and Cohen recalled Trump saying don’t worry how long do you think I will be on the market for not long prosecutor Susan hoffinger asked what did you understand that to mean Cohen responded he wasn’t thinking about Melania this was all about the campaign when it became evident Daniels was prepared to go public Cohen said Trump instructed him to pay her off just do it Cohen recalled Trump telling him don’t worry about it you will get the money back but before he wired the money Cohen said he called Trump again the jury saw a record of the calls I wanted to ensure that once again and he approved what I was doing because I required approval from him on all of this Cohen said everything required Mr Trump’s sign off on top of that I wanted the money back after the election Cohen said Trump signed off on a monthly reimbursement schedule he approved it Cohen said it was just before the inauguration and Cohen quoted Trump saying this is going to be one heck of a ride in DC prosecutors are out to prove the reimbursements Cohen said Trump authorized were falsely labeled as legal expenses Cohen’s Recollections of the things Trump said are powerful evidence he’s the only witness who can deliver it and while there are call logs to back him up for the most part the jury is left to take Cohen at his word the defense is waiting to test Cohen’s composure and his credibility Dian ABC News senior investigative correspondent Erin kerki thank you and former Federal prosecutor for New York southern district Khan nowaday joins me for more on this KH what stick out to you from Michael Cohen’s testimony yesterday I think what stick out is first he did exactly what we all expected him to do he did exactly what the prosecution expected him to do which is he tied the case together for the prosecution the real question will be uh when he goes on cross-examination well how tightly did he tie everything together and what kinds of holes can Trump’s defense punch into the prosecution’s case in Michael Cohen’s testimony one of the biggest moments of testimony was Cohen saying that Trump explicitly told told him just do it when deciding whether to pay Stormy Daniels that $130,000 to stay quiet how strong is that testimony for the prosecution to have Cohen directly connecting Trump to the payment at the center of this case well it’s very strong and it was absolutely necessary what was missing from the prosecution’s case throughout was direct evidence that Trump was the one directing the hush money payment and that he knew that the purpose of the payment was to influence the election so I I I think it was absolutely necessary that that uh bit of testimony came out through Michael Cohen’s uh testimony yesterday he’s expected to face questioning by the defense later today and that might take a very different tone from what we’ve seen so far with the prosecution sir what are you watching for there I I’m watching for how effective the defense is at uh getting Michael Cohen to lose his composure because ultimately they’re going to have a lot of ammunition to hit at Michael Cohen’s credibility his motivations to lie because he has a lot of statements out there he has a lot of animus towards the former president and that’s known so the real question is how will he hold up because that’s what the jurors are looking for uh they’re looking for how he holds up when he’s confronted with his past inconsistent statements with his animous towards uh the former president all right Khan now a day thank you Khan and for more I want to go to to ABC News senior Congressional correspondent Rachel Scott here in studio with me Rachel I want to talk about the politics of it all because it was interesting to see who was in court yesterday and today we’re hearing house Speaker Mike Johnson and former presidential candidate M ramaswami will be in court yesterday Senator JD Vance was there Senator Tom tuberville congresswoman Nicole motakis what do you make of this yeah well a lot of this is that former president Donald Trump has now have had his allies come out outside the courtroom and do basically what Trump cannot do and that is because Trump is under this gag order so he cannot attack the witnesses he can’t go after Michael Cohen or Stormy Daniels he can’t go after the judge or the judge’s family in the way that he probably wants to and criticize them so now he has his Republican allies coming to the courthouse and doing that for him also in a way Diane this is a little bit of an auditioning process when it comes to these VP hopefuls so you mentioned JD Vance this is the senator that was once critical of former president Donald Trump before JD Vance was elected now he’s one of his staunchest Defenders today you’re going to have two of his former Rivals ramas Swami the North Dakota governor Doug bergham they will be there as well Diane so what is the latest on the beep sakes so to speak where is he in terms of picking a running mate we know the former president has a lot of concentration on this trial and sources have told us it’s really hard to get him to really think past anything else at this moment but look Donald Trump wants someone that’s going to be out there defending him and so in a lot of ways this is a lot of testing the waters I I don’t think we ever really thought that outside of a courthouse could be the scene for testing the waters and a testing ground for a possible vice presidential candidate pick but now we are seeing them line up one by one not to mention there’s that fundraiser later tonight you’re also going to have Senator Tim Scott Marco Rubio they are also on the short list for possible running mates all right we’ll keep watching Rachel Scott thank you thanks and we will be covering this trial all day long we’ll bring you the latest on Michael Cohen’s second day of testimony and former president Trump’s criminal hush money trial right here on ABC News live keep it here [Music] Secretary of State Anthony blinkin is back in Ukraine as a Russian offensive pushes closer to the country’s second largest city in the Northeast Lincoln’s trip is meant to publicly reaffirm that Ukraine has America’s support as it struggles to defend itself against increasingly intense Russian attacks foreign correspondent James Longman has the latest from keev hi James secretary blinkin is here in keev he met with president zinski a short time ago it’s the highest level us visit in 6 months and the first since that $61 billion Aid bill was passed in Congress but his visit comes at a very dangerous time for Ukraine Russia has launched a major incursion in the northeast of this country Ukraine thinks about 30,000 Russian troops are involved they taken some nine Villages 7,000 people have already been displaced but there is a danger that Russian uh tanks could roll up onto the outskirts of Kev that is Ukraine’s second largest city it would send Panic through the the more than 1 million people uh who live there they’d face bombardments and many of them would flee now blinkin says some of this Aid has already been deployed on the battlefield he says more will come his basic message is America is back but I think there is a sense here that the delay in Aid has already given Russia A major advantage and that with the US elections just around the corner long-term us support is far from guaranteed foreign correspondent James Longman in Ukraine thank you and President Biden is expected to announce that he will quadruple tariffs on electric vehicles and other high-tech products from China the White House says the move will protect key American Industries from being wiped out by cheaper Chinese Goods senior White House correspondent Selena Wang has the latest Hi Selena today President Biden announcing new tariffs on $8 billion dollar worth of Chinese Imports this also includes quadrupling tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from 25 to 100% this also targets key sectors including batteries medical equipment steel aluminum semiconductors and solar cells the White House says all of these moves will protect those industries from cheaper Chinese Goods that they worn could Wipe Out the competition and with the election just 6 months away you have both Trump and Biden fighting to show that they’re tougher on China and win over those workingclass voters new polling shows that Trump is actually ahead of Biden in several key Battleground states where manufacturing is a top issue according to a new New York Times poll in Michigan President Biden is is down seven points against Trump among registered voters in Pennsylvania Biden is behind by three points but in Wisconsin Biden leads Trump by two points now Trump has said that if he were elected again he would dramatically increase tariffs on China whereas the Biden team says their approach is different it’s more targeted strategic and will not increase inflation but they are keeping in place tariffs from the Trump Administration on some $300 billion doll worth of goods from China and Studies have shown that it’s us consumers who largely bore the brunt of those tariffs Diane senior White House correspondent Selena Wang thank you meanwhile parts of the Florida Panhandle and Southern Georgia are under severe weather threats right now 130 damaging storms were reported from Idaho to Florida in the last 24 hours ABC News chief meteorologist Ginger Z has the latest are you kidding me new video as tornadoes and severe storms rip across the Ozarks to the Gulf Coast leaving at least two dead in Louisiana they go a chair flying in the streets of Sulfur Louisiana after Winds of more than 70 mph slce through the area a likely tornado spotted and its damage Vivid cars flipped the roof of this gas station mangled is there anybody else in these other campers in St Martin Parish homes and trailers toppled survivors out surveying the devastation pieces of their lives scattered everywhere that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen and a close encounter with an ef- zero in Missouri it looks like he’s getting such an active jet stream and we are looking for another day with more action like that so you see the video from Branson Missouri that was that efzo but easily could see spin-ups along the lines that are blasting through North Florida Southern Georgia that’s why we have that watch until 1 p.m. but I think even some damaging winds afternoon so this is not a day that you let down your guard even though this is going to move through most places quite early just have two ways of getting warnings if you’re highlighted there anywhere and mostly in the northern part of the peninsula of Florida and then we get Maybe one day to take a breath before on Thursday especially we start to focus in on more severe storms that will also have a very high flood risk remember that’s that same Trinity River area that we’ve been watching with the major flooding that impacted so many people lot of rain along the Gulf Coast as these storms kind of blow through 3 to six inches in some of that red area Diane ABC News chief meteorologist Jinger Z thank you coming up fighting the hidden junk fees rule why major airlines are now suing the US Department of Transportation also ahead the port of Baltimore is one step closer to fully reopening the timeline now after a successful controlled explosion and for former Trump attorney Michael Cohen the defense is getting ready for cross-examination we have the latest from inside court right here on ABC News live we’ll be right [Music] back whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tour to this town from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R ml Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food gma3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that hi I’m Andy and I’m Sabrina and we’re moms juggling tons of stuff every day like all you moms out there and you know what we love really love Pop Culture so listen now to our new podcast pop culture moms wherever you get your podcasts first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happen overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th hole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live welcome back to ABC News live first major US airlines are teaming up to sue the US Department of Transportation American Delta United and three other carriers are filing the lawsuit to try to block Biden’s attempt at eliminating so-called hidden junk fees ABC’s Transportation correspondent Gio bonitz has the details hey there so we’re talking about fees like baggage fees the do is mandating that Airlines disclose them right at the time of booking but now the airlines are suing so we’re talking about Alaska American Delta Hawaiian JetBlue and United all saying that Travelers already know about those fees Airlines for America that’s the lobbying group for the major US Airlines saying Airlines go to Great Lengths to make their customers knowledgeable about these fees the ancillary fee rule by the Department of Transportation will greatly confuse consumers who will be inundated with information that will only serve to complicate the buying process but the dot is already firing back in a statement to ABC News saying we will vigorously defend our rule protecting people from hidden junk fees and ensuring Travelers can see the full price of a flight before they purchase a ticket now right now this is all set to begin on July 1st unless this lawsuit changes things Diane Gio bonitz thank you and the Port of Baltimore is one step closer to fully reopening as Crews work to remove parts of the Francis Scott Key bridge and free the cargo ship that hit it a controlled explosion brought down the largest remaining part of the collapsed Bridge with the ship’s crew still on board now crews are hoping to finally move the ship out of the channel ABC News senior National correspondent Terry Moren has the latest the Port of Baltimore now one step closer to fully reopening after a powerful controlled explosion brought down the largest remaining section of the Key Bridge Crews used small Precision explosives to cut through the giant steel trusses safely and efficiently sending the massive structure tumbling off the cargo ship the dolly and into the water we’re now very close to fully clearing the channel we’re already getting large ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore the dolly has been stuck for 7 weeks after crashing into the bridge and sending it thundering down there last reported at least several vehicles in the water with several people still on a g floor killing six construction workers on the surface and underwater now crews are assessing the area hoping to move that ship back to Port within 48 hours is an important milestone for us to float The Vessel Dolly and take it out of the federal Channel even then the ship’s crew will remain on board they’re critical to repair efforts as well as to multiple investigations there’s still more wreckage obstructing the port crews are working around the clock to finish the job aiming to fully clear the channel by the end of this month there is a special sense of of mission it seems in everybody you meet who’s on this project that’s right everyone is pulling together everyone is rallying to this cause one big question remains here what caused this disaster the FBI the NTSB the Coast Guard they’re all investigating and Maryland’s senior senator says that the ship’s insurance companies will be made to foot the bill there’s a lot of litigation ahead Diane ABC News senior National correspondent Terry Moran thank you coming up bucket list on a budget how you can visit Quebec Canada this summer without breaking the bank and Michael Cohen is due back on the stand in former president Trump’s Criminal hush money trial what to expect as he faces tough questioning from the defense we have Team coverage all day long stay with [Music] us whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at War en rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere it’s lunchtime in America so what do we sering up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afterno for everything you need to know I love that let’s go the ship is incredible it feels like living in a science fiction movie we just saw what no one has seen before wow look at that oh my gosh well that hug hug G we are heading into the unknown Hammer Hammer Hammer it doesn’t get any more Cutting Edge than [Music] this with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television hi I’m Andy and I’m and we’re moms juggling tons of stuff every day like all you moms out there and you know what we love really love Pop Culture so listen now to our new podcast pop culture moms wherever you get your podcasts why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R ml Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here traveling with the president to the US Mexico border I’m Mary Bruce wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live welcome back to AB BC News live first we are headed north of the border to Canada for the next stop on our bucket list on a budget series European cities like Paris or a hot destination in the summer but what if we said you can get all that charm for half the price ABC’s iachi teamed up with the points guide to show us how you can Road Trip Around The Province and cut back on costs get your passports ready to historic cities one Epic vacation say bonjour to Quebec City and Montreal Canada when it comes to cash $1 us is worth $1.37 in Canada now that’s a great deal let’s talk flights for this multi- city trip we’re starting from Philadelphia we found Air Canada to Quebec City for as low as 123 bucks one way then home from Montreal for around $200 we’re kicking it off in Quebec City but where to stay how about a hotel deal with a bonus like the Hilton which offers free public transportation when you stay at least two nights that’s an unlimited 3day pass to help you Explore More it’s time to see the sights soak in that European flare on a free walking tour with local guide Samuel dubis I share my passion with the traveler from all across the world and if they like it they can give me what they want oh it’s an amazing City really really beautiful and seek out those local Cheap Eats when in Quebec you got to try poutine it’s their favorite comfort food in here at Lasik Shak it’s only eight bucks let’s go eat poutin is the everything it’s the go-to food made of potatoes gravy and cheese curds you got to try this this is unbelievable just outside the city enjoy this natural wonder free for those 17 and under this is amazing the mom m Sea Falls 272 ft tall that’s 98 ft taller than nagara Falls and just take a look at this beauty it’s amazing awes it’s awesome then it’s road trip time we’re driving about 165 M to Montreal when renting a car look for deals on airplane partner sites it can save you a bunch of money if you sign up for United’s free loyalty program and search for car rentals through their website you can save up to 35% on the base rate on some car rentals our first stop a Sugar Shack where we enjoyed some Maple Taffy on snow $10 for adult and five bucks for kids the flavor of the maple is so pronounced it’s strong in this this is delicious after a 3-hour drive Beyond venu on Montreal I got this City Pass called passport Montreal you pay about $35 and you get tickets to three participating attractions I’m using the passport for is the Montreal botanical gardens 185 Acres of natural beauty then bone Appetit it’s time to use the passport for a cooking class in the oven ah okay and when you get hungry do your own food tour in the mile neighborhood first some noi at jeria for around 4 bucks look at that then it’s back in time at wensky I got to try the famous wsky special with cheddar cheese please the meat is perfectly seasoned the cheese is melted when to wash it down with their own Cola it’s been here since 1932 they’re doing something right with a full belly and lots of money saved D it’s aravo till next time Canada iachi and Montreal for us thank you we’ll be right [Music] back what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America we are part of an operation is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate militants came in different directions nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to go the house is destroyed but the flag not how important it made the USA great work hi think it’s David DAV I’m David I know you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David M is America’s most watched newscast it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that let’s go the ship is incredible it feels like living in a science fiction movie we just saw what no one has seen before wow look at that oh my gosh we are heading into the unknown Hammer Hammer Hammer it doesn’t get any more Cutting Edge than [Music] this I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the is the Super Bowl of red carpet the celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about Awakening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the Met Gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu they call him the beauty queen killer he’s targeting young women in malls I am single I want to enjoy the company of a member on women he tortured me how did she survive nine days of Terror the word accomplice came up Nobody Knows the real story The Beauty Queen Killer only on Hulu this is ABC News live the crush families on the ground in Ukraine ABC News live America’s number one streaming news anytime anywhere streaming 20 47 straight to you for free thank you for making ABC News live America’s number one streaming news reporting from Arizona’s state capital I’m Elizabeth schy wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live [Music] hi I’m D Masa we begin with former president Trump’s criminal hush money trial Trump’s former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen is set to face tough questions from the defense today as he takes the stand for a second day Cohen told the jury yesterday that Trump directed him to make the payment at the center of this case to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ABC News senior investigative correspondent Erin kki has the latest from the moment he heard Stormy Daniels was shopping a story about a long-denied sexual trist with Donald Trump Michael Cohen said he knew it would be cat catastrophic for the 2016 campaign he said Trump knew it too women will hate me Cohen recalled Trump saying guys may think it’s cool but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign the Access Hollywood tape had already become public Trump heard boasting of groping women when you’re a star they let you do it you can do anything Cohen testified Trump told him to spin it and the spin that he wanted to put on it was that this is locker room talk something that melanna had recommended seated at the defense table Trump appeared to make a face when he heard that one of his few reactions to Cohen’s testimony for much of it Trump shut his eyes in seeming disinterest Cohen recalled asking how Melania Trump was taking the news about Stormy Daniels and Cohen recalled Trump saying don’t worry how long do you think I will be on the market for not long prosecutor Susan hoffinger asked what did you understand that to mean Cohen responded he wasn’t thinking about Melania this was all about the campaign when it became evident Daniels was prepared to go public Cohen said Trump instructed him to pay her off just do it Cohen recalled Trump telling him don’t about it you will get the money back but before he wired the money Cohen said he called Trump again the jury saw a record of the calls I wanted to ensure that once again he approved what I was doing because I required approval from him on all of this Cohen said everything required Mr Trump’s sign off on top of that I wanted the money back after the election Cohen said Trump signed off on a monthly reimbursement schedule he approved it Cohen said it was just before the inauguration and Cohen quoted Trump saying this is going to be one heck of a ride in DC ABC News senior investigative correspondent Ain kki joins me now from outside Court along with ABC News legal contributor Khan nowaday Ain what are you expecting from Cohen’s testimony today prosecutors are going to want him to complete the narrative when testimony wrapped up yesterday Diane Michael Cohen had directly tied Trump to the negotiations with Stormy Daniels to the ultimate payoff just do it and to the reimburse schedule Cohen fronted the money $130,000 he said he walked across the street to the bank right after getting off the phone with Trump to make sure that he had his approval and then he said that Trump in his office at Trump Tower signed off on this monthly reimbursement plan that he and Alan weisselberg the Chief Financial Officer of the Trump organization had worked out Cohen was to be paid $35,000 a month for 12 months after the the Trump organization uh doubled the amount uh it was a a way that Michael Cohen should take the money as income rather than a reimbursement so that he would have money to cover the taxes and and Trump was willing to pay him double uh and and that uh to prosecutors is powerful evidence that he knew this all had to be concealed from voters KH Co and testified for six hours yesterday how strong do you think his testimony has been so far I think it’s as strong as it could have been uh I think you know and that makes sense because he I’m sure has been prepping with these prosecutors for months so they know what’s supposed to come he knows the questions that are supposed to come and they’ve they’ve worked out the testimony um I think the real key is going to be well how are the holes what kind of holes can uh Todd blanch punch into uh that testimony that uh Cohen has given pretty pretty strongly in the direct examination so let’s talk about that the defense is expected to get their turn at cross-examination at some point today so how do you think they’ll handle that where do you think they’ll try to poke those holes I I think number one they’re going to come in hot uh Todd’s going to come in very hot uh and he’s going to go for the jugular because there’s a lot of uh statements that Michael Cohen has made publicly about his animous towards uh the former president uh he’s got he’s he’s already committed crimes he’s plad guilty to crimes and there I think the has to be a little careful because frankly the crime one of the crimes that Michael Cohen pled guilty to is the very crime that he is saying he committed with uh the former president the hush money payment Erin what else you’re watching for today as testimony resumes well I I think in addition to pointing out the crimes that uh that that con rightly points out Michael Cohen committed the defense may also try to to talk about all these extra judicial statements that Cohen has said that show he was out to get Trump as Todd blanch put it in his opening statement to the jury Michael Cohen has an obsession with Trump an obsession with seeing him convicted and he’s going to try and cast out on on the very calm and efficient narrative that he has been telling on direct examination because Cohen has been free of hyperboy Free of bombast and that’s not the the Michael Cohen that everybody knows uh and and uh the defense is going to want to try and rattle his composure and question his credibility all right Aaron kerki K now thank you both we will be covering Trump’s criminal hush money trial all day long and bring you the details of Cohen’s second day of testimony as soon as he takes the stand keep it [Music] here Secretary of State Anthony blinkin is back in Ukraine as a Russian offensive pushes closer to the country’s second largest city in the Northeast Lincoln’s trip is meant to publicly reaffirm that Ukraine has America’s support as it struggles to defend itself against increasingly intense Russian attacks foreign correspondent James Longman has the latest from ke hi James secretary blinkin is here in ke he met with President zelinski a short time ago it’s the highest level us visit in six months and the first since that 61 billion dollar Aid bill was passed in Congress but his visit comes at a very dangerous time for Ukraine Russia has has launched a major incursion in the northeast of this country Ukraine thinks about 30,000 Russian troops are involved they’ve taken some nine Villages 7,000 people have already been displaced but there is a danger that Russian uh tanks could roll up onto the outskirts of K that is Ukraine’s second largest city it would send Panic through the the more than 1 million people uh who live there they’d face bombardments and many of them would flee now blinkin says some of this Aid has already been deployed on the Battlefield he says more will come his basic message is America is back but I think there is a sense here that the delay in Aid has already given Russia A major advantage and that with us elections just around the corner long-term us support is far from guaranteed foreign correspondent James Longman in Ukraine thank you and President Biden is expected to announce that he will quadruple tariffs on electric vehicles and other high-tech products from China the White House says the move will protect key American Industries from being wiped out by cheaper Chinese Goods senior White House correspondent Selena Wang has the latest Hi Selena today President Biden announcing new tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese Imports this also includes quadrupling tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from 25 to 100% this also targets key sectors including batteries medical equipment steel aluminum semiconductors and solar cells the White House says all of these moves will protect those industries from cheaper Chinese Goods that they worn could Wipe Out the competition and with the election just 6 months away way you have both Trump and Biden fighting to show that they’re tougher on China and win over those working class voters new polling shows that Trump is actually ahead of Biden in several key Battleground states where manufacturing is a top issue according to a new New York Times poll in Michigan President Biden is down seven points against Trump among registered voters in Pennsylvania Biden is behind by three points but in Wisconsin Biden leads Trump by two points now Trump has said that if he were elected again he would dramatically increase tariffs on China whereas the Biden team says their approach is different it’s more targeted strategic and will not increase inflation but they are keeping in place tariffs from the Trump Administration on some $300 billion dollar worth of goods from China and Studies have shown that it’s us consumers who largely bore the brunt of those tariffs Diane senior White House correspondent Lena Wang thank you and the Port of Baltimore is one step closer to fully reopening as Crews work to remove parts of the Francis Scot Key Bridge and free the cargo ship that hit it a controlled explosion brought down the largest remaining part of the collapsed Bridge with the ship’s crew still on board now crews are hoping to finally move that ship out of the channel AB news senior National correspondent Terry Moran has the latest the Port of Baltimore now one step closer to fully reopening after a powerful controlled explosion brought down the largest remaining section of the Key Bridge Crews used small Precision explosives to cut through the giant steel trusses safely and efficiently sending the massive structure tumbling off the cargo ship the dolly and into the water we’re now very close to fully clearing the channel we’re already getting large ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore the dolly has been stuck for 7even weeks after crashing into the bridge and sending it thundering down there’s last reported at least several vehicles in the water with several people still on a cter FL killing six construction workers on the surface and underwater now crews are assessing the area to move that ship back to Port within 48 Hours it is an important milestone for us to float The Vessel Dolly and take it out of the federal Channel even then the ship’s crew will remain on board they’re critical to repair efforts as well as to multiple investigations there’s still more wreckage obstructing the port crews are working around the clock to finish the job aiming to fully clear the channel by the end of this month there is a special sense of of mission it seems and everybody you meet is on this project that’s right everyone is pulling together everyone is rallying to this cause one big question remains here what caused this disaster the FBI the NTSB the Coast Guard they’re all investigating and Maryland’s senior senator says that the ships insurance companies will be made to foot the bill there’s a lot of litigation ahead Diane ABC News senior National corespondent Terry Moran thank you coming up damaging storm slam the South with at least four reported tornadoes in three states the latest on the threat and where the severe weather is moving next and it’s day two on the stand for former Trump attorney Michael Cohen the defense is getting ready for cross-examination we have the latest from inside the court right here on ABC News live we’ll be right [Music] back whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war after that brutal surprise attack by M on the ground in Ukraine reporting from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting ABC News live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in Turkey en rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 2024 campaign Trail in Iceland let’s go traveling with the president in Mexico City wherever the story from the front lines from Southern Israel outside the Gaza Strip in Beirut from the FBI reporting from the nurses on the picket line here at 10 Downing Street in London streaming live to you wherever the story is wherever the story is wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere America’s number one streaming news it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that’s sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that let’s go the ship is incredible it feels like living in a science fiction movie where just saw what no one has seen before wow look at that oh my gosh we are heading into the unknown Hammer Hammer Hammer it doesn’t get any more Cutting Edge and [Music] this what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America we are part of an operation is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate militants came in from different directions nuclear react so you have a couple loaded and ready to go the house is destroyed but the flag not car in it how important it made the USA great work hi apprciate is David D I’m David I know who you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast here’s to good mornings in America Can You Feel The Love oh yeah mornings that Inspire filled with hope hope kindness joyous surprises and so much fun this is crazy this is absolutely crazy start your day with Good Morning America’s ray of sunshine highlighting the best of America and helping make dreams come true wow feel so happy it’s so good get ready to smile and put the good into your Morning America because you know what would make the morning better a little ray of sunshine wel welome back to ABC News live first parts of the South are bracing for more severe weather today 130 damaging storms were reported from Florida Idaho in the last 24 hours ABC News chief meteorologist Jinger Z has the latest are you kidding me new video as tornadoes and severe storms rip across the Ozarks to the Gulf Coast leaving at least two dead in Louisiana there go a chair debris flying in the streets of for Louisiana after Winds of more than 70 mph slce through the area a likely tornado spotted and its damage Vivid cars flipped the roof of this gas station mangled is there anybody else in these other campers in St Martin Parish homes and trailers toppled survivors outs surveying the devastation pieces of their lives scattered everywhere that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen and a close encounter with an efzo in Missouri it looks like it’s getting bigger the Twister with 75 m per hour winds tearing across a golf course ABC meteorologist Kenton geki is tracking where that storm is headed now Kenton what’s the latest yeah Diane that storm is now headed right into Florida and there is a tornado watch still in effect until 1 p.m. this afternoon right now that rain getting up to Savannah it’s not doing severe weather there but you can see down closer to Dell and they are seeing some showers and thunderstorms moving through we’ll wait to see if there’s even some more energy that comes in later this morning to give them more of a severe threat otherwise is going to see a Break Meanwhile that rain moves up into the Mid-Atlantic this afternoon here’s 2m from Wilmington to Washington DC seeing all that rainfall and then once we head into our evening hours look down here to the South again back in Florida Jacksonville starts to see some of that rain and then they will continue to see it overnight very heavy rain down there in Florida and as we head down towards noon tomorrow not only is the rain still up in the Northeast it’s also down there for Orlando and Tampa could even have tomorrow afternoon some strong to severe storms down there in Florida once again chance for another tornado actually and so far over the last 19 days we’ve had a report of a tornado in America which is a very long consecutive stretch in May alone we’ve had 2117 reported tornadoes so far the average is 275 and we’re only halfway through the month so it’s been very active of course the other big story has been rainfall here over the next seven days if you live in Central or Eastern parts of our country you are going to have some rainfall especially down there towards the Gulf Coast and down towards the Southeast coast as well meanwhile Texas has seen a lot of rainfall they’re going to see even more especially as we head into Thursday with another flash flood threat Diane all right ABC News meteorologist Kenton GOI thank you we’ll be right [Music] back whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon main the scene of a horrific Mass from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R ml Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good to your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so Jo us afternoons for everything you need to know I love that hi I’m Andy and I’m Sabrina and we’re moms juggling tons of stuff every day like all you moms out there and you know what we love really love Pop Culture so listen now to our new podcast pop culture moms wherever you get your podcasts reporting from Miami Florida I’m Victor okendo wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live [Music] welcome back former president Trump is now outside a Manhattan courtroom getting ready to enter for his criminal hush money trial his attorney Todd blanch Is Now by his side as the former president gets ready to address the cameras let’s listen Mr Trump will you testify I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully and they come home from from all over Washington and they’re highly respected and they think this is the greatest scam they’ve ever seen and some are Democrats they’re very embarrassed by what’s going on I just want to start by saying that on the uh electric vehicles that Biden is pushing down everybody’s throat even though people don’t want them he wants to put a uh big tariff on China which is a suggestion that I said where have you been for three and a half years they should have done it a long time ago but they’ve also got to do it on other vehicles and they have to do it on a lot of other products because China is eating our lunch right now and they went away from what I was doing they’re eating our lunch so they have to do it on much more than electric vehicles and they have to get going fast but it should have been done 3 and 1/2 years ago I did it I started and then they started playing games and it was very bad very bad for the Auto industry uh in Michigan the Auto industry is doing very poorly because jobs are starting to leave we’re losing you know with the electric vehicle man they’re going to be made in China they’re all going to be made in China and also in Mexico owned by China uh poll just came out the very respected Redfield Wilton and it has us up six in Michigan Seven in North Caroline Pennsylvania plus two Georgia plus 5 Florida +9 Arizona plus two and up in every other place too so that just came out that’s on top of yesterday’s New York Times well I think today uh I might just quote somebody that frankly has been extremely respectful to me over the last period of a few months he’s watching this scam taking place Michael aanat have you heard the name he said the next time you’re accused of something by someone a coworker neighbor friend significant other stranger ask yourself that it would be okay if only they were allowed to speak accuse antagon while you were not allowed to respond he’s talking about the gag order or defend yourself in any way if your answer is no then you too should be angered by Trump not being allowed to respond to the various people that are making comments now think of it you ask me questions I’m not allowed to respond they’re the easiest questions that could possibly be asked only a guy like Biden couldn’t answer those questions cuz he he’s not there you ready so here’s a quotes Mark Lin great man great legal Talent this is not a trial of Donald Trump it’s a case of the Democrat Party versus America it also represents the greatest effort to interfere with and steal a federal election in American political history Biden is seeking to clear the field he wants to clear the field because he can’t do it himself so he’s weaponized the Department of Justice and as as you know they have their people in that room doj is in that room because they want to try and hurt me now the good news is my poll numbers have gone up significantly this is not what they had in mind new kingish this is without president in American history it has never occurred to President John Adams or anybody else that you could jail your primary competitor your primary opponent in his case vice president Thomas Jefferson this goes back a long way this has never happened in our country before there’s never been anything like this uh Andy McCarthy just came out New Yorkers should be outraged at the mockery brag is making of the state’s legal system as the entire country looks on the entire world is looking on there a very bad thing that’s happening in New York businesses are leaving New York because of what happened here and what happened with another crooked judge and Goron totally crooked and he’s under investigation right now as he should be he’s under a big investigation I hear right now as former president Trump as he prepares to go inside court for his criminal hush money trial as his one-time fixer Michael Cohen is expected back on the stand today Cohen told the jury yesterday that Trump directed him to make the payment at the center of this case to adult film actress stori Daniels now he’s paing to face some tough questions from the defense but here we have former president Trump again railing against the case in general reading various articles saying that the the case should should not be happening and again alleging without evidence that this is coming from the Biden Administration I want to go to our senior investigative correspondent Eric kki who’s there outside the courthouse Aon what more can you tell us about the context here as former president Trump tries to call this case election interference well so do the prosecutors but they say it’s Trump who interfered with an election in 2016 by concealing information about sex scandals from from voters uh and and to be clear this case is not being brought by the Biden justice department it’s brought by the state of New York through the Manhattan District Attorney’s office but be that as it may um I think the the former president may be emboldened a bit by some of the surrogates that he has brought with him to court uh his uh son Eric and daughter-in-law Lara Trump he has the governor of North Dakota the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson uh is there a couple of congressmen from Florida these are all people that he’s bringing to court in show of support uh either to show that he he still wields uh a lot of political clout uh maybe to to encourage him uh in in how he approaches this but the contrast Diane is so stunning because he’s outside Court you know railing against the judge against the prosecutor the case the legal system and then when he gets into court with Michael Cohen on the witness stand he sits there motionless and closes his eyes almost in in some kind of seeming indifference or Defiance or disinterest and and the the contrast in Demeter is really something and I want to bring in our senior Congressional correspondent Rachel Scott for a little bit more on that see of faces behind the president you’ve got quite a list there Rachel is this just a show of support or is there more politically Happening Here I think this is more polit more politically happening here I mean look this is probably one of the most public vetting processes that we are seeing sort of play out when it comes to a possible runting mate for former president Donald Trump and so obviously yes our eyes are on the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson who is showing up today outside of this courthouse in support of the former president but also you have the North Dakota governor Doug berham standing right behind him you have the ramas swampy these are two former Rivals who are now standing behind the former president and just look at the way they are lined up behind him this is a show of loyalty Donald Trump wants to see this and look I think in a couple of hours you’re going to see them come out one by one and say exactly what Donald Trump cannot because he’s under this gag order he cannot go after any of the witnesses he can’t go after Michael Cohen all of those Republicans behind him are going to go up one by one to the cameras and basically criticize the witnesses the judges just like we saw JD Vance do just yesterday and John we also have been talking throughout about family being in court Eric Trump has been there a few times today he also has Lara Trump with him yeah well Lara Trump is not just his daughter-in-law but now number two in command of the Republican National Committee Diane and this was Donald Trump’s takeover of the Republican National Committee once he became the presumptive Republican nominee listen I think this is all just striking right and you talk about auditions right we remember a past world where for Donald Trump vep Stakes auditions was who is on TV defending me now it’s who’s going to come to court with me I mean you really can’t make up how many people are behind him right now and I think there’s definitely politics at play but it’s also today right this is the day yesterday was part one this is part two but this is where the temperature is going to turn what I mean by that and Aaron spoke to this a little earlier it very subdued Michael Cohen because it was friendly questions if you will from prosecutors they were walking him through it it was very easy you know I went down there for a little bit yesterday and the tone just watching all of it was just very mellow it’s going to rock it up today because now you have the defense eventually getting ready for cross-examination and you know everything the defense wants to do is push Michael Cohen to really bring out the Michael Cohen that many of us that have covered Donald Trump for years knows exist right the Michael Cohen that is Brash that bravado that anger frankly what his boss often his ex- boss he often exhibited years ago and still does to this day so I think that’s going to be the thing to watch today in that courtroom Diane let’s go to former prosecutor Khan now day for more on that part because to John’s point up until now he’s been facing questions from the prosecution and he will still face a few more but at some point today this is expected to be handed over to the defense and then they get to ask their questions so what do you you watching for there well I want to see how hot Todd blanch comes in and I think he’s going to come in very hot he’s going to come in very strong because John’s absolutely right you know the direct examination as expected was you know very uh cordial right it’s clear that the prosecutors have prepped Michael Cohen very well so he’s come off very uh composed and jurries are going to expect that Trump’s defense is going to cut away and at at Michael Cohen and tried to uh get him get him flustered and that’s what they’re going to be looking for I think what’s important for the jurors is not so much it it is important what Michael Cohen says but how he says it and there is going to be a stark contrast between I think his demeanor uh on direct examination and his demeanor on Cross he is going to get flustered that is going to happen and the question is whether he gets flustered enough that it affects his credibility before the jurors Cohen said at one point that everything required Mr Trump’s sign off does that jive with what you saw in your years reporting 100% I mean I think so much of what Donald Trump would do would be meticulous to the actual payments on things you know we talked about this a little bit and I know you know Rachel you observed this as well being on the trail with him Donald Trump would always go around in 2016 with this box right it looked like basically a box you put copy paper in and frankly the boxes that he took the documents to Maro in and and in the Box was checks that he personally signed for Trump organization employees for his expenses so everything that was coming out of the Donald J Trump checking account or the Trump organization checking account Diane he knew about all of this now I think that from the testimony we’ve heard so far and I think that Michael Cohen is going to know a little bit about this because keep in mind this was the reimbursement that went to him when he was no longer really a trump organization employee are the checks that went down to the White House because even though Donald Trump said 4 days before his inauguration in 2017 I’ve given up control right I’ve given the keys to the kingdom to my two sons and my CFO Alan weiselberg I’m not involved in anything however it’s that one checking account the one checking account he held on to that he and only he he being Donald J Trump could sign that’s the one so those are those checks those those reimbursements I think Cohen will know just a little bit about that because if he got a physical check right and sees that signature it’s obviously him he knows firsthand Donald Trump was against you ever using that you know electronic pen signature thing he believed that you know everybody should have his signature personally so I think that that’s where we’re really going to see Donald Trump and frankly his old school Tactics come to bite him right because we know that from the testimony that Cohen gave and Rona graph gave that this is a guy that hates technology didn’t have a computer didn’t have email and some of those documents in records that he benefited by avoiding others now I think it’s going to be the consequences of that Rachel we’ve also heard a lot from Trump outside the courtroom just like we saw about him talking about how he’s stuck in this courtroom he cannot be on the campaign Trail now he did hold his first campaign event in two weeks over the weekend what are you watching for in terms of what’s to come for him on the campaign Trail schedule yeah the first campaign event in two weeks and even on the days where there was not a trial the former president was not out there necessarily campaign meaning when you sort of crunch the numbers he has held three campaign events since the trial started two of those were on the same day President Biden has held eight and so you’re seeing President Biden his rival he’s out there he’s making the case to the country former president Donald Trump he is inside this Manhattan courtroom and yeah sure he’s trying to blur the line say the courtroom is the campaign he’s trying to make sort of these local stops there is nothing that beats being out in these Battleground states that could ultimately decide this election and I’ll tell you one thing John and I both know this talking to sources inside the Trump World they’re very concerned that the only image that voters have right now of the former president is him on trial they’re very concerned about that they want him to be back out there and so does he and so he’s looking to get this all wrapped up very quickly so he can get back out there and do his rallies again and I want to bring in our legal contributor Brian buckmire uh for a little bit more on the latest on the case because Brian yesterday we heard Cohen claim that Trump was involved all along he approved these negotiations approved the final deal approved the reimbursement plan and that the sole purpose of this scheme was to protect his political future in this election I mean that’s practically the prosecution’s whole case right there so how is the defense going to try to pull coals in that today well Diane I think the two ways that you go about that is one what we’ve already heard you try to eviscerate to not just damage destroy but eviscerate uh Michael Cohen’s credibility that the words that he’s putting out in front of the jury are incorrect or just Flatout lies and if the defense can do that that’s great the other thing might be a little bit of a more softer tactic and maybe that might be that uh the way in which Donald Trump speaks and we John and I talked about this yesterday I think John described as like almost like a word salad that Donald Trump might have said I’ll take care of it for example but Michael con is the one who gave that sentence life and the details of how he operated is not necessarily what Donald Trump wanted and that Michael Cohen in his desire to kind of Buddy up with Donald Trump to and I think we saw that in some of his testimony yesterday might have interpreted Donald Trump’s actions differently than what Donald himself wanted and I think those are the two main tactics of trying to drive a wedge between what Michael kohen is saying and what he said Donald Trump wanted or intended him to do and Brian Michael Cohen is known to be a hotthead but we didn’t see that on the stand yesterday to Aaron’s point so how do you think he’s doing so far I think he’s doing great but I think I’ve said this multiple times about direct examinations they’re easy uh the prosecutor hoffinger and Michael Cohen have probably prepped this direct examination not in the sense of like telling him what to say but Michael Cohen definitely knows the topics and themes in which a prosecutor wants to explore and he knows his prosecutor he has a very good relationship with them there’s no reason to be that hotthead as he’s described uh by the by the defense and I think so many others however I’m assuming that Tod blanch is going to be the one that cross-examines him Todd knows him well enough at least either through Donald Trump or through other interactions how to press and push Michael Cohen’s buns and I think he’s going to try to do that to bring out that hot head because if the jury can see it live and in person on the stand and makes it for a much stronger and better narrative for the defense to argue that this hotthead went on his own and committed these crimes without Donald Trump knowing about them and Erin we saw Todd Blan standing side by side with the former president as he addressed the cameras this morning before going into court so what do you watching for once this goes from direct to cross-examination and Michael Cohen has to face questions from the defense I’d imagine one of the first things that defense attorney Todd blanch will try to do on cross-examination is introduce some of Michael Cohen’s Tik Tok videos that ABC News had spotted in recent weeks where he’s wearing a t-shirt with Trump’s picture Behind Bars and in an orange jumpsuit where he’s spewing expletives about the former president where he’s making jokes about 20 to 24 years the defense said that Michael Cohen had an obsession with Trump and especially an obsession with seeing him convicted and and it’s it’s not enough to just say he’s a hotthead it doesn’t matter if he’s a hotthead it it what matters is that uh the jury sees his testimony either as credible or not right and so if if the jury can believe that he’s only giving this calm efficient narrative about what he says Trump told him uh because he wants Trump convicted that may be enough Reasonable Doubt because at this point while there are call records and and other documentary evidence to back up what Michael Cohen is saying uh the jury in large part is left to take him at his word uh and and he is the only witness that is able to give the Recollections of things that Trump said you heard John sanui mention how he doesn’t use email or computers Michael Cohen is the only witness to testify about things that Donald Trump said that tie him directly to the falsified business records crucial that the jury believes him at least that part of his testimony in in this case and John one of the things the defense is going to try to argue to ain’s point is that Michael Cohen has other motives here one just his feelings toward Trump after feeling betrayed by him but also profitability that Michael Cohen has made money already off of this case 100% listen this is a guy that has a podcast wrote a book I mean as we reported as Aaron noted you know he’s getting donations from supporters when he’s on those Tik Tok videos I mean for those that don’t know I learned this watching the videos If you send people certain you know gifts and emojis they worth certain coins you can cash the coins in so all of that is benefiting him and let’s recall Michael as part of that conviction from when he was found guilty by the southern district of New York Diane and served jail time he lost his law license you know my my dad’s a lawyer right one thing that he has always made a comment about is that if everything you know ever ended for him he could put a shingle up and be a lawyer again Michael Cohen can’t do that right that was his degree that was his profession you know Cohen also you know for years railed against while he worked for Trump that Uber came into existence because he famously had a lot of Taxi medallions that he and his father-in-law owned those have all depreciated in value significantly because we all know you know how many of us take a taxi anymore in New York City you’re using an Uber so his livelihood has changed significantly since he has left Donald Trump not that he was making a gigantic salary in fact when he worked for Donald Trump because so many people in the Trump organization wanted to get rid of him and were pushing Trump to get rid of him they convinced Donald Trump to give Michael poen Cohen a significant pay cut he still stayed on the job so I think all of that can’t be underestimated and you got to imagine the defense is going to make note of all of that and Rachel obviously anytime you have any witness let alone a key witness you look at the impact legally but Trump is also a current front runner for president he’s the Republican presumptive nominee so walk me through the political ramifications right now especially given the people that we now see showing up in court yeah and Diane I’m so happy that you brought this up because the point has to be made again that what we are witnessing right now is not normal this is unprecedented to have the Republican presumptive nominee also a criminal defendant that is standing trial six months out from election day and so when we look at a lot of the recent polls and we dig through some of the Cross tabs this is where we start to see some problem and warning sign areas for former president Donald Trump when it comes to a possible conviction especially among Independents moderate Republicans who Express concern about voting for someone who could be convicted of a crime that is a major warning sign for the former president something that they do not want to see but overall broadly speaking when we look at the polls right now there really hasn’t been big notable shifts in terms of support one way or the other the polls for the most part have really sort of stayed the same as the former president has been on trial that all could change though based off of the outcome of what we see play out in core so Aaron what are you keeping your eye on today well I’d like to see how Michael Cohen first finishes The Narrative under direct examination because he tied Donald Trump directly to the reimbursement payments over a 12-month schedule the jury saw the handwritten notes of how Alan weisselberg the Trump organization Chief Financial Officer uh scribbled on a piece of paper as to how Cohen was going to be reimbursed Cohen testified they showed that piece of paper to Donald Trump trump approved it it was just days before he left for the inauguration and he quickly changed the subject to say going to be a heck of a ride in DC how true that would be uh but now I I would imagine that they they have to talk about the invoices that Michael Coen prepared uh to say that the reimbursements were going to be legal expenses pursuant to a retainer agreement prosecutors say there was no retainer agreement Michael Cohen was not being paid for his Legal Services Trump had named him his personal attorney but Cohen said that was not a position that came with a salary the way he was going to make money from that was to monetize it in other business in other words make money off of his close relationship with Trump so I imagine the jury’s going to see those invoices and again the checks that Trump signed to him Erin kki Rachel Scott John sanui KH now and Brian buckmire thank you all and we will be covering former president Trump’s criminal hush money trial all day long we’ll bring you the latest on Michael Cohen’s second day of testimony as soon as he takes the stand stay with us we’ll be right back more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television get ready America every Friday the hottest Trends Styles and must have what’s the right stuff to buy right now I really love that it’s time to buy the right stuff yes and save big time too The Right Stuff Fridays on GMA you’re going to love it whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at War en rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America we are part of an operation is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate militants came in from different directions nulear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to go the house is destroyed but the flag not a how important it made the USA great work hi appreciate you is David David I’m David I know you are watch you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David M is America’s most watched newscast it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food gma3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afterno for everything you need to know welcome back to ABC News live Michael Cohen is back in court for day two of his testimony in the criminal hash money trial against former president Trump Cohen told the jury yesterday that Trump directed him to make the payment at the center of this case sending adult film actress stormy Daniel $130,000 for her Silence about an alleged affair with Trump the former president denies the allegations and the affair now the defense is expected to start cross-examination later today we’ll have more on that but first here are some of the other stories we’re following millions in the Southeast are on alert for possible tornadoes and damaging winds today this comes after at least four tornadoes touched down in three states yesterday this twister was spotted near Sulfur Louisiana where thousands are still without power yesterday storms mark 19 days in a row that tornadoes have hit parts of the US meanwhile flights are finally back to normal at Houston’s Hobby Airport after a lightning strike knocked out power on a Runway repairs took several hours causing delays and some cancellations the storms are now moving into Florida bringing damaging winds and tornado threats rescues are underway in Brazil after Mass flooding in Rio Grand Su nearly 150 people are reported dead and more than half a million have been displaced now River levels are on the rise with flood alerts issued for the next few days authorities in Florida are searching for a boat involved in a fatal hit and run police say 15-year-old Ella Adler was killed while she was wakeboarding in the Miami area over the weekend investigators and Adas family are now offering up to $20,000 for information on any tips that help close the case and an officer who was at the capital on January 6th is speaking out in George stephanopoulos’s new book inside the Situation Room officer Mike stegler says he never imagined he’d be in a situation where he had to help hold the government together George Stephanopoulos has more in this ABC News exclusive for Mike stegler working in the White House situation room was a bucket list dream come true a duty officer he served from 2019 to 2021 under both the Trump and Biden administrations what exactly is that work on any given day sifting through different intelligence and we’re providing those updates to the president to the National Security advisor the vice president and all their staff you know you light up when you talk about the situation AB what stands out from your time in the White House the biggest thing that stands out to me is my colleagues and at the core of this apolitical apolitical what does that mean to you that I am there to execute my responsibilities without question and without allowing outside influence to come in you are to execute regardless of your own opinions and the opinions of others how do you balance serving the president and serving the presidency I knew that going into this right uh I had talked to a lot of friends who had served in previous administrations before I took the assignment and they said look it’s going to be a little different this time around because there’s going to be more pressure to to act for the president and not the presidency so if you go into the mindset that I’m there to serve the presidency I’m there to serve the executive branch regardless of what goes on it puts you in a better mindset I want to talk about January 6 you were the duty officer that day correct on the morning of January 6 2021 Stigler headed to the White House to start his usual 5:00 a.m. shift later that day the riot erupted at the Capital At what point did you know that the capital had been breached as soon as it was called out on the radio we thought somebody breached the gate and or somebody breached a barrier so when they called out that the capital was breached we at first we didn’t know what that meant at the time too the vice president was there and one of the responsibilities of the situation room is to always maintain communication with the president and the vice president so those were the initial conversations of okay where is he how can we locate them you know how do we maintain that communication link you told me people didn’t understand how close we came to losing the vice president what’s going through your mind when you are hearing that the vice president’s life may be in danger we start having the conversations okay if vp’s down what’s next what do we got to do what do how do we keep moving um where’s where’s the third second in line kind of remarkable and you know what you’re describing there is that you started to implement and go through the checklist of The Situation Room did yeah The Situation Room correct of what is called the continuity of government yeah procedures describe what those are those are originally instituted for if there’s an attack on the US government how does the government especially the executive branch keep going um so that means line of secession that means um how do we move to different locations and how do we keep the government going during an a riot of our own people yeah inspired by the man sitting upstairs correct but at the time that’s not even in the Forefront of our mind it doesn’t matter how we got here we’re here how do we execute how do we move forward did the president ever called down to the Situation Room that day not to my knowledge not once no sir didn’t ask what was going on not to my knowledge didn’t ask how the vice president’s doing not to my knowledge some people even question today elected officials whether the vice president was really end dangered you see a lot of revisionist history going on about January 6 as someone who was inside the room that day what’s your reaction it’s important to me that we don’t forget that it did come that close um and that we did have discussions if we lose the BP if the 25th is invoked we started running through all of these game plans because it was getting close 25th amendment correct how did you all talk about it afterwards there’s some of us that won’t talk about it um there’s a handful of us that we still talk and every January 6th we get together and we have a toast we go to the Lincoln Memorial and we just have that toast and we don’t really say anything what is it a toast to surviving getting through it the day after so January 7th I was back at it back at 5:00 a.m. and uh a frequent visitor of the situation remember under the the Trump Administration was Lieutenant General uh Keith kellock the vice president’s National Security advisor and you come by and just get just a general feel of how the day is starting and at the end I turn and look at him I go sir how are you doing today and he takes a deep breath and he Taps the table twice and he looks at me and goes the Republic still stands but I think that that’s what it’s a toast to The Republic still stands George Stephanopoulos thank you George’s new book The Situation Room the inside story of presidents and crisis is available today wherever books are sold coming up pageant problems the mothers of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA are opening up after the beauty queen surprise resignations they’re warning to Future contestants and the change they want to see happen whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at War en rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this town from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good give it to me your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that let’s go the ship is incredible it feels like living in a science fiction movie we just saw what no one has seen before wow look at that oh my God we are heading into the unknown Hammer Hammer Hammer it doesn’t get any more Cutting Edge than [Music] this with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television hi I’m Andy and I’m Sabrina and we’re moms juggling tons of stuff every day like all you moms out there and you know what we love really love Pop Culture so listen now to our new podcast pop culture moms wherever you get your podcast reporting in Moscow Idaho I’m Kaa Whitworth wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live [Music] welcome back to ABC News live first the mothers of two missusa winners are speaking out after their daughters suddenly resigned just days apart both women say behind the glitz and glamour was a dark reality of emotional abuse now the moms say they are speaking out because their daughters can’t ABC Ario rashev sat down with them the job of their dreams turn out to be a nightmare New Jersey [Applause] the moms of former missusa Noelia voy and Miss Teen USA Uma Sophia Rasta speaking out days after their daughters both suddenly resigned Rocking The Pageant world we could not continue this trade the girls decided to step down give their dream of a lifetime a crown a national title why would two girls decide to give that up the beauty queens alleging a very ugly work environment that turned toxic but they are bound by contracts which include confidentiality Clauses fans online noticed immediately when Noelia posted her resignation online that the sentences seem to start with letters that spelled out I am silenced correct was that intentional on her part I don’t feel comfortable sing that question do you feel like she was silenced um she is and she would be the rest of her life if this NDA is not being left the girls need to speak Noelia blasting missusa and its president Lea Rose writing in part there is a toxic work environment within the missusa organization that at best is poor management at worst is bullying and harassment adding I was made to feel unsafe at events without an effective Handler and this culminated in being sexually harassed void says Noelia received unwanted advances at a Christmas parade I saw Noelia so stress out and I said what happened and she said mom get in the car get in the car when I got in the car I said what happened because I know he said something but I couldn’t get it he told Noelia are you into to old men’s with money and made Noelia very very uncomfortable she says in her letter that Lila’s response was we cannot prevent people from saying things to you at public appearances this essentially just comes with the territory no even I’m sorry that you went through that so uh after she resigned Andia came back home and it was so beautiful to see her running in my living room with the dogs I have my Noelia back it was she was so upset this is not what she works so hard for the CR and then Miss Universe organization need to come out and speak to us or apologize or clean this mess Sasa alleges her teenage daughter was also bullied by management causing her to miss out on opportunities all while having her personal social media surveilled and controlled so I want to be clear it’s not about what they didn’t get about the prizes it’s about how they were ill treated abused bullied and cornered she says once Noelia resigned Uma Sophia knew she needed to do the same my personal values no longer align with the direction the organization is going into when she saw that they were tagging noelia’s mental health she said I cannot stand for this I need to stand up with Noelia missusa organization telling ABC news we are committed to fostering a healthy communicative and supportive environment for all contestants State title holders national title holders and staff we reached out to Lila Rose about these claims but have not heard back both moms say they want Rose to step down but until then they have a warning for future contestants look at what happened tunia Sophia so really pay attention we don’t want them to go through through this right now is not the right time to participate so you think that young women should essentially stop participating in these types of pageants absolutely we just don’t want these families and these girls to go through what we’re going through and the CW which airs the missusa and Miss Teen USA competitions now says it is evaluating the relationship with the pageants in light of these resignations and allegations both of the moms say that their message and all of this is far beyond the pageant world and they hope that their daughters are an example of standing true to yourself and using your voice even if it means a sacrifice Diane Ario rashev thank you and thank you for streaming with us I’m Diane meedo ABC News live is here for you anytime with the latest news context and Analysis we’ll be right back queen killer he’s targeting young women in malls I am single I want to enjoy the company of a member on women tortured me how did she survive N9 days of Terror the word accomplice came up Nobody Knows the real story The Beauty Queen Killer only on Hulu with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News world newss tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of television get ready America every Friday the hottest Trends Styles and must have what’s the right stuff to buy right now I really love that it’s time to buy the right stuff yes and save big time too The Right Stuff Fridays on GMA you’re going to love it why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with with four Edward R Murrow Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the big Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love [Music] that I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the m is a Super Bowl of red carpet celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the meala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu this is ABC News live the crush of fames on the ground in Ukraine ABC News live America’s number one streaming news anytime anywhere streaming 24/7 straight to you for free thank you for making ABC News live America’s number one streaming news reportings from Monteray Park California I’m Robin Roberts wherever wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News [Music] live hi I’m d today on ABC News live first former president Trump’s one time fixer onetime fixer Michael Cohen is back on the stand right now for a second day of testimony in Trump’s criminal hush money case Cohen told the jury yesterday that Trump directed him to make the payment at the center of the case to adult film actress Stormy Daniels now he’s preparing to face tough questions from the defense ABC News senior Congressional correspondent Rachel Scott joins me now along with ABC News executive editorial producer John santui and our legal contributor Brian buckmire John what’s the latest from court so talking right about those payments right now Diane we’re talking about the payments that were made to Stormy Daniels now the reimbursements that were made to Michael Cohen so Michael Cohen is zoned in so far this morning is a February meeting that he had with then sitting president Trump in the Oval Office where he and Donald Trump discussed how he was going to be reimbursed according to Cohen Trump said that he would start to get checks for payments due to him from January and February and forward and he directed Michael Cohen to deal directly with Allen referring to Alan weisselberg the longtime CFO of the Trump organization the other thing that he’s talking about is how he submitted false statements to the Trump Organization for those reimbursements and the prosecutor who’s leading the questioning right now Susan hoffinger is pushing him saying so all of these statements all these documents that you put in they’re all falsified Cohen said yes under oath uh Brian Cohen also said that Trump had after a lot of back and forth agreed that he could have the title of personal attorney to the president once Trump was in the White House and that that position was to be unpaid but could the defense try to argue that these retainer payments were actually payments for that job uh maybe there would have to be some sort of retainer agreement some sort of documentation maybe there was a handshake agreement that occurred but the defense can argue it yes sure ask the question uh if they asked the question of Michael Cohen I would assume more likely than not he would deny it and then it would stay there unless the defense puts on another person to testify that that issue of that payment moving towards a retainer uh for that position uh is true and the only other witness who can testify to that would be Donald Trump himself and so that kind of backs him into a tough way of trying to prove that fact so yes they can argue it but how they get that information in front of the jury I think will’ll be a difficult Road and Brian it sounds like they’re now getting into some of the details here and just making clear that Cohen is identifying checks he received received and in one of these checks it’s for $35,000 they’re asking him whose signature is it on the check Donald J Trump’s how critical is that to this whole piece that especially given the testimony we’ve already heard about how only Trump himself could sign these checks that physically made their way to the White House for his signature it’s important when you kind of Step Back From the entire trial and you look at the all the witnesses we’ve seen so far the transition of checks being signed or checks sorry first checks being sent to the White House Then signed and then sent back and the agreement behind the check and now you’re kind of getting that Finish Line photo photo finish so to speak of now the check is going to the individual who had already paid uh for the story and now is getting reimbursed for it and we’ve already seen the documentation as to how that uh check or that payment was logged and why the prosecution is arguing that’s falsification of business records it’s really just kind of tying up the the the knot so to speak as to this story of seeing the final transition of where that check lands and Rachel before former president Trump made his way into the court room he spoke outside and behind him I mean was this wall of support a sea of political heavyweights including house Speaker Mike Johnson how significant is that given the recent failed attempt to oust speaker Johnson from his seat it is very significant politically we are talking about the Republican Party falling in line and rling behind the former president look initially When Donald Trump was indicted there was a question of whether not Republicans we’re going to come to his defense is this the person that they really want to lead the party into the future that answer today undoubtedly is yes and it is very clear just by looking at who is behind the former president the house speaker not only that his two former Rivals you have Doug bergham the North Dakota governor you have a ramaswami you have congressmen there as well that are lining up to show their support and they’re not hesitating on this they want to be there and of course Donald Trump wants them there as well this gives him sort of confidence as he’s heading into this very big day how’s Washington responding to all this what are you hearing from Capitol Hill in terms of the trial itself but also the people they are seeing show up to pay their support for Donald Trump the the the former president has enormous support especially in the house and when you go over to the Senate of course things get a little bit trickier where you have a number of Republican Senators that are sort of walking a very fine line but I say that also as well where you have a number of Republican Senators who are on the short list to possibly be Donald Trump’s running me had two senators there in court with him yesterday you had Senator JD Vance who was there who was once very critical of the former president before he was elect did he criticized Trump now a change of tune he’s one of his staunchest offenders you see him outside of the courthouse he’s saying obviously what Donald Trump can’t because of this gag order that’s in place you also have Senator Tim Scott you have Senator Marco Rubio both will also be in town today they may not be at that courtroom but later this evening there will be a fundraiser we’re told both are going to be attending that uh John also not only Eric Trump in court today but Lara Trump as well take over the Republican National Committee she is now the number two of the RNC When Donald Trump became presumptive Republican nominee she stepped in a new chairman stepped in obviously R McDaniel stepped aside Michael Wy is now in control and Chris levito who of course is one of the you know staunchest uh supporters of the former president running his campaign along with Susan WS he has transitioned over to the RNC we’ve seen him in court we’ve seen WS in court Rachel I mean it is interesting everybody in Donald Trump’s orbit somehow has ended up with a seat in the courtroom the Overflow room or as we’re going to see very soon we’re both hearing that Mike Johnson is going to head out to the microphones to talk about everything that Donald Trump can right Rachel you talked about this earlier he is so hard lined with this gag order he can’t do the punching the counter punching that he’s famous for but he’s gonna have Mike Johnson and everybody else do it for him yeah and look Trump is taking note of who is showing up here totally and house Speaker Mike Johnson is actually speaking right now outside the court let’s listen president Trump is is a friend and I wanted to be here at his support him I’m here speaking with you outside because the court won’t allow us to speak inside the building that’s just one of the many things that are wrong here this is the the the fifth week that President Trump has been in court for this sham of a trial they are doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail and I think everybody in the country can see that for what it is I’m an attorney I’m a former litigator myself I am disgusted by what is happening here what is being done here to our entire system of justice overall the people are losing faith right now in this country in our institutions they’re losing faith in our system of justice and the reason for that is because they see it being abused as it is being done here in New York the facts here are very important facts are always important in a trial or at least they’re supposed to be the president’s actions in this matter were previously reviewed and no charges were filed why is that because there’s no crime here now 8 years later suddenly they’ve resurrected this thing they brought it back and why is that well just apply Common Sense everyone can see it’s painfully obvious that we’re are now 6 months out from an election day and and that’s the reason that is the reason why they brought these these charges here and across the country what we’ve got here is a partisan Democrat district attorney we have a Biden donor judge and we have an assistant DA who was recently a top official at the Department of Justice Biden’s doj and recently received over $10,000 in payments from the Democratic National Committee the star witness here is Michael Cohen I just listened to a few moments of his uh testimony this morning and it is consistent with what he’s already done this is a man who is clearly on a mission for personal revenge and who is widely known as a witness who has trouble with the truth he is someone who has a history of perjury and is well known for it no one should believe a word he says today he lied to Congress he lied to the IRS he lied to Federal Election officials even Cohen’s own lawyer testified to a grand jury that he is not reliable so there’s nothing that he presents here that should be given any weight at all by a jury and certainly not this judge the crime that they are accusing president Trump of is falsification of business records but I think everybody knows he is not the bookkeeper for his company president Trump is innocent of these charges and again anyone with common sense can understand what is happening here in the midst of all this nonsense and Corruption they have placed a ridiculous and unprecedented gag order on President Trump they were overriding his constitutional right to defend himself from political smears from his harshest critics at the most important time he is soon to be officially the nominee of one of the major parties in our country running for president they have him tied up here in this ridiculous prosecution that is not about Justice it’s all about politics and everybody can see that President Trump is leading in swing State polling the American people see right through these politically motivated attacks I’ve been in 102 cities and over half the states in the last uh few months and I can tell you that no matter where we are around the country I’ve been doing large events people from all walks of life come to these defense and they are concerned about this they are disgusted about this they are fed up they’ve had enough cuz they see what’s happening it’s impossible for anybody to deny that looks at this objectively that the judicial system in our country has been weaponized against President Trump the system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president and provide cover for another and meanwhile along the uh among the atrocities here the judge’s own daughter is making millions of dollars doing online fundraising for Democrats they’re using this trial is a hook it’s so corrupt it’s so corrupt and everybody knows it if Alvin Bragg thinks the American people will believe these absurd charges take a look at the turnout at Trump events compare those to Biden events house Speaker Mike Johnson speaking outside of Manhattan Courthouse as Michael Cohen testifies in former president Trump’s criminal hush money trial the house Speaker uh talk talk about how this trial is impacting Trump’s campaign saying he’s disgusted and implying that the campaign it’s that the the trial itself is aimed at keeping Trump off the campaign tail and I want to bring in our executive editorial producer John santui um John I also want to get to the comments about the judge’s daughter so you can give us a context on that but first I want to talk about the timing here because you have the house Speaker laying out that this case originally wasn’t going to happen and then it was why the timing here because he’s right in these are things that happened a long time ago why is Trump being tried for them now okay let’s unpack this so first remember this whole investigation this whole information gathering if you will came as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation for everybody at home that special counsil round one that was the Russia investigation what Robert meller did at the end of that investigation he wrote a report everything that was not related to the Russia investigation but he believed was other criminal matters he armed out to other us attorneys offices around the country Michael Cohen and some of the information he provided which related to the stormy Daniel’s payments was turned over to Federal prosecutors in New York’s southern district they looked at it obviously we know what happened there with Michael he ended up being convicted in part for lying in part for statements he made to Congress and other authorities as part of that investigation was sentenced to multiple years in prison ended up getting cut short because of covid other matters of those crimes were referred to other prosecutors in New York recall New York attorney general Leticia James began her investigation into Donald Trump’s finances in part related to the information that Michael Cohen shared with Federal officials on the New York Da Side the New York criminal Authority because remember the New York attorney general can charge for civil matters not criminal prosecutors there are 62 counties in New York each prosecutor locally has the authority to charge with criminal Donald Trump being a resident in Manhattan crime happening in Manhattan that is why the New York DA’s office took it up this investigation began under previous district attorney Cyrus Vance who had a whole team assembled Vance did not seek re-election Alvin Bragg was elected as da succeeding Cyrus Vance it was then Alvin Bragg’s team that began looking into it they ended up disbanding the team that was working on this Mark pomerans who has been referenced throughout these proceedings was a special Ada brought on he resigned in protest because he felt the charges should be brought when Bragg eventually brought his own team together they looked into it they began presentations to a grand jury did take time because they had to start in part from scratch but here we ended up with this indictment about a year ago this time recall Donald Trump was indicted in March of 2023 that’s part one of how we got here now as far as some of the other comments he made about Michael Cohen being a liar being convicted for lying that is true there were part of the charges that he was convicted in New York southern district that were for lying to Federal officials lying to Congress however let’s be clear prosecutors in this case in their opening statements as you well know Diane said that and they know that before Michael Cohen gets off the stand they need to get ahead of those comments again because it’s exactly where Donald Trump’s team is going to lie and then obviously you know look he talks about Donald Trump not being able to campaign you made the great point yesterday and know we talked about this earlier Rachel he can campaign when he’s not in the courtroom right but he is this is different this is Criminal Court he has to be in this courtroom it’s not like the civil cases that he could Bop in and out when he felt like it this schedule is completely out of his hands it’s all up to the judge but he is still campaing and look what he’s doing at the microphones today and John what can you tell us about the speaker’s comments about the judge’s daughter because this is something that Donald Trump cannot say directly because that falls in line with the gag order he can talk about the judge he cannot talk about Jud there’s a lot of confusion about the gag order but I’ll just do the simple version the things that he can talk about can talk about he can talk about the judge he can talk about district attorney Alvin brag and that’s pretty much it he cannot talk about the individual prosecutors in the case you’ll recall Donald Trump up until the gag order kept referencing one of the Adas in this case Michael Colangelo who did work for New York attorney general Leticia Dames did work in the doj he’s protected he’s part of the team he cannot attack the judge’s daughter because she’s obviously not a part of these proceedings she’s a civilian she is a well-known Democratic operative here in the state of New York she has done work for Democratic candidates but to say that she is out there you know raising hundreds of thousands of dollars of billions it doesn’t show that there have also been comments made by Speaker Johnson and by other Republicans here that the judge has made significant political donations that is also not true he has made limited donations to Democrats as do other judges Republicans Or democrats it does happen but they are very minimal and in this case judge Juan Maran has done what is reasonable under the law in New York Brian these allegations that that Trump has made to a certain degree and now has surrogates making do they open the door for an appeal down the line or is this the kind of thing that would have already been litigated or in certain cases has already been litigated in the courts yeah so in in many cases they have been litigated if you talk about for example the conflict that we often hear uh Republicans bring up about Judge Moran uh for example there uh they said that they didn’t say that there is a conflict they said there’s an appearance of a conflict and what judge Maran did there is he went to I believe the judicial uh panel and asked okay what do I do here and the way it works in New York if you are arguing on appearance of conflict the judge has the ability to to reflect and see if there is a conflict uh don’t quote me on this but I think those donations that uh the judge made to John’s Point are minimum I don’t think they even re Rose above $100 and the inference that his daughter uh that being the daughter of Judge Muran has some sort of connection that she is benefiting from this trial and that’s why judge Maran is kind of pushing forward on it has been unsubstantiated and so when you have the appearance of a conflict the judge in New York has the ability to either take thems off or not they have not provided actual evidence that would trigger an event that would cause an actual litigation or a reason for him to take off the bench he didn’t even have to go to the judicial panel he could have just done it on the bench himself but I think he almost made that decision Bulletproof by doing so uh when you and I’ll stop it there because there’s a lot of things that go bit by bit but the gag order even the gag order as well we’ve already visited that issue they they’ve made appeals twice to pause the case to argue the gag order I think they made a recent one about last week as well but the gag order is not on its face unconstitutional if it goes too broadly to limit First Amendment rights then yes but I don’t think saying don’t attack these specific people you could talk about anything else goes beyond what a gag order can and cannot do Rachel at the end of the day here we are and Trump is stuck in this courtroom most of the time four days a week he cannot be on the campaign Trail but he is also getting a lot of press for the sake that these cases are happening this just one of several that he’s facing now how is this all impacting him on the campaign Trail if there is one thing that Donald Trump knows well it’s the media landscape and for Donald Trump and the Trump campaign and the Republican party as a whole a lot of this is also about the court of public opinion and that is why you’re seeing speaker Johnson in front of the microphones making sort of this case saying what Donald Trump wants to say although he cannot say it on his own because they want to send that message directly to the American people speaker Johnson himself is in a very interesting position he fresh off of surviving that vote to try to oust him as Speaker of the House it was notable that Donald Trump came to his defense in that he didn’t want to see that vote push forward and so in many ways he offered him a Lifeline we know that Donald Trump has been very influential when it comes to House Republicans you we all remember seeing the house floor and he was on the phone with members encouraging them to vote for then Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy when he was trying to reach the speaker’s gavel and so Johnson is also in a very precarious situation politically but also remember that Johnson has been team Trump for years now even before he was speaker of the house he served on Trump’s impeachment defense team a way back when and pushed his false claims about the 2020 election but back to your question here Diane big picture here they want to get this over with quickly so they get back out on the campaign trail that said is there an element of this that can help Trump the The Narrative the timing the Optics here we see immediately sometimes something happens in court and the the fundraising email goes out so is there an element to this where the campaign is actually benefiting from what’s Happening they are trying to turn everything that happens in court into a political Advantage for the former president and we’ve seen that from the very first indictment we saw that fundraising email go out within minutes you go to his rallies you know his supporters are wearing shirts with a photo of his mug shot on them they have used this as sort of a rallying cry to get their base to mobilize behind the former president you know I think when John and I talked to sources Within this world they are very happy about the timing of this right now we are 6 months out from an election sure do they want to see a former president the presumptive Republican nominee stand trial ahead of an election I don’t think any campaign wants to see that happen regardless of whatever spin they’re saying but at the same time they do not want to see a trial happen any closer to election day because that is going to be critical for the former president to be out there making his case and also doing so with the running mate we don’t necessarily know who that will be but it might be one of the people that are lining up behind Trump today and John what’s the latest happening in court now because as we’re having this conversation it is also important to remember that Michael Cohen is on the stand as we speak testifying there’s actually a bunch of interesting things happening right now so first they’re talking about the $420,000 that Michael Cohen was paid via Donald Trump for this reimbursement he has said under Ro that for that reimbursement he did less than 10 hours of work for Donald Trump in 2017 recall part of that payment in addition to repaying him for Stormy Daniels was supposed to be paying him as his outside private Council a role that Michael Cohen and Donald Trump crafted together but that alone is quite interesting so far the other bit that I found interesting I just want to find it here from our team from ABC’s Julia reinstein um who’s in court um when Stormy Daniels was trying to go public um and and wanted to break her non-disclosure agreement I did not know this this is just an interesting bit of color according to Michael Cohen that it wasn’t Donald Trump or you know Alan weiselberg who he was told by Trump to deal with that he got contacted by it was Eric Trump the former president’s son who’s obviously been in court he’s there today Diane with his wife Lara um and obviously When Donald Trump went to the White House Eric Trump was running the Trump organization with his older brother Don Jr um but I just think it’s interesting um that this in some ways it appears came became a family affair in the response to it cuz Paul though they had stormy Daniel’s you know story caught and she they silenced her 2016 going into early 2017 when the dam starts to break leading into 2018 right rumors start coming out there she starts you know angling she goes on Jimmy Kimmel as we’ll recall she eventually does that interview at 60 Minutes this seems like these were the efforts to you know keep the dam you know standing in order to keep her silence so it’s interesting that Eric and others started getting involved in this that’s a new detail to me and Brian I want to I want to zoom out and back up at the same time because for for people who are just watching some of this trial or even those who’ve been watching all along some may be thinking so what right this this guy didn’t want the public to find out about this alleged Affair so how does that end up in a criminal trial the the so what aspect or or how do the allegations end up in a criminal trial sorry so right for people thinking well how how how does how did the allegations amount to criminal charges in this case and what was it that happened throughout the course of trying to hide this alleged Affair that amounts to what he’s now being charged with absolutely sorry about that it it goes back to the way in which these were documented the way in which the documents uh were filed and they articulated what payments were for and how people were paid back now I understand that many people um maybe even most people look at this and say when it get to the heart of the matter here um so what why does it matter that Donald Trump ended up paying off uh a porn star actress to keep her story quiet but he dotted this eye and crossed this te rather than another one uh and and yes I think that’s a fair assessment and and I think that’s also a fair argument for the defense to say in terms of prosecutory discretion this is not the case of the century that you should have brought uh and I think that is the large criticism against this case but in terms of prosecutorial discretion they are also allowed to look at a case and say you know what we don’t really care about the so what if it’s a crime on the books we’re going to prosecute it and that’s allowed under any form of prosecution you can say so what about any case I mean 10 years ago before marijuana was legal in New York state people say like a baggie of weed so what jumping a Turn Style so what there’s a lot of low-level driving the suspended license so what there’s a lot of low-level crimes that people say so what to but prosecutors still prosecute those cases just like they’re doing here against Donald Trump if it’s a crime on the books they can prosecute it Rachel from the political landscape what are you watching for in this trial now as we sort of hit this home stretch if you will for the prosecution how quickly it moves along I mean santui and I were talking about this right before we came on the air it’s going to be very interesting how quickly we move to possible closing arguments and that is one thing that Trump’s team is really keeping an eye out for here too as they start to move forward politically and try to push forward with I know we know his advisers are trying to get him to the place where he’s actually considered who he’s going to be on a ticket with it’s hard to get Trump to focus on really anything else but this trial that’s before him right now so my my eye right now is on the timing of all of this all right Rachel Scott John santui Brian buckmire thank you all and we will be covering Trump’s criminal hush money trial all day long we’ll bring you the latest on Michael Cohen’s second day of testimony right here on ABC News live first stick around Israel a nation at war after that brutal surprise attack by Haman on the ground in Ukraine reporting from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting ABC News live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in Turkey in Rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 2024 campaign Trail in Iceland let’s go traveling with 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appreciate you than it’s David David I’m David I know you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast [Music] hi I’m D today on abbc news live first former president Trump’s one-time fixer Michael Cohen is back on the stand right now for a second day of testimony in Trump’s criminal hush money case Cohen told the jury yesterday that Trump directed him to make the payment at the center of the case to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and now he is detailing how that payment came about and how Trump then reimbursed him for that payment I want to bring an ABC News executive editorial producer John santui and legal contributor Brian buckmire for more John what’s the latest from court so we’re really zoning in on the payments here right so there been a lot of conversations so far um about the money that Donald Trump paid back to Michael Cohen conversations they were having in 2017 at the White House about how those payments would work and also that Michael Coen has now testified that for the money he got from Donald Trump so $420,000 all together 130,000 of that money being the reimbursement to Daniels the rest being payment to Michael Cohen for legal services rendered he’s testified now under oath Diane he only did less than 10 hours of legal work for Donald Trump in 2017 so that’s one heck of a a rate that he was getting based on really not doing much at all um they’re starting to get into a little bit of the conversations that he had before Congress very little bit it’s just starting but again we knew we were going to get here because this is the issue prosecutors need to get ahead of right they said this in their opening statements Michael Cohen is not a perfect witness he’s got some baggage as the prosecutors said in their opening statements so what they need to do before they hand off this witness before direct examination ends and it’s Donald Trump’s team turn they’ve got to air a little bit of the dirty laundry to soften the blow because you know the minute Todd blanch gets up there Donald Trump is going to be watching intently his eyes have been closed closed all morning according to our team but I think his eyes are going to be open to watch flanch destroy Michael Cohen or try to BR I want to go back to the payments and the records because uh you know as a non-legal scholar sometimes watching this case you forget that this case isn’t really about the hush money payment it’s about Trump’s alleged attempt to cover up that hush money payment and so how critical is this testimony for Michael Cohen as he’s he’s not only set on the stand earlier this morning yes that record was falsified yes that bill that was labeled a retainer was not for a retainer but for him to now blatantly say I got paid $420,000 for 10 hours of legal work yeah um I I wish my hourly rates were were were that high I think explaining in that context I mean most people think that we attorneys get overpaid anyways and in some regards that is true I think giving that context and saying I did far less work for what I did I think it really lands to people say that doesn’t make sense so they go back to all right what is that you did and to your point right to call this a hush money case is probably a little bit incorrect it’s less about the hush money it’s more about the coverup and how it was perpetuated how it was documented and it’s so important for for Michael Cohen to articulate that in this case because that’s the heart of the case at the end of the day you’re pulling away from the stormmy Daniels testimony which was probably very exciting and very riveting but getting to the nuts and bolts of this is what we were trying to cover up this very salacious information this is how we did it how it was repaid and how we had to hide it so that others couldn’t see the cover up that is the crime not necessarily the the story that was so big right so here’s Cohen saying this money was not for my legal services this money was to reimburse me for this payment that I had made to stormy D and it goes back to what the defense and Donald Trump has been saying so often it’s like but if I put down legal expense why isn’t it the legal expense and now here you have an attorney saying I shouldn’t get paid this much money for 10 hours it’s clear that I did something else to retain this this isn’t a legal expense this is something far greater because of what I hid and how documented it they’re also now getting into the conversation about why Cohen lied to Congress and this is a huge issue for the prosecution Michael Cohen’s credibility this is someone who’s already been convicted of perjuring himself so how are they how important is it to get this out on direct examination while he’s being questioned by the prosecution and allow him to try to explain why he lied to Congress I would say it’s almost as important if not more than proving the elements of the crime and I know that seems kind of putting the cart before the horse in a sense but Michael Cohen’s credibility is so questionable that if you do not take the issue at its Forefront and make sure you get ahead of it before the defense has the opportunity to really run him over the coals so to speak then you give the defense that much more ammunition to destroy the credibly Michael Cohen you have to address that first and foremost to make sure that the jury understands this person might not be believed but this is why he lied and this is why he might lie to Congress but he’s not lying to you and John now he’s taking it a step further he’s not only talking about lying to Congress he’s talking about lying specifically about the payment to Stormy Daniels yes so it’s really interesting so they’ve just shown text messages now we’re in 2018 this is where Stormy Daniels and the story is about to come out recall the Wall Street Journal broke this story text messages between Keith Davidson the lawyer who testified who represented Karen McDougall and Stormy Daniels between Michael Cohen we are in January of 2018 what they just read into court is the following Diane a text message from Keith Davidson that said Wall Street Journal called stormmy she didn’t answer they say they running a story and have a deadline on tonight for out looking for comment Cohen replies write a strong denial comment for her like you did before and then another text message saying call me back the other thing that’s interesting I was just reading as we were coming in here ABC’s Olivia Rubin reporting that Donald Trump scoffed from his seat at the defense table as Cohen testified that he told Trump he got Stormy Daniels to deny deny their Affair in 2018 so that he could quote get credit with Trump so again you got to remember what’s happening and why that’s important 2018 this relationship with Michael Cohen and Donald Trump we are starting to see cracks in the foundation because this is where Donald Trump is making the comments that were entered into the record by those custodial Witnesses let’s remember the C-SPAN witness that came up there right the comments that Donald Trump was making from the White House saying Michael Cohen’s a good man strong man he’ll hold firm basically sending a message to his former attorney and fixer hang on don’t crack don’t start speaking what really is the truth at the end of the day and then we’re gearing up here where it seems like the whole house falls apart Brian the other part that sticks out is and we’ve heard this throughout Michael Cohen’s testimony he’s testifying to these constant check-ins with Trump as everything is happening right the deals being negotiated he goes back to Trump to ask what he thinks about where they are in those negotiations when they decide on a payment he goes back to Trump to check and now he’s talking about that again going back to Trump this time to get credit for something that he thinks he deserves credit for how important is that aspect of his testimony that he has consistently throughout said he was checking it with Donald Trump directly the entire time the prosecution will use that as a measure of this is how we know that Donald Trump was checking off on this it’s that that proverbial you have an employee and an employer and every step the employee makes they make sure to check in is this good is this good is this good so I I think for the prosecution what they’ll attempt to do and what they can do and I think they’re probably doing a good job out of as well is trying to show that this isn’t a rogue agent off doing criminal activities not at the behest at Donald Trump that because he keeps coming back and because he has this motivation of trying to kind of really buddy up with Donald Trump get that favor because ultimately he wants to be taken to the White House that he made sure that every step that he took Donald Trump understood and I think the prosecution gets to turn that around and say look Donald Trump knew he signed off on this he wanted it to happen he knew every step that was going to happen and that’s why you can take the actions of Michael Cohen and relate them to the will of Donald Trump but of course the defense can equally take that information and say you know what regardless of his check-ins regardless of him talking to to Donald Trump about each and every step it was his actions and you can’t take the the the go make it happen or this to mean that Donald Trump signed off on it but I do think the prosecution in this evidence it favors them more than the defense all right John santui Brian buckmire thank you both and I want to bring in host of the 538 politics podcast gayen Dro for a little more on the political side of all of this gayen has this criminal trial had any impact on Trump’s poll numbers so far there’s a couple ways to look at this question and I think first and foremost we have seen Trump’s favorability decline but it’s declined since March so I think in part that’s people realizing that the 2024 election is going to be a matchup between Biden and Trump and really just paying more attention to Trump’s behavior in light of that and this trial is certainly part of it but it’s not the entirety of the slippage that we’ve seen in terms of his favorability but in the head-to-head matchup polling for 2024 we haven’t seen significant movement and I think that’s in part because a lot of Americans at this point aren’t paying attention to the trial they say in polling a majority of them that they know a little only a little or nothing about this case and so really what’s going to end up happening is that when we get a verdict that is going to be the clarifying moment in all of this and in a recent ABC News poll in fact 20% of folks who currently support the former president say that they would either reconsider or withdraw their support if he is found guilty and so while it may be easy for Americans to sort of go about their lives and not necessarily pay attention to the trial and the ins and out of it outs of it on a daily basis once we get that verdict it is going to be really wall toall coverage it’s going to break through it’s going to be big news and Americans will then have the opportunity to consider um if he is found guilty if they want to support a convicted felon and if he is found innocent if that’s a sort of Notch in his favor and that in fact concerns about the economy and immigration May ultimately override any concerns about behavior and gayen Dro those ifs can rely very heavily on the ban on the stand right now as we speak gayen Dro thank you and we will be covering former president Trump’s Criminal hush money trial all day long and bring you the details of Michael Cohen’s second day of testimony right here on ABC News live coming up damaging storms slam the South with at least four reported tornadoes in three states the latest on the threat and where the severe weather is moving next also ahead the alarming new fenel report 115 million pills seized last year what parents should know about what the DEA calls the deadliest drug threat the US has ever faced [Music] what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters This our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag the there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love it great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you thank you David good to meet you is David yes yes I’m David I know you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast this is not about parents who just let their kid watch violent movies play violent video games this is about parents who neglected their son ignored his cries for help then bought him a gun the first parents in America to be charged in a school shooting they purchased that gun for him and bragged about it you don’t get to walk away from that that’s a criminal act sins of the parents the crumbly trials the opposite of love is not hate it’s just being ignored only on Hulu why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R mural Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th poll the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning morning news on ABC News live good mornings in America Can You Feel The Love oh yeah mornings that Inspire filled with hope kindness joyous surprises and so much fun this is crazy this is absolutely crazy start your day with Good Morning America’s ray of sunshine highlighting the best of America and helping make dreams come true wow feel so happy it’s so good get ready to smile and put the good into your Morning America because you know what would make the morning better a little r of Sunshine welcome back to ABC News live Michael Cohen is back in court for day two of his testimony in the criminal hush money trial against former president Trump Cohen has been describing how Trump directed him to send adult film actor stormmy Daniel $130,000 for her Silence about an alleged Affair and he’s describing how he says the former president then helped cover up the payments to reimburse Cohen for that the former president denies the allegations and the affair and soon we expect the defense to get their chance to question Cohen as well but here are some of the day’s other top stories we were also following including breaking news out of Florida police say eight people are dead after a bus crash in Marian County our affiliate there says the highway in the area is shut down Reports say 53 people were on board at the time of the crash and that the bus was carrying migrant workers to a watermelon Farm no word yet on what caused the crash millions in the Southeast are on alert for possible tornadoes and damaging winds today this comes after at least four tornadoes touchdown in three states yesterday this twister was spotted near Sulfur Louisiana where thousands are still without power yesterday’s storms marked 19 days in a row tornadoes have hit parts of the US meanwhile flights are finally back to normal at Houston’s Hobby Airport after a lightning strike knocked out power on a Runway repairs took several hours causing delays and some cancellations storms are now moving into Florida bringing damaging winds and tornado threats and rescues are underway in Brazil after Mass flooding in Rio Grande dul near nearly 150 people are reported dead and more than half a million have been displaced now River levels are on the rise with flood alerts issued for the next few days and federal authorities are now assisting the investigation into the death of a South Carolina pastor’s wife M Miller was found dead of an apparent suicide just days after telling police she was scared for her life due to something she found in her car gma3 anchor Eva Pilgrim has the details an unexpected twist in the death of a South Carolina pastor’s wife the sheriff announcing the FBI and US attorney are helping in the Micah Miller investigation the 30-year-old calling 911 moments before she was found dead at a state park in North Carolina on April 27th about an hour north of where she lived in in Myrtle Beach her death had been ruled a suicide there’s got to be some accountability here Micah’s death coming just days after she told a police officer she was scared for her life finding a GPS tracker on her car and a razor blade in her Tire she and her husband John Paul Miller were in the process of separating he was a pastor at a local church he has since been released from his duties but previously spoke at a memorial service about his wife been down with her body about four times this week it each time it still didn’t hit me um I thought she was going to wake up you know I even tried to raise her from the dead and now new images released from authorities show Micah the day of her death leaving her house buying a gun stopping at a gas station near the park and then making that 911 call are you able to trace the location of my phone authorities releasing no other information about the investigation at this time some friends and family left with question chrans refusing to believe Mah took her own life we were talking about uh her coming to church Sunday just life stuff just her moving forward Micah posting shortly before her death shared this with anyone struggling with leaving a dangerous situation God hates divorce because it hurts people but does abuse hurt people how do you think God feels about that and this was her last Facebook post when terrible terrible terrible things happen to you yall know what I’m talking about RPF resting peace face investigators say they actually requested assistance from the FBI and US attorney’s office early into this investigation based on the information gathered and for jurisdiction reasons Diane gma3 anchor Eva Pilgrim thank you and the DEA is warning of the deadliest drug threat the US has ever faced agents say They seized more than 16 kilos of fenel powder and 60 ,000 fentanyl pills in May and are still working to break up other drug trafficking Rings ABC’s medical correspondent Dr Daran Sutton joins me now for more on what parents should know Dr Sutton how’s the fentanyl crisis affecting families across the country I think it’s it’s affecting families across the country because it’s something that many don’t realize the threat that exists with the medications and the substances that they’re using that are elicit when you look at these numbers they’re concerning over 115 million pills in 2023 a quadruple increase from 22 and many patients in the emergency room often in my experience with patients who suffer from an overdose simply report that they did not realize a threat that existed a lot of these medications have been fentanyl has been added to them to increase the potency fentanyl is something that is cheap to buy cheap to make easily accessible and extremely dangerous one milligram a fraction of a raindrop can be deadly so what can people do to protect themselves and their families I think first and foremost understand the risk RIS that exists with an opiate excuse me the risk that exists with using illicit substances and also the signs of an opiate overdose which can include unresponsiveness pinpoint pupils uh delayed response overall slowed breathing and also just simply understanding what to do next you know there are resources available that you can utilize if you’re concerned about addiction or substance use Behavior but also simply being aware of the existence of Naran this is a intra nasal medication a nasal spray that is accessible and available in pharmacies without a prescription and I think first a kit should have it to be quite honest and you can use it while you’re waiting for 911 and it can help reverse the do reverse the effects of an opiate overdose all right ABC new’s medical correspondent Dr Darian Sutton thank you of course coming up bucket list on a budget how you can visit Quebec Canada this summer without breaking the [Music] bank Whenever Wherever news breaks it’s so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London in Buffalo yaldi Texas Edinburgh Scotland reporting from Rolling Fork Mississippi Ukrainian refugees here in warsong we’re heading to a small community outside of Mexico City getting you behind the stories as they happen ABC News live Prime we’ll take you there stream ABC News live week nights wherever you stream your news only on ABC News live first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th poll the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live with so much at stake so much on the line more americ am turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the Mel is the Super Bowl of red carpet a celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about Awakening something within all of us you get things you never could 100 Years of Imagine The Met Gala is inspiring inside the Met Gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories start here now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming make it your daily first listen wherever you get your podcasts it’s lunch time in America so what do we serveing up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoons for everything you need to know I love that what’s good to watch read where can I get a great deal on what I’m just dying to buy oh it’s all right here GMA life get the latest celebrity Buzz Deals and Steals and the coolest lifestyle tips from GMA I love that so much streaming weekends on ABC News live reporting from the Auto Workers picket lines in Michigan I’m Faith abou wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live welcome back to ABC News live first we are head head north of the border to Canada for the next stop on our bucket list on a budget series European cities like Paris are a hot destination in the summer but what if we said you can get all that charm for half the price ABC’s iachi teamed up with the points guide to show us how you can Road Trip Around The Province and cut back on costs get your passports ready two historic cities one Epic vacation say bonjour to Quebec City and Montreal Canada when it comes to to cash $1 us is worth $1.37 in Canada now that’s a great deal let’s talk flights for this multi-city trip we’re starting from Philadelphia we found Air Canada to Quebec City for as low as 123 bucks one way then home from Montreal for around $200 we’re kicking it off in Quebec City but where to stay how about a hotel deal with a bonus like the Hilton which offers free public transportation when you stay at least two nights that’s an unlimited 3-day pass to help you Explore More it’s time to see the sights soak in that European flare on the free walking tour with local guide Samuel dubis I share my passion with the traveler from all across the world and if they like it they can give me what they want oh it’s an amazing City really really beautiful and seek out those local Cheap Eats when in Quebec you got to try poutine it’s their favorite comfort food and here at Lasik Shack it’s only eight bucks let’s go eat poutine is the everything it’s the go-to food made of potatoes gravy and cheese curds you got to try this this is unbelievable just outside the city enjoy this natural wonder free for those 17 and under this is amazing the mom m Sea Falls 272 ft tall that’s 98 ft taller than Niagara Falls and just take a look at this beauty it’s amazing awesome it it is it’s awesome then it’s road trip time we’re driving about 165 mes to Montreal when renting a car look for deals on airplane partner sites it can save you a bunch of money if you sign up for United’s free loyalty program and search for car rentals through their website you can save up to 35% on the base rate on some car rentals our first stop a Sugar Shack where we enjoyed some Maple Taffy on snow $10 for adults and five bucks for kids the flavor of the maple is so pronounced it’s strong in this this is delicious after a 3-hour drive beon venu on Montreal I got this City Pass called passport Montreal you pay about $35 and you get tickets to three participating attractions I’m using the passport for is the Montreal banal Gardens 185 Acres of natural beauty then bone Appetit it’s time to use the passport for a cooking class in the oven ah okay and when you get hungry do your own food tour in the Mile End Neighborhood first some noi at jeria for around four bucks look at that then it’s back in time at wensky I have to try the famous walinsky special with cheddar cheese please the meat is perfectly seasoned the cheese is melted to wash it down with their own Cola it’s been here since 1932 they’re doing something right with a full belly and lots of money saved it’s AR of till next time Canada I Kachi and Montreal for us thank you we’ll be right [Music] back whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Le main the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live they’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militant came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love this great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you David good to meet you is David David yes yes I’m David I know who you are watch you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast it’s lunch time in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news music and of course good food a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that I’m M up and inside a military base in southern Israel and this is one of those Iranian ballistic missiles wherever the news is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News [Music] live hi I’m D today on ABC News live F former president Trump’s onetime fixer Michael Cohen is back on the stand right now for a second day of testimony in Trump’s criminal hush money case Cohen has now recounted a meeting with Trump in 2017 at the White House in a key moment where prosecutors alleged Trump personally discussed the repayment arrangement for the hush money Cohen had paid to Stormy Daniels and Cohen will soon be facing tough questions from the defense and that could quite change the tone we’ve seen throughout this testimony so far ABC senior investigative correspondent Erin kki joins me now from outside the courthouse along with ABC’s Jay O’Brien on Capitol Hill executive editorial producer John santui and our legal contributor Brian buckmeier so eron what’s the latest from Court Michael Cohen is testifying right now about some of his prior misdeeds his criminal convictions for lying to Congress for submitting a misleading and deceptive statement to the Federal Election Commission this is all sort of call it prehab ahead of the the cross-examination that is expected to bring out all of these character flaws and the obsession the defense uh says Cohen had with seeing Donald Trump uh convicted here but he has also brought Trump closer than any other witness to the allegedly falsified business records he showed invoices that Cohen said falsely stated he was being repaid for legal service as rendered was this invoice a false record Susan hoffinger the prosecutor asked him yes ma’am Cohen replied and then he showed the jury the checks and uh were these checks issued hoffinger asked in response to the false invoice yes Cohen said and who signature is on the checks well that would be Donald Trump’s uh each and every time and so these false records are now tied to the former president in a way that no other witness has been able to do Diane Brian how strong is that testimony Cohen going through some of these records one by one and saying yes that was falsified yes they’re saying they were paying me for a retainer but there was no retainer there and then just the sheer number him saying I got paid $420,000 and I did maybe 10 hours of legal work for them AKA that money was not for legal fees it was reimbursement for this hush money payment it’s it’s powerful and what I’m doing is I’m kind of hedging what I’m saying because I’m reading some of the the statements and I’m thinking how’s a prosecution going to use this how’s a defense going to use this the prosecutor that’s great yeah throw out all of his lies I lied to protect Donald Trump but I still go back to being the defense attorney think to myself okay okay but the payments might have been at the behest of Donald Trump and Donald Trump might have said okay to that but you lying to the FEC you lying to Congress I don’t see the connection where Donald Trump told you to make those lies there and if I’m the defense attorney I’m making a distinction between okay you you lied about the payments but when you made these quote unquote misleading statements to the FEC and that might be the underlying crime that we’re talking about that made this a felony was it Donald Trump who told you to lie to the FEC or was that you again trying to take on this lie to support him that may very well help the defense in trying to distinguish why these shouldn’t be felony charges I’m not sure if they’re going to go that way but it’s interesting to me when we get to the lies to protect Donald Trump I’m not seeing as much of Donald Trump told me to do this or I had a conversation with him and that’s why I went and made these lies like we did when we saw the payments that could be a problem for the prosecution that said John when he’s talking about the payments the conversations around Stormy Daniels the negotiations of the deal he is detailing over and over again all these times that he says he went went back to Donald Trump to say hey here’s what you know here’s what’s going on in the deal get get the boss’s approval in his words and then go back to the negotiating table come back with the payment get the boss’s approval and so on and he constant he describes over and over again these check-ins with Donald Trump throughout the course of this deal being negotiated the payments being made and then the reimbursement deal happening does that jive with the years of reporting because you followed Trump for years was it that kind of thing where as Cohen describes that Trump had to sign off and approve everything so he had to sign off on the money for sure and he had to sign off on the reimbursements for sure and obviously we’ve seen the testimony that the checks he received matches up with what we heard Jeff mccan and others of the Trump organization talk about sending the TRS to meline westerhout in Washington that Donald Trump could sign them um where I think there’s a little bit of um Nuance here in the testimony if you will Donald Trump is not a micromanager right I mean he’s obviously wants up dates and he’s obsessed as any boss is but I think part of what Michael Cohen is talking about and part of what I observed of Michael Cohen and sources of mine the Trump organization would say is that Michael Cohen was always eager to tell Donald Trump what he was doing so it was less of a Donald Trump demand and more of an act on Michael Cohen’s behalf right that he would constantly be the person and be like boss boss boss here’s the update he referred to Donald Trump as boss the only one of the only people that I can think of in the Trump organization that used that word to say they were speaking of or talking to Donald Trump um I do think you know as we’ve seen in lot of the reporting that’s come out about this relationship and this Dynamic it was a way of Michael Cohen to show his worthiness to Donald Trump right so much of Michael Cohen’s role in the Trump organization was actually really undefined know I talked yesterday about how this was a role that was created for him it’s a role also that you know I think had abs and flows right certain things mattered certain things did not it Just depended on the moment we were finding ourselves and you were making a point now no no no no I I I was I appreciate what you’re saying but there’s a decision on the gag order that I thought was was interesting that that that came up because we we had talked about it before it appears that the appell at court of New York has decided that I’m just going to quote it here we find that Justice mam properly weighed petitioners First Amendment rights against the Court’s historical commitment uh to ensuring the fair administration of justice in the criminal cases and the right of a person’s related to tangible I’ll stop the quote basically what they’re saying is it’s a weighing of the issues it’s Donald Trump’s First Amendment rights with the proceedings and the safety of that proceeding and that the gag order was narrowly tailored to ensure that Donald Trump is not fully surrendering his uh First Amendment rights but they are subordinate their words not mine to the safety and the proceedings of this trial so it seems like the gag order is not unconstitutional so the appell court is saying the judge did the right thing by putting this limited gag order in place denying essentially Trump’s team’s appeal of this gag order yeah yeah exactly looking to the potential threats intimidation harassment and harm of the proceedings and those people uh within it what I would tell our viewers is gag orders or the limitation of people within a proceedings is natural when I go to federal court for example and I have a a criminal case especially one that involves gang members I can show my clients X and YZ information but I can’t show them all of it I can’t come on air and talk about the the statements that one member of a gang said to another I Limited in what I can say and the court would say the reason why we do that to attorneys the reason why we do that for people in the proceedings is because we want to ensure the safety of those individuals in that case so this is not unique this is how courts operate all the time to protect Witnesses judges their family members and all people participating in proceedings Jay that gag order limits Trump or or or prevents him from talking about certain figures in this case including Witnesses uh family members of the judge or other uh Court employees some members of the prosecution though he can talk about um Alvin Bragg and so we did though see earlier today how speaker Mike Johnson not only in court but it seemed like he was speaking on behalf of trump to say the things that the former president can’t say what do you make of that not only the the show of support from some political heavyweights in court today and yesterday but then also to see the house Speaker himself speaking essentially on behalf of trump today well that gag order Diane doesn’t apply to the members of Congress and the other Republican notables who have accompanied the former president to court today Chief among them as you said is how speaker Mike Johnson I talked to a source close to the speaker about how all this came together I’m told the speaker was already in New York for an unrelated um unrelated event and he volunteered to go with the former president to court today and they rode together to the courthouse and you see him there in those remarks he gave earlier um making remarks that he’s made similarly here on Capitol Hill and in other places obviously saying he has deep disagreements with this case he views this prosecution as political etc etc but that show of political force that we saw with those lawmakers uh Byron Donalds Cory Mills among others Stan and the speaker standing behind Trump today has benefits for both sides here it has benefits for the former president because it shows again a show of force the lawmakers in the Republican ranks who are behind Trump despite this prose ution but also when you talk about Mike Johnson there are things in it for the speaker too the speaker has deep divisions with further right Republicans here on Capitol Hill Margery Taylor green tried to come for his job not long ago feels like forever ago but it was last week and this is an invite that Marjorie Taylor green hasn’t gotten but speaker Mike Johnson has to be in the camera shot standing behind the former president expressing his support as he walks into that courthouse today for a lot of Republican law law makers including the two senators who accompanied Trump to court yesterday this is a hot ticket to get to go stand behind Trump as he walks into court and aarin I also want to go back to the courtroom itself because as we’re talking Michael Cohen is on the stand testifying and they’re now talking about the 2018 raid on his hotel room where he was staying at the time and his office and he was just asked uh how how he describes how he felt at that time being asked concerned to responded angry and he said yes ma’am he was frightened how how much does the prosecution have to cover this change of this loyal employee to Donald Trump who says he did everything for the former president and then when things started to change between them prosecutors believe there is an advantage in bringing up all of the the the things that got Michael Cohen into trouble because they want to portray Cohen as Trump’s guy his loyal fix who would do anything for him uh and and as if to show the jury do you see what kind of person Cohen is that Trump was hanging around with that Trump was relying on um of course the defense is going to portray it quite differently to to suggest that Michael Cohen ended up freelancing he went rogue and he did all these things that Donald Trump really didn’t tell him to do that ended up uh getting in trouble with the law spent prison time and develop this animus toward Trump that makes his testim unreliable so we’re nearing the end of the direct examination with cross examination to follow Diane and John before they hit that end of the direct examination they’re not talking about guarantees that that Trump was apparently making to Cohen from the White House yeah because they’re coming out of this conversation that Aaron just recapped and they’re talking about how he felt scared and angry and was frustrated and obviously the raid that happened he said he had a conversation with Trump and according to Michael Cohen Donald Trump said to me don’t worry I’m president of the United States there’s nothing here everything’s going to be okay stay tough you’re going to be okay Cohen testifies I wanted some reassurances that Mr Trump had my back especially as this dealt with issues that related to him pretty interesting all right Eric kki J O’Brien John santui Brian buckmire thank you and we will continue to cover the latest here on Trump’s criminal hush money trial all day long we’ll bring you the details on Michael Cohen’s second day of testimony right here on ABC News live first coming up Secretary of State Anthony blinkin is back in Ukraine with the trip is expected to publicly [Music] reaffirm whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war after that brutal surprise attack by Hamas on the ground in Ukraine reporting from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting ABC News live is right there there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in Turkey enrolling for this tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 2024 campaign Trail in Iceland let’s go traveling with the president in Mexico City wherever the story from the front lines from Southern Israel outside the Gaza Strip in beir from the FBI reporting from the nurses on the picket line here at 10 Downing Street in London streaming live to you wherever the story is wherever the story is wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere America’s number one streaming news first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight Poli in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th poll the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know we know that sounds pretty good it to me your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America we are part of an operation is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate militant came in from different directions nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to go the house is destroyed but the flag not a in it how important it made the USA great work hi appreciate you thank it’s David David I’m David I know who you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mu is America’s most watched [Music] newscast welcome back to ABC News live first Secretary of State Anthony blinkin is back and Ukraine meeting with President Vladimir zalinski as a Russian offensive pushes closer to the country’s second largest city in the Northeast Lincoln’s trip is meant to publicly reaffirm that Ukraine has America’s support as it struggles to defend itself against increasingly intense Russian attacks foreign correspondent James Longman joins me now from keev along with senior White House correspondent Selena Wang for more on this James Ukraine says thousands of civilians have been forced out of their homes what’s the latest on the fighting yeah Diane big focus in the northeast of this country at the moment the ukrainians think something like 50,000 Russian troops are massed on that border and that 30,000 of them are engaged in this attack on the northeast now many of them have crossed in it would be one of the biggest incursions by Russia into Ukraine since uh the War Began and if indeed their target is kke to encircle the the uh second largest city in this country even occupy it perhaps could they do that that’s the big question then that would be a massive setback for Ukraine just in the last hour or so we’ve heard of yet more strikes in the city um an apartment building a 12 story apartment building was hit there have been a number of injuries there it’s been struck a number of times K today uh but the issue is of course this encroaching Russian Force they’ve taken nine Villages 7,000 people at least have had to be evacuated from their homes but there are something like a million people more than a million people still living in KH it it operates kind of normally uh dayto day despite these uh these these hits that it receives these artillery uh strikes and missile strikes it receives from the Russians uh almost daily but if this escalates if the Russian forces get much closer if those Russian tanks roll up to the outskirts of the city you’ll then start to see a massive Exodus from KH and that would be catastrophic uh for the ukrainians not just because of the symbolism of losing such an important city uh but of course the the pressure it puts on the rest of their front line over 600 miles they’re defending at the moment uh and they’re having to draw resources away from the rest of the war in order to defend KH so secretary blinkin is here during an incredibly incredibly dangerous moment for Ukraine Diane Selena secretary blink’s visit comes less than a month after Congress approved $60 billion in new funding for Ukraine and some of this Aid has already arrived so when can Ukraine expect the rest and how will this help its military in fighting this Russian offensive well Diane secretary of state blinkin has said that that $60 billion will make a real difference on the battlefield us officials say they’re trying to speed up the deliveries of weapons and that they’ve already sent some weapons to Ukraine including those longrange attack thems and air defense capabilities yesterday National Security adviser Jake Sullivan made it very clear that this long delay in getting more Aid to Ukraine has weakened their defenses has set them back he said it’s put them into a hole and the US is quote trying to dig them out of that hole as fast as possible and as you said at the top Diane this visit by blinkin is all about sending the signal that us support is there for Ukraine that the US is not going to turn its back on Ukraine despite that very lengthy delay and getting more Aid to Ukraine and a key goal of this trip as well Diane is to make sure that the new defenses the new weapons being sent to Ukraine are deployed effectively on the battlefield now James yesterday president zinski said Ukrainian troops are being provided with all of the necessary Firepower and forces and their results are improving but Ukraine is still waiting again on more aid from the US so what can you tell us about their military capabilities right now as they try to fight they’re playing defense Diane pure and simple I mean the massive ammunition shortage meant that they had to use more men to try to plug some of these gaps and they don’t have men to spare this country already has a problem with Manpower they’ve had to lower the age of men joining the Army in fact uh that uh that law has passed but it comes into effect I think the next few days so they’re trying to to get more people to join up to join the effort but it’s very difficult to keep morale going uh in this country for many many people like here in keev and other parts of the west of Ukraine they’ve become used to this war being fought off in the East and it’s difficult for people to really imagine the idea of of going off to fight in a war which they don’t believe now is ever going to end I think there’s widespread perception in this country that the aid that they’ve got from the United States has only ever been enough to keep it in the war never enough to win so a lot of people a lot of young men feel think to themselves well why would we bother going to fight in this war that the Americans aren’t going to help us actually win I mean if you look at specific areas around this country now I’m talking about Sumi which is an area just Northeast of here along the border with Russia we’ve spoken already about the areas north of KH chaza that’s down in the dbass these areas that Ukraine had successfully defended H uh from the Russian invasion and now they’re on the back foot again so this is a terrible time for Ukraine this Aid that is coming in now will help in some respects but I think that no one here is under any Illusions we’ve got the US elections coming up uh and they don’t see that there’s necessarily long-term Aid and help and support coming from the United States whatever secretary blinkin says well he’s here Dian all right James Long Selena Wang thank you coming up it’s time for tip off the WNBA season gets underway tonight the big matchups to watch for right after the [Music] break what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love this great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you thank you D than to meet you is David David yes yes I’m David M I know you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast this is not about parents who just let their kid watch violent movies play violent video games this is about parents who neglected their son ignored his cries for help then bought him a gun the first parents in America to be charged in a school shooting they purchased that gun for him and bragged about it you don’t get to walk away from that that’s a criminal act sins of the parents the crumbly trials the opposite of love is not hate it’s just being ignored only on Hulu why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here reporting in Fort Lee New Jersey right here in the Fat Tuesday storm I’m Ginger Z wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live [Music] welcome back meme stocks are back as shares of GameStop surge More than 70% for the second day in a row this is open AI unveils new model of chat GPT and some are already saying it’s the best version yet ABC News Business Report Alexis christofer say more on that and your other business headlines Alexis what are you watching today it is mem stock comeback is continuing Diane so two stocks at the heart of the pandemic era trading craze GameStop and AMC are soaring for second straight day that’s after Keith Gil maybe better known as roaring Kitty returned to social media after a three-year Hiatus Gil became the face of meme stocks in 2021 after he influenced a army of small investors to buy up shares of beaten down stocks like GameStop sending some of those stocks up a th% or more in just the matter of days you can imagine some traders made big money on those moves but a lot of others lost a bundle analysts say this meme stock restri surgents could last all summer long and they caution investors to make investments based on fundamentals like growth and profits and not on social media Buzz sounds like Sound Advice to me the Biden Administration is slapping China with tough new tariffs quadrupling the import tax on Chinese electric vehicles from 25% to 100% tariffs on Chinese solar cells will double to 50% while the import tax on some Chinese steel and aluminum will triple to 25% Beijing was quick to condemn these new tariffs saying the US should quote immediately correct its wrongdoings but Administration officials say these moves are necessary to protect American Industries from unfair competition and they add they will not have any impact on inflation the makers of chat GPT are out with a new free AI model that they say can act like a personal assistant and even detect your emotions called GPT 40 it can interpret and generate text images and audio and have conversations with you in real time like give instructions for solving a math problem or tell a bedtime story supporters say the latest AI language model will make chat GPT smarter and easier to use but critics say it’s just too soon for us to handle superhuman intelligence because we need more research into how to make it safe can get scary all those deep fakes they’re out there hard to tell what’s real and not that’s true right Alexis christopherus thank you and the WNBA tips off its regular season season tonight it’s setting up to be a historic night as interest in women’s basketball reaches a new level ABC’s Andrew dibert has the latest the WNBA season now just hours away from tip off the anticipation never higher rookie Superstars Cameron Brink Angel Reese and Camila cardoo bringing an unprecedented level of interest in women’s basketball along with Caitlyn Clark getting much of the attention feel now like getting out there for the first time is it’s really exciting and it’ll be super special Clark’s Indiana Fever kick off in Connecticut tonight against the Sun the team selling out a home opener for the first time in more than 20 years Clark in the incredibly popular draft class ushering in a new era of the WNBA all teams will soon get charter flights for away games instead of flying commercial many teams also getting new state-of-the-art practice facilities and they’re cashing in on endorsement deals when you’re on the court Nothing Else Matters Kim Kardashian clothing brand skims just releasing its first campaign featuring WNBA Stars Kardashian saying the brand is championing women in sports and stands for women’s empowerment Caitlyn Clark already signed a reported $28 million deal with Nike but one WNBA star suggests Clark success has a lot to do with being white Las Vegas Aces star Asia Wilson saying it doesn’t matter how hard I work it doesn’t matter what we all do as black women we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug that’s why it boils my blood when people say it’s not about r race because it is what’s indisputable this will be a season like no other our thanks to Andrew dibert for that preview the four WNBA games tonight will air on ESPN 2 and ESPN plus two games including the fever will also stream on Disney plus Britney grinder will miss her season opener tonight due to a toe injury thanks for streaming with us I’m Diane Meo ABC News live is here for you anytime with the latest news context and Analysis we’ll be right back [Music] Whenever Wherever news breaks it’s so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London in Buffalo yaldi Texas Edinburgh Scotland reporting from Rolling Fork Mississippi Ukrainian refugees here in Warson we’re heading to a small community outside of Mexico City getting you behind the stories as they happen ABC News live Prime we’ll take you there stream ABC News live week nights wherever you stream your news only on ABC News live with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of television first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th pole the buzz kill in baseball the first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the Mel is the Super Bowl of red carpet it’s a celebration the most aart G KN in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the Met Gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories start here now that’s a part of the story that you didn’t see coming make it your daily first listen wherever you get your podcasts first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th pole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America This Morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live right now there’s just so much happening in our world so much at stake at the start of every morning and that’s why at Good Morning America we’re right here and we got you we got you we got [Music] you hi I’m Dio today on ABC News live first court is in recess as former president Trump’s one-time fixer Michael Cohen testifies for a second day in Trump’s criminal hush money case Cohen recounted a meeting with Trump in 2017 at the White House he has gone through the discussion of the repayment arrangement for the hush money compensation for stormmy Daniels and he will soon be facing questions from the defense and we could see the tone shift when that happens ABC News execu editorial producer John santui and ABC News contributor Brian buckmire joined me now from more John what’s the latest from so we’re still on this break um right before we went on break we were talking more about the divide in the relationship between Donald Trump and Michael Cohen in 2018 the reporting that starts to come out from the Wall Street Journal and Cohen describes a little bit of a pressure campaign by Trump both privately and publicly to stay loyal right he talks about tweets that were out there of the former president talking about reporting and other media Outlets saying that you know look this was all building to this moment this Crescendo if you will until I was ultimately you know going to break and tell the truth Brian this whole dynamic of the part that they are getting to now now we are post payment we are post reimbursement and now it’s a question of is Michael Cohen going to cooperate or not how much do those conversations matter to this case I I don’t think it matters much to the case in terms of the question of did Donald Trump falsify business records the elements of the crimes but I think what we’re doing now in in a sense is almost damage control or preempting any kind of attacks that the defense is going to kind of Levy against Michael Cohen understanding why Michael Cohen went from the quote unquote pit the the Michael Trump the all the positive things that started off and how that relationship just began to kind of um you say thing the cracks in the relationship started to form and why we have the Michael Cohen and Donald Trump of now which I think is what the defense is going to focus on as to why Michael Cohen is is at it with with Donald Trump and why these posts and why the Tik toks I think getting context to that helps in terms of trying to strengthen Michael Cohen’s credibility which is going to be I think damaged at a minimum when the prosecution ends and defense goes up and cross-examines him and John what do you make of these words of reassurance that Cohen is saying he got from Trump that former president Trump then in the White House called him and said you know you’re going to be okay I’m the president of the United States I’ll take care of you stay strong Etc and now Cohen is saying that’s the last time we ever spoke yeah I think it’s all believable because again you have to remember Donald Trump was so concerned about Michael Cohen spilling all right because of the fact that he knew all so I think Donald Trump making those overtures other people making the overtures on Donald Trump’s behalf none of that is surprising at all I mean not legal not a good move to be clear because I’m looking at the lawyer but the reality of it is that that was Donald Trump’s Playbook right that he wanted to keep people in the fold at the end of the day it does in part relate to the fact that why he was paid such a sign ific amount of money I mean you could argue I would argue the money is clearly a payoff now that we’ve learned it’s only 10 hours of legal work that were done and somehow it’s over $400,000 minus $130,000 payment as we both noted earlier that’s a heck of an hourly rate a really good one wish you and I could get that maybe we got to talk to somebody but I I do think though what’s remarkable about all of this again you know some of this we’ve heard before some of this we’re hearing more of in real time as Cohen is really giving us that fly on-the-wall feel here Diane is that how much Donald Trump really feared about all of this coming out right because again I think there was so many you know Ripple effects of it all and we have to remember too right it’s not like it was this one payment that Michael Cohen could cause problems for Donald Trump right it’s not like it was just Karen McDougall there were other things I mean Michael Cohen has testified already that he lied for Donald Trump repeatedly we saw a lot of that come out during his Congressional testimony when he you know basically told all about Trump’s businesses and finance I believe the line was called him a liar a cheat um you know a con artist Etc I mean there’s a lot of things that Michael Cohen knew because he was involved in but a lot of things he also knew just from being around Donald Trump and that proximity to the former president when he was just businessman Trump and John uh excuse me Brian while Cohen was on the stand we also learned that the pellet Court ruled on the gag order essentially upholding the gag order and denying Trump’s appeal what do you make of that finding I think it makes sense and I I understand the former president and every one of his supporters saying that this is a limitation of his first amendment right and they’re absolutely right this is a limitation on Donald Trump’s First Amendment right but the First Amendment right is not absolute the the the law school example you often get is an individual can’t just run into a movie theater and scream fire and so it becomes a balancing act in the court of appeals seem to suggest that that Balancing Act done by John uh judge Maran was correct in looking at the potential for intimidation harassment and anything that could derail the proceedings they limited what Donald Trump could say in the sense of you can’t attack these I think it’s like four different categories of individuals jurors Witnesses uh the judge’s daughter or family members of the pro people in the proceedings or the actual Das themselves the assistant DA not the head da Alvin brag and the judge said that’s enough that’s okay there’s plenty he can talk about plenty that other can talk about on his behalf and this gag order at least at this stage is constitutional and valid and in terms of the the lying aspect one of the big hurdles for the prosecution here is Michael Cohen’s credibility we have heard him testify today and yesterday about how he lied he says for former president Trump so what does each side do with this because on the one hand you have a guy who keeps talking about how he’s a liar so can you trust him now but on the other hand he’s painting himself as a liar who did this for a who he loved who he served who he would do anything for if the defense tries to go too hard on that could they end up with a jury who feels bad for Michael Cohen this guy who did Donald Trump’s Dirty Work under assurances that Donald Trump would protect him and then was left out to dry that’s his version of the story they could and I think as we’re we’re kind of anticipating that the level of how this cross-examination is going to happen is much different than the direct examination you talked about going in yesterday and I think the words you’re using is very calm and and relaxing the way that Michael Cohen was on the stand not the hote head as he’s been described but for Todd blanch I think what his what he’s gon attempt to do is trying to bring out that personality of Michael Cohen to one substantially the fact that he said that he is that uh and also paint him as that as that individual however if Todd blanch goes in there yelling and screaming and Michael Cohen responds in a calm and quiet uh kind of tone you don’t want to make the witness on the stand who is already admitted to being a liar a martyr as well because if you do that then to your point yes the defense can go too far and make Michael Cohen look like the victim uh in this case rather than someone who help perpetuate an alleged crime and direct examination has resumed again so Cohen is again back on the stand back testifying and and talking about this attempt to open up a back channel of communication between him and Donald Trump John what do you make of that and where based on what you know of the story which is a lot um where do you think they have to go before they hand this over to the they’re pretty much getting to the end here so this is a conversation and dialogue he had with a guy named Robert Costello Robert Costello for a very long period of time in this Saga if you will represented Rudy Giuliani um Costello was one of giuliani’s deputies when Giuliani was the US attorney for southern district New York before he became the mayor of New York City and what happened at one point in 2018 Costello offers let’s be clear offers to represent Michael Cohen they really don’t move forward with full legal representation but one of the things that Cohen has testified before the grand jury When Donald Trump was indicted in this matter is that Costello offered to create this back Channel a way to communicate with Trump orbit now we should note as well Bob Costello also went into the grand jury and refuted everything Michael Cohen said also under oath before that grand jury so not that we’re going to see Bob Costello suddenly take the stand in any of this I don’t think he’ll get called by the defense but I do think it just gets into what was going on in Donald Trump’s orbit to try to keep Michael Cohen a part of the fold so I really feel like quite honestly we’re getting to a moment now that we’ve got a little bit more to go because remember Michael Cohen eventually does testify publicly before Congress and then the story basically ends so you know between that and a little bit of you know damage control they need to do with things that Michael Cohen ultimately got hit for officially as a liar which would have been that Congressional testimony which would have been that conviction southern district New York then it seems like that part of the movie is over all right John tantui Brian buckmire thank you both and I want to bring in host of the 538 politics podcast gayen Dro for a little more on the political side of all of this gayen has this criminal trial had any impact on Trump’s poll numbers so far there’s a couple ways to look at this question and I think first and foremost we have seen Trump’s favorability decline but it’s declined since March so I think in part that’s people realizing that the 2024 election is going to be a matchup between Biden and Trump and really just paying more attention to Trump’s behavior in light of that and this trial is certainly part of it but it’s not the entirety of the slippage that we’ve seen in terms of his favorability but in the head-to-head matchup polling for 20124 we haven’t seen significant movement and I think that’s in part because a lot of Americans at this point aren’t paying attention to the trial they say in polling a majority of them that they know a little only a little or nothing about this case and so really what’s going to end up happening is that when we get a verdict that is going to be the clarifying moment in all of this and in a recent ABC News poll in fact 20% of folks who currently support the former president say that they would either reconsider or withdraw their support if he is found guilty and so while it may be easy for Americans to sort of go about their lives and not necessarily pay attention to the trial and the ins and out of outs of it on a daily BAS once we get that verdict it is going to be really wall toall coverage it’s going to break through it’s going to be big news and Americans will then have the opportunity to consider um if he is found guilty if they want to support a convicted felon and if he is found innocent if that’s a sort of Notch in his favor and that in fact concerns about the economy and immigration May ultimately override any concerns about behavior and gayen Dro those ifs can rely very heavily on the man on the stand right now as we speak gayen Dro thank you we’ll be right [Music] back whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there your stream ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of television [Music] [Applause] [Music] come it all it to me whenever wherever news breaks it’s so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London in Buffalo you Aldi Texas edin BR Scotland reporting from Rolling Fork Mississippi Ukrainian refugees here in warong we’re heading to a small community outside of Mexico City getting you behind the stories as they happen ABC News live Prime we’ll take you there stream ABC News live week nights wherever you stream your news only on ABC News live get ready America every Friday the hottest Trends Styles and must have what’s the right stuff to buy right now I really love that it’s time to buy the right stuff yes and save big time too The Right Stuff Fridays on GMA you’re going to love it why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s time top stories start here now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming make it your daily first listen wherever you get your podcasts welcome back to ABC News live Michael Cohen is back in court for day two of his testimony in the criminal hush money trial against former president Trump Cohen told the jury yesterday that Trump directed him to make the payment at the center of this case sending adult film actress stormy Daniel $130,000 for her Silence about an alleged affair with Trump the former president denies the allegations and the affair now the defense is expected to start cross-examination later today we’ll have more on that but first here are some of the other stories we’re following millions in the Southeast are on alert for possible tornadoes and damaging winds today this comes after at least four tornadoes touched down in three states yesterday this twister was spotted near Sulfur Louisiana where thousands are still without power yesterday’s storms mark 19 days in a row that tornado have hit parts of the US meanwhile flights are finally back to normal at Houston’s Hobby Airport after a lightning strike knocked out power on a Runway repairs took several hours causing delays and some cancellations the storms are now moving into Florida bringing damaging winds and tornado threats rescues are underway in Brazil after Mass flooding in Rio Grand dul nearly 150 people are reported dead and more than half a million have been displaced now River levels are on the rise with flood alerts issued for the next few days authorities in Florida are searching for a boat involved in a fatal hit and run police say 15-year-old Ella Adler was killed while she was wakeboarding in the Miami area over the weekend investigators adela’s family are now offering up to $220,000 for information on any tips that help close the case and an officer who was at the capital on January 6th is speaking out in George stephanopoulos’s new book inside the Situation Room officer Mike stegler says he never imagined he be in a situation where he had to help hold the government together George Stephanopoulos has more in this ABC News exclusive for Mike stegler working in the White House situation room was a bucket list dream come true a duty officer he served from 2019 to 2021 under both the Trump and Biden administrations what exactly is that work on any given day sifting through different intelligence and we’re providing those updates to the president to the National Security advisor the vice president and all their staff you know you light up when you talk about the situation absolutely what stands out from your time in the White House the biggest thing that stands out to me is my colleagues and at the core of this apolitical apolitical what does that mean to you that I am there to execute my responsibilities without question and without allowing outside influence to come in you are to execute regardless of your own opinions and the opinions of others how do you balance serving the president and serving the presidency I knew that going into this right uh I had talked to a lot of friends who had served in previous administrations before I took the assignment and they said look it’s going to be a little different this time around because there’s going to be more pressure to act for the president and not the presidency so if you go into the mindset that I’m there to serve the presidency I’m there to serve the executive branch regardless of what goes on it puts you in a better mindset I want to talk about January 6 were the duty officer that day correct on the morning of January 6th 2021 ster headed to the White House to start his usual 5 a.m shift later that day the riot erupted at the Capital At what point did you know that the capital had been breached as soon as it was called out on the radio we thought somebody breached the gate and or somebody breached a barrier so when they called out that the capital was breached we at first we didn’t know what that meant at the time too the vice president was there and one of the responsibilities of the situation room is to always maintain communication with the president and the vice president so those were the initial conversations of okay where is he how can we locate him you know how do we maintain that communication link you told me people didn’t understand how close we came to losing the vice president what’s going through your mind when you are hearing that the vice president’s life may be in danger we start having the conversations okay if BP’s down what’s next what do we we got to do what do how do we keep moving um where’s where’s the third second in line kind of remarkable and you know what you’re describing there is that you started to implement and go through the checklist of The Situation Room did yeah The Situation Room correct of what is called the continuity of government yeah procedures describe what those are those are originally instituted for if there’s an attack on the US government how does the government especially the executive branch keep going um so that means line of secession that means um how do we move to different locations and how do we keep the government going during an a riot of our own people yeah inspired by the man sitting upstairs correct but at the time that’s not even in the Forefront of our mind it doesn’t matter how we got here we’re here how do we execute how do we move forward did the president ever called down to the Situation Room that day not to my knowledge not once no sir didn’t ask what was going on not to my knowledge didn’t ask how the vice president’s doing not to my knowledge some people even question today elected officials whether the vice president was really in dangered you see a lot of revisionist history going on about January 6 as someone who was inside the room that day what’s your reaction it’s important to me that we don’t forget that it did come that close um and that we did have discussions if we lose the VP if the 25th is invoked we started running through all of these game plans because it was getting close 25th amendment correct how did you all talk about it afterwards there’s some of us that won’t talk about it um there’s a handful of us that we still talk and every January 6th we get together and we have a toast we go to the Lincoln Memorial and we just have that toast and we don’t really say anything what is it a toast to surviving getting through it the day after so January 7th I was back at it back at 5:00 a.m. and uh a frequent visitor of the situation room under the the Trump Administration was Lieutenant General uh Keith kellock the vice president’s National Security advisor you we come by and just get just a general feel of how the day is starting and at the end I turn and look at him I go sir how are you doing today and he takes a deep breath and he Taps the table twice and he looks at me and goes the Republic still stands but I think that that’s what it’s a toast to The Republic still stands George Stephanopoulos thank you George’s new book The Situation Room the inside story of presidents and crisis is available today wherever books are sold coming up pageant problems the mothers of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA are opening up after the beauty queen surprise resignations they warning to Future contestants and the change they want to see happen what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters This our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to go [Music] the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made in the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love this great work hi where are you where are you appreciate thank David good to meet you is David David yes yes I’m David M I know who you are watch you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast right now there’s just so much happening in our world so much at stake at the start of every morning and that’s why at Good Morning America we’re right here and we got you we got you we got you I’m Alex pet in East Palestina Ohio one year after that toxic train derailment wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live [Music] welcome back to ABC News live first the mothers of two missusa winners are speaking out after their daughters suddenly resigned just days apart both women say behind the glitz and glamour was a dark reality of emotional abuse now the moms say they are speaking out because their daughters can’t ABC Ario rashev sat down with them the job of their dreams turn out to be a nightmare New Jersey youah the moms of former missusa Noelia voy and Miss Teen USA Uma Sophia sasta speaking out days after their daughters both suddenly resigned Rocking The Pageant world we could not continue this trade the girls decided to step down give their dream of a lifetime a crown a national title why would two girls decide to give that up the beauty queens alleging a very ugly work environment that turned toxic but they are bound by contracts which include confidentiality Clauses fans online noticed immediately when Noelia posted her resignation online that the sentences seem to start with letters that spelled out I am silenced correct was that intentional on her part I don’t feel comfortable in that question do you feel like she was silenced um she is and she will be the rest of her life if this NDA is not being left the girls need to speak Noelia blasting missusa and its president Lea Rose writing in part there is a toxic work environment within the missusa organization that at best is poor management at worst is bullying and harassment adding I was made to feel unsafe at events without an effective Handler and this culminated in being sexually harassed void says Noelia received unwanted advances at a Christmas parade I saw Noelia so stress out and I said what happened and she said mom get in the car get in the car when I got in the car I said what happened because I know he said something but I couldn’t get it he told Noelia are you and to old men’s with money and makes Noelia very very uncomfortable she says in her letter that Leila’s response was we cannot prevent people from saying things to you at public appearances this essentially just comes with the territory no even I’m sorry that you went through that so after she resign you know IIA came back home and it was so beautiful to see her running in my living room with the dogs I have my Noelia back it was she was so upset this is not what she worked so hard for the CR and then Miss Universe organization need to come out and speak to us or apologize or clean this mess Sasa alleges her teenage daughter was also bullied by management causing her to miss out on opportunities all while having her personal social media surveilled and controlled so so I want to make clear it’s not about what they didn’t get about the prizes no it’s about how they were ill treated abused bullied and cornered she says once Noelia resigned Uma Sophia knew she needed to do the same my personal values no longer align with the direction the organization is going into when she saw that they were tagging noelia’s mental health she said I cannot stand for this I need to stand up and noia the missusa organization telling ABC news we’re committed to f in a healthy communicative and supportive environment for all contestants State title holders national title holders and staff we reached out to Lila Rose about these claims but have not heard back both moms say they want Rose to step down but until then they have a warning for future contestants look at what happened to noia sopia so really pay attention we don’t want them to go through this right now it’s not the right time to participate so you think that young women should essentially stop participating in these types of pageants absolutely we just don’t want these families and these girls to go through what we’re going through and the CW which airs the missusa and Miss Teen USA competitions now says it is evaluating the relationship with the pageants in light of these resignations and allegations both of the moms say that their message and all of this is far beyond the pageant world and they hope that their daughters are an example of standing true to your yourself and using your voice even if it means a sacrifice Diane Ariel rashev thank you and thank you for streaming with us I’m Diane M ABC News live is here for you anytime with the latest news context and Analysis we’ll be right [Music] back what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America we are part of an operation this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate militants came in from different direction nulear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to go the house is destroyed but the flag car how important it made the USA great work hi appreciate thank it’s David D I’m David I know you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R ml Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here this is ABC News live the crushes on the ground in Ukraine ABC News live America’s number one streaming news anytime anywhere streaming 247 straight to you for free thank you for making ABC newsline America’s number one streaming news I’m Brit clenet on board a destroyer the USS Gravely on the Red Sea wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live [Music] [Music] hi I’m diano today on ABC News live first former president Trump’s one-time fixer Michael Cohen is testifying for a second day in Trump’s criminal hush money case Cohen recounted a meeting with Trump in 2017 at the White House in a key moment where prosecutors alleged Trump personally discussed the repayment arrangement for the hush money that Cohen paid to stormmy Daniels now Cohen is preparing to face some tough questions from the defense ABC News executive editorial producer John santui joins me now along with criminal defense attorney former Federal Federal prosecutor excuse me Tim Jansen for more John what’s the latest from court so we’re talking more about this relationship between Michael Cohen and Bob Costello we talked a little earlier about this Bob Costello was the one-time Deputy to former New York city mayor Rudy Giuliani when Giuliani was the US attorney for the southern district of New York and Costello made overtures to represent Michael Cohen talked about according to Michael Cohen setting up a back Channel with Donald Trump so what they’re talking about right now I just want to read a few quotes from the courtroom it says please remember if you want or need to communicating something please let me know and I will see that it gets done I hope I’m not wrong but it seems like to both of us that perhaps there’s a role here talking about this back channel that he offered to create to Donald Trump now the one thing we need to be clear about this and it’s interesting in my opinion that prosecutors are getting into this area of questioning with him Bob Costello also went into the grand jury and went under oath and denied all of these accusations for Michael Cohen Diane so the fact that he is now talking about this that prosecutors are bringing this up you got to imagine because of that relationship that Costello has with Donald Trump’s orbit it’s possible this could now be brought up as some sort of a counter then when the defense is turned with cross-examination of Michael Cohen Tim what do you make of this line of questioning there’s a lot of focus on the conversations happening ever afterward to try try to keep Michael Cohen from flipping why go down this line if you’re the prosecution well obviously they’re trying to either head it off that they think that the Trump team is going to cross-examine him about it or may I don’t think they have this a witness on a subpoena um something came up that they needed to do this before the defense I would assume but overall it it again appears you have another witness who went into the grand jury and is undercutting the testimony of Michael Cohen that can’t be good for the prosecution John meanwhile while all this is happening the appell court also ruled on the gag order upholding The Limited gag order in this case what does that mean for Trump going forward it means we’re continuing on as is it means Donald Trump has to stick to that gag order he cannot talk about Witnesses cannot talk about the jury cannot talk about the prosecutors under Alvin Bragg or the judge’s family he could talk about the judge you can talk about da Alvin Bragg that’s not part of the limited gag order but regardless it does mean that Donald Trump basically has to stick to the script if you will and not cross that red line because look we’ve got $10,000 in fines so far they have tried every which way to appeal this thing they have now failed with the pellet division here in New York they could go to the court of appeals that’s the highest court in the state of New York I don’t think that’s going to happen I think it’s sort of at this rate the trial is coming down to an end let’s be done with it we did see last week as your were called Diane they tried to petition judge Juan Muran to allow them to talk allow Donald Trump to speak about Stormy Daniels because she was off the stand said look she’s done now can’t we do it judge Maran disagreed and said look if I let it for this one it impacts other witnesses to come other Witnesses obviously being who’s on the stand today Michael Cohen uh so Tim what are you watching for in terms of the rest of this direct examination well I’m I’m kind of trying to watch where they’re going to end how they’re going to end are they really going to somehow get Michael Cohen to basically admit that he’s the biggest liar in the world but today he’s not telling a lie and that you have to believe him and why now if I’m the defense attorney I would give two big boards up there two big boards and every time that he did something on his own without Trump knowing I would mark it down and then every time he gave a false statement I would mark it down you should have two big chalkboards that a jury would see and you’ll probably have a hundred different times he either did something on his own or he lied about what he’s testifying and I want to talk about that lying part because Cohen has admitted several times on the stand today and yesterday that he did lie a number of times he says out of loyalty to Donald Trump and to protect Donald Trump John how tricky is that for the prosecution and the defense here when they try to on the defensive side of things call into question Michael Cohen’s credibility and the prosecution side paint a picture of a guy who was so loyal to Donald Trump he was willing to not only do his dirty work for him but also lie for him and put his in Jey yeah I mean it’s the ultimate Catch 22 right because they’re going to say that you know why did you do this why were you lying Etc and it was at Donald Trump’s direction or as Michael Cohen said Donald Trump’s benefit that he did this out of loyalty for Donald Trump and did it repeatedly for Donald Trump not just relating to the stormmy Daniels payment or the Karen McDougall payment but Michael Cohen said this was an ongoing part of their relationship and look I can tell you as a reporter that covered Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign though he had a Communications team led by hope piix and others that have testified as part of these proceedings Diane that ran Communications for the campaign there would be many times a story we’d write something that would happen an interview that was done on Good Morning America Michael Cohen would call my cell phone screw screaming at me this was the guy that believed no matter what he had a calling if you will to protect Donald Trump that he felt it was his mission under any and all circumstances to be there to help Donald Trump look he brought up Access Hollywood my understanding of that in real time because I basically lived outside Trump Tower the weekend that story broke is that Michael Cohen really had nothing to do with any of this it was the campaign team Rudy Giuliani others Chris Christie um Ry Pras then the chairman of the Republican party they were all H up on Donald Trump’s residence on the 66th floor of Trump Tower dealing with this I never knew Michael Cohen to be involved Michael Cohen is saying he was he offered he jumped in he was pushing them to respond faster because that was Michael Cohen’s playbook for Donald Trump he learned it from Donald Trump and he felt no matter what even if he wasn’t called in to Duty right that he had to be the one to step up because that was his job at the end of the day and and Tim now Cohen is explaining why he went from this man who would do anything including lie for former president Trump to now a witness for the prosecution in this case and he’s saying my family my wife my daughter my son all said to me why are you holding on to this loyalty what are you doing we are supposed to be your first loyalty and he said he decided then that it was time to listen to them and that he would not lie for president Trump any longer how strong do you think that testimony is in trying to defend against the credit ility questions that are going to be raised by the defense when they take over this questioning as a lawyer when he violated the attorney client privilege he’s lost me he’s lost every sacred oath he took as an attorney he may have been loyal prior to that I think when he recorded that conversation he he changed his loyalties he risked his entire bar license and professionalism he released that information to the National inquire so he has a real credibility problem um and he continued that he took pleas before a federal judge and during that allocution where your client your lawyer tells you tell the whole truth that federal judge said he lied again in a courtroom and then he lied during to IRS um some people just can’t tell the truth and that’s the problem if you have a liar’s Paradox and as a federal prosecutor I could never have put in this him on the stand if you know someone’s going to lie and they have a propensity to lie you as an officer of the Court have to take all caution in calling that witness and I just don’t know how we can believe him when we should believe him when he’s done what he’s done over years and John the scene as this was happening is interesting because Trump has several political heavy weights in court with him today the house speaker was Da a robin Swami Byron Donald’s Etc and they were all walking into court as Cohen is now getting to this part of the testimony where he’s explaining how he flipped they are walking into court after being outside defending Donald Trump Diane they were outside doing a press conference basically saying all the things Donald Trump can’t because of this gag order they made comments about the judge’s daughter they made comments about Witnesses they did everything that Donald Trump wishes is begging is pleading is appealing failing with those appeals to do so I I think it’s remarkable and our team is noted ABC’s Olivia Rubin saying it was just so insane in some ways to see Michael Cohen talking about how he broke ranks how his family when he spoke to his wife and children they were the ones according to his testimony that pushed him to you know speak his truth if you will that then you see Donald Trump still loyal AIDS doing in some ways what Michael Cohen used to do for him come back into the room Tim one thing we haven’t heard much if anything about is the money that Michael Cohen is alleged to have made as result of all of this ABC reported about him live streaming on Tik Tok just recently about the case ahead of his testimony and collecting potential you know contributions from that the book the podcast Etc does the prosecution need to go there before they we head into cross-examination they do they they kind of need to diffuse this they don’t want it the defense to bring it up and it looks like that the prosecution was trying to hide this this clearly goes to bias and it goes to motive he’s making money off president Trump he’s admitted that he made like $4 million after Trump went into the White House so I think they’re probably going to have some questions about it um and I think he’s going to have to admit that and at some point the jurors are going to say Common Sense okay this guy’s a convicted felon he hates Trump we’re going to arest the whole case on this guy’s CR credibility and I think the defense is going to painstakingly could spend two days cross-examining him on every false statement and even actually playing those Tick Tock showing him with the shirt on with President Trump in a behind bars that will give them a different view on what they’ve seen the last two days from the prosecution case and John the prosecution is now really trying to hammer the point home with this line of questioning uh asking why in fact did you pay that money to Stormy Daniels and he says to ensure the story would not come out as she’s asking were it not for the campaign would you have paid that money to stormmy Daniels he says no ma’am listen this is the whole point of this case right that Donald Trump wanted Michael Cohen to make this story go away because it would impact the 2016 election so that is everything that is the focus of this case and that is exactly why Michael Cohen was on the stand took a while to get there but that was the key moment uh Tim where do you see this going next well I think interesting an NDA legal fees were paid that 420,000 those are correctly entitled to be labeled legal fees they were fees the NDA was a a a contract between two parties the fees all that was fees now did Michael Cohen give enough evidence to show that President Donald Trump former president Trump knew that they were going to falsify the this and label it in a way that it should not have been labeled I keep thinking about it wait campaign funds were not used his private funds were used they labeled it as legal fees in inside that document were legal fees so the question is has the jury heard enough that Donald Trump mislabeled the bookkeeping records and Michael Cohen is saying that based on the number of hours that he provided in actual legal Services the answer is yes we’ll see if the jury agrees and if they feel the prosecution did enough to hammer that home John santui Tim Jansen thank you both and we will be covering Trump’s criminal hush money trial all day long and bring you the details of Cohen’s second day of testimony right here on ABC News live and right now we have some breaking news out of Florida police say eight people are dead and over 40 people are injured after a bus crash in Marian County right now the highway in the area is shut down and reports indicate 53 people were on board at the time of the crash and that the bus was carrying migrant workers to a watermelon Farm no word yet on what caused the [Music] crash Secretary of State Anthony blinkin is delivering remarks in Ukraine after meeting with President Vladimir zalinski Lincoln says Ukraine is not alone in its fight against Russia the United States has been by your side from day one we are with you today and we will stay by your side until Ukraine’s security it sovereignty its ability to choose its own path is guaranteed and we’re far from your only friend dozens of countries around the world are not just rooting for Ukraine success they’re helping you achieve it his speech comes as a Russian offensive pushes closer to the country’s second largest city in the Northeast Lincoln’s trip is meant to publicly reaffirm that Ukraine has America’s support as it struggles to offend itself against increasingly intense Russian attacks foreign correspondent James Longman joins me now from ke with more on this James what stood out to you from blink’s remarks today well Dan there was a long delay to this speech and it felt like his team were furiously pouring over all the words because uh it was delicate I mean he came out saying all the things you normally expect uh a high level American guest to say that you know that the United States stands by Ukraine they can be very proud of their Warriors defending freedom and we’ve heard this time and time again and you heard a little clip there but then he went on and this is some of the more delicate language I’m sure he and his advisers were looking at he said some ukrainians may be wondering whether you can count on America to sustain our support yes he said to that but he also said they also need to figure out a plan for Ukraine to stand on its own American Support transition to more sustainable levels I mean this is an address which is not just aimed at the Ukrainian people but very much to an audience back in the United States President Biden of course fighting a campaign this year for uh reelection and so yes Americans want to see Ukraine uh fight in this war he said that support for Ukraine is high that levels of support among the general population in America is high but they also want to know that there’s a plan moving forward this is really tricky for uh uh Secretary of State blinken because he’s coming here talking about Ukraine’s strategic success at a time when they are really on the back foot having already sustained major losses in the Northeast we’re seeing this offensive now been launched by the Russians uh in and around north of of KH the Second City here so I think secretary of state blinkin has to really walk this tight rope it’s a cliche but that’s what he’s doing I heard actually just a few minutes ago there was an an analyst saying that it’s interesting that the defense secretary Austin is not here it’s actually America’s most senior Diplomat who is here because yes there’s a promise of more support but at the same time uh there is a promise that there has to find a way out over and above this war and I’ll leave it there for now Diane and James walk us through the timing here because this is all coming amid this Russian offensive Ukraine is struggling uh to defend itself and and how does this message of we’re here for you but also we need to figure out another way forward how does that factor into Ukraine’s ability to defend itself oh it looks like James can’t hear me anymore let’s shift over to President Biden now who’s expected to announce that he will quadruple tariffs on electric vehicles and other high-tech products from China the White House says the move will protect key American Industries from being wiped out by cheaper Chinese Goods China calls the Biden administration’s decision typical political manipulation senior White House correspondent Lena Wang has the latest on that today President Biden announcing new tariffs on $18 billion doll worth of Chinese Imports this also includes quadrupling tariffs on chinesee electric vehicles from 25 to 100% this also targets key sectors including batteries medical equipment steel aluminum semiconductors and solar cells the White House says all of these moves will protect those industries from cheaper Chinese Goods that they worn could Wipe Out the competition and with the election just 6 months away you have both Trump and Biden fighting to show that they’re tougher on China and win over those workingclass voters new polling shows that Trump is actually ahead of Biden in several key battlegrounds states where manufacturing is a top issue according to a new New York Times poll in Michigan President Biden is down seven points against Trump among registered voters in Pennsylvania Biden is behind by three points but in Wisconsin Biden leads Trump by two points now Trump has said that if he were elected again he would dramatically increase tariffs on China whereas the Biden team says their approach is different it’s more targeted strategic and will not increase inflation but they are keeping in place tariffs from the Trump Administration on some $300 billion worth of goods from from China and Studies have shown that it’s us consumers who largely bore the brunt of those tariffs Diane senior White House correspondence Lena Wang thank you coming up fighting the hidden junk fees rule why major airlines are now suing the US Department of Transportation also ahead the Port of Baltimore is one step closer to fully reopening the timeline now after a successful controlled [Music] explosion whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war after that brutal surprise attack by Hamas on the ground in Ukraine reporting from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting ABC News live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in Turkey in Rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 2024 campaign Trail in Iceland let’s go traveling with the president in Mexico City wherever the story from the front lines from Southern Israel outside the Gaza Strip in beir from the FBI reporting from the nurses on the pick line here at 10 Downing Street in London streaming live to you wherever the story is wherever the story is wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere America’s number one streaming news first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th poll the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the meel is a Super Bowl of red carpet the celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the me gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu [Music] welcome back to ABC News live first major US airlines are teaming up to sue the US Department of Transportation American Delta United and three other carriers are filing the lawsuit to try to block Biden’s attempt at eliminating so-called hidden junk fees ABC’s Transportation correspondent Gio bonitz has the details hey there so we’re talking about fees like baggage fees the dot is mandating that Airlines disclose them right at the time of booking but now the airlines are suing so we’re talking about Alaska American Delta Hawaiian JetBlue and United all saying that Travelers already know about those fees Airlines for America that’s the lobbying group for the major US Airlines saying Airlines go to Great Lengths to make their customers knowledgeable about these fees the ancillary fee rule by the Department of Transportation will greatly confuse consumers who will be inundated with information that will only serve to complicate the buying process but the dot is already firing back in a statement to ABC News saying we will vigorously defend our rule protecting people from hidden junk fees and ensuring Travelers can see the full price of a flight before they purchase a ticket now right now this is all set to begin on July 1st unless this lawsuit changes things Diane Gio bonitz thank you and the Port of Baltimore is one step closer to fully reopening as Crews work to remove parts of the Francis Scott Key bridge and free the cargo ship that hit it a controlled explosion brought down the largest remaining part of the collapsed Bridge with the ship’s crew still on board now crews are hoping to finally move the ship out of the channel ABC News senior National correspondent Terry Marin has the latest the Port of Baltimore now one step closer to fully reopening after a powerful controlled explosion brought down the largest remaining section of the Key Bridge Crews used small Precision explosives to cut through the giant steel trusses safely and efficiently sending the massive structure tumbling off the cargo ship the dolly and into the water we’re now very close to fully clearing the channel we’re already getting large ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore the dolly has been stuck for seven weeks after crashing into the bridge and sending it thundering down there last reported at least several vehicles in the water with several people still on a g of FL killing six construction workers on the surface and underwater now crews are assessing the area hoping to move that ship back to Port within 48 Hours it is an important milestone for us to float The Vessel Dolly and take it out of the federal Channel even then the ship’s crew will remain on board they’re critical to repair efforts as well as to multiple investigations there’s still more wreckage obstructing the port crews are working around the clock to finish the job aiming to fully clear the channel by the end of this month there is a special sense of of mission it seems in every anybody you meet who’s on this project that’s right everyone is pulling together everyone is rallying to this cause one big question remains here what caused this disaster the FBI the NTSB the Coast Guard they’re all investigating and Maryland’s senior senator says that the ships insurance companies will be made to foot the bill there’s a lot of litigation ahead Diane ABC News senior National cor Bond Terry Moran thank you coming up bucket list on a budget how you can visit Quebec Canada this summer without breaking the bank and Michael Cohen is due back on the stand in former president Trump’s criminal hush money trial what to expect to he faces tough questioning from the defense we have Team coverage all day long stay with [Music] us whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at War en rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this town from Le Maine the scene of a hor mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the24 C Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere reporting from Monteray Park California I’m Robin Roberts wherever wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live welcome back to ABC News live first we are headed north of the border to Canada for the next stop on our bucket list on a budget series European cities like Paris are a hot destination in the summer but what if we said you can get all that charm for half the price ABC’s aachi teamed up with the points guide to show us how you can Road Trip Around The Province and cut back on costs get your passports ready two historic cities one Epic vacation say bonjour to Quebec City and Montreal Canada when it comes to cash $1 us is worth $1.37 in Canada now that’s a great deal let’s talk flights for this multi-city trip we’re starting from Philadelphia we found Air Canada to Quebec City for as low as 123 bucks one way then home from Montreal for around $200 we’re kicking it off in Quebec City but where to stay how about a hotel deal with a bonus like the Hilton which offers free public transportation when you stay at least two nights that’s an unlimited 3-day pass to help you Explore More it’s time to see the sights so in that European flare on a free walking tour with local guide Samuel DUIs I share my passion with the traveler from all across the world and if they like it they can give me what they want oh it’s an amazing City really really beautiful and seek out those local Cheap Eats when in Quebec you got to try poutine it’s their favorite comfort food and here at Lasik Shack it’s only 8 bucks let’s go eat poutin is the everything it’s the go-to food made of potatoes gravy and cheese curds you got to try this this is unbelievable just outside the city enjoy this natural wonder free for those 17 and under this is amazing the m m Sea Falls 272 ft tall that’s 98 ft taller than Niagara Falls and just take a look at this beauty it’s amazing a it is it’s awesome fres then it’s road trip time we’re driving about 165 mil to Montreal when renting a car look for deals on airplane partner sites it can save you a bunch of money if you sign up for United’s free loyalty program and search for car rentals through their website you can save up to 35% on the base rate on some car rental our first stop a Sugar Shack where we enjoyed some Maple Taffy on snow $10 for adults and five bucks for kids the flavor of the maple is so pronounced and strong in this is delicious after a 3-hour drive beon venu on Montreal I got this City Pass called passport Montreal you pay about $35 and you get tickets to three participating attractions I’m using the passport for is the Montreal botanical gardens 185 5 Acres of natural beauty then bone Appetit it’s time to use the passport for a cooking class in the oven ah okay and when you get hungry do your own food tour in the mile neighborhood first some nooki at jeria for around four bucks look at that then it’s back in time at winsky I got to try the famous wensy special with cheddar cheese please the meat is perfectly seasoned the cheese is melted I’m to wash it down with their own Cola it’s been here since 1932 they’re doing something right with we breaking news President Biden is speaking in the Rose Garden on his plan to promote American Investments and jobs let’s listen of our modern economy and critical to our National Defense tripling tariffs on aluminum from China which continues to build up over capacity and engage in non-market actions will allow our business and our workers to compete Our Workers are highly skilled productive and committed and I’m very proud of the St strong partnership that we have with the United Steel Workers we all benefit from the president’s actions today coupled with his broader approach to revitalize American manufacturing which is greatly benefited our operations in Kentucky and South Carolina the tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum also Advance our efforts and President Biden’s efforts to make cleaner metal not only are Chinese products subsidized and dumped onto World Markets but they emit far more CO2 per ton than we do here at home with the support of a $500 million Grant from the the Biden Administration we are building not only the First new American smelter in 45 years but a smelter that will be one of the greenest smelters in the world powered by Cutting Edge technology and renewable energy for my company our workers and others across this country unfair trade is something that is very real today’s announcement creates the climate for business business to succeed Investments to be made jobs to be created and good wages to be paid to our workers thank you Mr President for your vision and the work of your Administration thank you very good afternoon my name is roxan brown and I’m International vice president at large for the United Steel Workers Union the steel workers is the largest industrial Union in North America so the work of President Biden and his administration is especially consequential from mining to metals from aluminum to zinc from paper to fiber optics International Trade has an enormous impact on our members jobs and their lives just about a month ago we hosted President Biden at our headquarters in Pittsburgh and there our Union’s International president Dave McCall spoke of the Decades long partnership we’ve had with President Biden dating back to when he first ran for Senate and um all that time we’ve never questioned his commitment to working people he is the most pro-worker pro-union president we’ve ever had the president and his administration truly have implemented a worker centered trade policy he’s confronted unfair trade not only using trade tools but also Investments to regain reignite and renew manufacturing capacity these trade tools are vital in stopping unfair and anti-competitive actions of countries like China but coupling them with Investments procurement policies and other actions is key and that’s what President Biden has delivered he has stood up for us from the chips act to the inflation reduction act he’s doing what no other president in my lifetime has done President Biden’s trade policy is about making sure that everyone can participate and everyone can win it is truly my honor to introduce the president of the United States Joe Biden thank you so much I appreciate it thank you thank you thank you thank you thank [Applause] you I assume you’re standing in case you have to run when the range starts please have a seat rocks thank you very much for all you do to fight for American Steel Workers I mean that sincerely and I want to recognize all the labor units here today including Steel Workers Auto Workers Sheet Metal Workers AFL CIO ibw communications workers boiler makers machinists I’m proud as rock said to be labeled the most pro-union president of American History you heard me say it before wall Street’s important a lot of good folks there but they didn’t build America America the middle class buil America and unions built the middle class folks leaders from Key American indries are here as well including steel aluminum solar semiconductors automakers and members of my cabinet are here as well Janet yell on the front row is Murderers Row here Treasury Department Julie Sue our trade of of Labor kathern Tai our nation’s trade representative and outstanding members of Congress as well from Michigan Debbie stabeno is here Debbie welcome and uh H and haey Stevens uh um is here no I guess she there you are you did make they told me you might not be able to make it I’m sorry all right and congresswoman Debbie Dingle again you smile Debbie it’s okay Alisa slotkin well you should be you you’re you’re you’re responsible for a lot of this thank you for joining us as I announced a series of actions to make sure American workers and American Business and corporations can compete and win in the industries of the future because that’s what this is about the fact is American workers are can outwork and out compete anyone as long as the competition is fair but for too long it hasn’t been fair for years the Chinese government has poured State money into Chinese companies across a whole range of Industries steel and aluminum semiconductors electric vehicles solar panels the industries of the future and even critical health equipment like gloves and masks China heavily subsidized all these products pushing Chinese companies to produce far more than the rest of the world can absorb and then dumping the excess products onto the market and unfairly low prices driving other manufacturers around the world out of business you know I won’t go into it but we were talking today about how many aluminum plants there used to be and how many there are now the price is on fairly low because Chinese companies don’t need to worry about a profit because the Chinese government subsidized them and subsidized them heavily and Chinese relies on other anti-competitive tactics as well like forcing American companies to transfer their technology in order to do business in China I spent a lot of time with Xi Jinping early on I told him he said why am I being unfair with China not unfair I said look we’ll play by the same rules if you want if you want to do business in China you got to have a 51% Chinese owner you got to provide access to all your intellectual property Etc you want to do that in America America was silence sometimes it just outright steal through cyber Espionage and other means and it’s been a well documented and internationally recognized and when you make tactics like these they are you’re not competing it’s not competition it’s cheating and we’ve seen damage here in America to name one example back in 2000 when cheap steel from China began to flood the market us steel times across Pennsylvania and Ohio were hit hard and any of you from those areas know well more than 1,800 iron workers and steel workers in Pennsylvania and Ohio lost their jobs I’m not going to let that happen again that’s why today I’m announcing new tariffs and key sectors of the economy that are ensure that our workers are not held back by unfair Trade Practices they include thing I’m announcing today 25% tariff on Chinese steel and aluminum products and we’ll counter China’s overcapacity in these industries and we’re making major investments in clean American Steel and L clean American steel aluminum it’s a big deal clean because of the way we manufacture it here it it’s half as much carbon as steel made in China last month my Administration announced the largest investment in clean Manufacturing in all of history up to $ 1.5 billion in six clean steel projects Across America creating supporting thousands thousands of union jobs next a 100% tariff on electric vehicles made in China people say wow because we’re not going to let China flood our Market making it impossible for American Auto automobile auto manufacturers to compete fairly we’re also implementing a 25% TI on electric vehicle batteries from China and 25% tire from critical minerals that make those batteries folks look I’m determined that the future of electric vehicles will be made in America by union workers period and we’ll do it by following International Trade laws to do it American companies are investing tens of billions of dollars in electric vehicles and batteries and thanks to my byproduct infrastructure law we’re building a network of 500,000 charging stations all across America creating thousands thousands of ibw jobs Across America electric charging stations and the reason to do this is simple electric charging St not to be as easy to find as a gas station and that’s what this will be you’re not going to have to worry about you’re taking off and you’re not going to be able to make it all across the country and one without having to figure something else out our partners around the world are making similar Investments they also want supply chain for electric vehicles that isn’t dominated by unfair trade practice from China America can continue to buy Americans I want to make this clear not with understanding what the other guy saying can buy any kind of car they want whether it’s gas electric or high hbd but we’re never going to allow China to unfairly control the market for these cars period next we’re going to raise tariffs on Chinese solar panels from 25 to 50% here again because the Chinese government is subsidizing excess capacity they’re flooding the market they’re driving manufacturing companies out of business in Europe but we won’t let that happen here in America we’re putting a 50% tariff ON Semiconductor is made in China these are those tiny computer all of you know this but for the public those little tiny computer chips smaller than the fingertip that power everyday lives everything from smartphones to automobiles to dishwashers satellites look American vanity chaps but over time we stopped making them we invested other overseas now thanks to my chips and science act one of the most significant Investments ever in science and technology we’re bringing this vital energy back home where it started and in the United States of America and finally we’re putting tariffs on health equipment like masks and gloves that nurses and doctors wear every single day pandemic caught us any T taught us anything we need to have a secure plot supply of essential supplies here at home folks these key sectors my Administration is combining investments in America with tariffs that are strategic and targeted it’s a smart approach compare that to the what the PRI Administration did the my predecessor promised increase American exports and boost manufacturing but he didn’t either he failed he signed a trade deal with China they were supposed to buy $200 billion more in American Goods instead China Imports from America barely budged and now Trump and his magga Republicans want to cross the board tariffs on All Imports from all countries if reelected well that would drive up cost for families on an average of 1,5 $500 per year each year it simply doesn’t get it for years I’ve heard many Republicans even Democratic friends say China is not on the rise me China is on the rise America is falling behind I’ve always believed they got it wrong America is rising we have the best economy in the world and since I’ve come to office the GDP is up our trade deficit with China is down to the lowest level in over a decade and we’re standing up against Chinese government unfair economic practices now and to the same time who are standing up for peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits I revitalized our Partnerships with the Pacific allies and India Australia Japan South Korea the Philippines Pacific island nations I’ve made sure the most advanced American technologist we develop or invent can be used by the CH can’t be used by the Chinese government to undermine our national security frankly before it Reigns frankly for all this tough talk on China has never occurred to my predecessor to do any of that bottom line I want Fair competition with China not conflict and we’re in a stronger position to win that economic competition the 21st century against China than anyone else because we’re investing in America again and American workers let me close me close with this I come from Scranton a town like a lot of workingclass middleclass neighborhoods all across America like graine Wisconsin which I visited last week once a Manufacturing boom toown until trickle down economics came along and the middle class and Racine got hollowed out 6 years ago my predecessor showed up carrying a golden shovel promising thanks to his new10 billion manufacturing complex would be buil and Racine he said it would be the eighth wonder of the world big promises that never came true he used that golden shovel to dig a hole and then he fell into it well it’s not on my that’s po part of my well I’m delivering for Racine delivering thanks to investment of my Administration Microsoft is investing billions to build a new data center in Racine creating thousands of good paying jobs because the view from Scranton in towns like it are a lot different than from Mara Lago it’s a view where that money doesn’t determine your worth Everyone’s entitled to be treating with dignity and respect and everyone deserves a fair shot we leave nobody behind that’s the America we’re building together that’s why I’ve never been more optimistic about our future and I’m really going fast because of the rain we have that’s why we have to remember who we are we’re the United States of America and there is nothing there’s nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together God bless you all and better get out of the rain thank you very very much thank you oh we got a sign you that’s President Biden just announcing that he will quadruple tariffs on electric vehicles and other high-tech products from China the White House says the move will protect key American Industries from being white wiped out by cheaper Chinese Goods but some economists warn that increasing tariffs will inflame tensions with China increase costs to Consumers and worsen inflation senior White House correspondent Selena Wang joins me now for the Rose Garden with more on this Selena how significant are these new tariffs on Chinese Imports are signicant qu tariffs on electric vehicles and also targets critical Industries including batteries equipment all these are about protecting amican manufacturers you heard President Biden he was very critical of Chinese subsidies and policies that he says have artificially created low prices that are basically wiping out the competition and causing manufacturers around the world to go out of business so he claims that all of this is about protecting American Industries but of course Diane there are serious political implications here we are 6 months away from the election you have both Biden and Trump fighting to be tougher on China and to win over those workingclass voters with that recent New York Times poll showing that Biden is actually trailing behind Trump in several of those critical Battleground states where manufacturing is a top issue Diane now Selena some say higher tariffs on electric vehicles could conflict with Biden’s climate agenda and block Americans from being able to get more affordable cars what kind of Economic and environmental implications could this have yeah Diane well it’s interesting you say that because I was speaking to some analysts who say that this move does in fact deprive Americans of higher quality cheaper EVS that are being made in China experts widely agree that China is far ahead of the US when it comes to electric vehicles now the White House says that they want electric vehicles to be created in America made in America they want America to be a leader in this cutting inch technology and that’s why they’re putting up these trade barriers but notable here that president Biden with this move is keeping in place Trump Administration era tariffs on some $300 billion worth of goods and back in 2019 President Biden was highly critical of Donald Trump saying that it’s the American consumers who are paying for Trump’s tariffs and in fact Studies have shown that us consumers largely bore the brunt of those Trump tariffs so a big shift from the president but he is saying that this move he’s making today is more targeted strategic and smarter than what Trump did all right senior White House correspondent Selena Wang Selena thank you we’ll be right back why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R ml Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of television first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th poll the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the Mel is the Super Bowl of red carpet a celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about Awakening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the Met Gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu right now there’s just so much happening in our world so much it’s Ste at the start of every morning making sense of it all that’s not always so easy and that’s where we come in Good Morning America we want you to know every morning we’re right here and we got you it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoons for everything you need to know I love that this is not about parents who just let their kid watch violent movies play violent video games this is about parents who neglected their son ignored his cries for help then bought him a gun the first parents in America to be charged in a school shooting they purchased that gun for him and bragged about it you don’t get to walk away from that that’s a criminal act sins of the parents the crumbly trials the opposite of love is not hate it’s just being ignored only on Hulu they call him the beauty queen killer he’s targeting young women in malls I am single I want to enjoy the company of a member of women he tortured [Music] me how did she Sur by 9 days of Terror the word accomplice came up Nobody Knows the real story The Beauty Queen Killer only on Hulu what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America we are part of an operation is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate militants came in from different directions nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to go the house is destroyed but the flag in it how important it made the USA great work hi it’s David D I’m David I know you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of television what’s good to watch read where can I get a great deal them what I’m just dying to buy oh it’s all right here GMA life get the latest celebrity Buzz Deals and Steals and the coolest lifestyle tips from GMA I love that so much streaming weekends on ABC News live reporting from the tarmac of LaGuardia Airport I’m Trevor Al wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live welcome back meme stocks are back at shares of GameStop surge More than 70% for the second day in a row this is open AI un ville’s new model of chat GPT and some are already saying it’s the best version yet ABC News business reporter Alexis christopherus has more on that and your other business headlines Alexis what are you watching today it is mem stock comeback is continuing Diane so two stocks at the heart of the pandemic era trading craze GameStop and AMC are soaring for a second straight day that’s after Keith Gil maybe better known as roaring Kitty returned to social media after a three-year Hiatus Gil became the face of meme stocks in 2021 after he influenced a army of small investors to buy up shares of beaten down stocks like GameStop sending some of those stocks up a th% or more in just the matter of days you can imagine some traders made big money on those moves but a lot of others lost a bundle analysts say this mem stock Resurgence could last all summer long and they caution investors to make it Investments based on fundamentals like growth and profits and not on social media Buzz sounds like Sound Advice to me the Biden Administration is slapping China with tough new tariffs quadrupling the import tax on Chinese electric vehicles from 25% to 100% tariffs on Chinese solar cells will double to 50% while the import tax on some Chinese steel and aluminum will triple to 25% Beijing was quick to condemn these new tariffs saying the US should quote immediately Cor cor its wrongdoings but Administration officials say these moves are necessary to protect American Industries from unfair competition and they add they will not have any impact on inflation the makers of chat GPT are out with a new free AI model that they say can act like a personal assistant and even detect your emotions called GPT 40 it can interpret and generate text images and audio and have conversations with you in real time like give instructions for solving a math problem or tell a bedtime story supporters say the latest AI language model will make chat gp2 smarter and easier to use but critics say it’s just too soon for us to handle superhuman intelligence because we need more research into how to make it safe can’t get scary all those deep fakes they’re out there hard to tell what’s real and not that’s true right Alexis christopherus thank you and the WNBA tips off its regular season tonight it’s setting up to be a historic night as interest in women’s basketball reaches a new level ABC’s Andrew dibert has the latest the WNBA season now just hours away from tipoff the anticipation never higher rookie Superstars Cameron Brink Angel Reese and Camila cardoo bringing an unprecedented level of interest in women’s basketball along with Caitlyn Clark getting much of the attention I feel now like getting out there for the first time is it’s really exciting and it’ll be super special Clark Indiana Fever kick off in Connecticut tonight against the Sun the team selling out a home opener for the first time in more than 20 years Clark and the incredibly popular draft class ushering in a new era of the WNBA all teams will soon get charter flights for away games instead of flying commercial many teams also getting new state-of-the-art practice facilities and they’re cashing in on endorsement deals when you’re on the court Nothing Else Matters Kim Kardashian’s clothing brand skims just releasing its first campaign featuring WNBA Stars Kardashian saying the brand is championing women in sports and stands for women’s empowerment Caitlyn Clark already signed a reported $28 million deal with Nike but one WNBA star suggests Clark’s success has a lot to do with being white Las Vegas Aces star Asia Wilson saying it doesn’t matter how hard I work it doesn’t matter what we all do as black women we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug that’s why it boils my blood when people say it’s not about race because it is what’s indisputable this will be a season like no other our thanks to Andrew dibert for that preview the four WNBA games tonight will air on ESPN 2 and ESPN plus two games including the fever will also stream on Disney plus Britney Griner will miss her season opener tonight due to a toe injury thanks for streaming with us I’m Diane Meo ABC News live is here for you anytime with the latest news context and Analysis we’ll be right back ABC News America’s number one news source what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America we are part of an operation is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate militants came in from hi appr is David D ABC’s World News Tonight with David M is America’s most watched newscast why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news new today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at War en rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Le the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David M America’s number one most watched newscast across all of television what’s good to watch read where can I get a great deal on what I’m just dying to buy oh it’s all right here GMA life get the latest celebrity Buzz Deals and Steals and the coolest lifestyle tips from GMA I love that so much streaming weekends on ABC News live it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news music and of course good food a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that let’s go the ship is incredible it feels like living in a science fiction movie we just saw what no one has seen before wow look at that oh my gosh we are heading into the unknown Hammer Hammer Hammer it doesn’t get any more Cutting Edge than [Music] this reporting from the fton County Georgia Courthouse I’m Reena Roy wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News [Music] live right now on ABC News News live star witness former Trump Insider and convicted liar Michael cohens back on the stand in Trump’s felony hush money trial will the jury buy his story plus Secretary of State Anthony blinkin in Ukraine as the Russian troops move closer to the country’s second largest city we live in ke this hour and on a meme and a prayer GameStop Shar surging again today all triggered by a tweet hang tight before you buy we’re investing in the story this hour [Music] and good afternoon everyone I’m Kira Phillips our top story this hour turning on Trump the prosecution wrapping its case or its cross-examination rather of Michael Cohen after two days court now on a lunch break but will resume when Cohen is back on the stand set to face a grueling cross-examination from his former boss’s defense team with many questions about his credibility Cohen says the former president absolutely knew his actions were illegal and that Trump warned his former fixer not to flip on him detailing now how his former boss directed him to make that $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels Cohen tells all meanwhile in a not so subtle show of support the former president joined at the courthouse by an Entourage of heavyweight GOP lawmakers including house Speaker Mike Johnson and some others considered vice presidential contenders for the 2024 campaign this all comes as we’re learning that an appellant court is denying Trump’s challenge to a gag order blocking yet another one of Trump’s efforts to rail against it leading us off this hour our senior investigative correspondent Aaron kerki he’s outside court for us also our legal contributor and trial attorney Brian buckmire joins us once again and Jo o Brian great to have you on the hill as we see a slew of lawmakers headed to the courthouse and sitting inside that Courthouse Aaron Cohen detailing more about the Riff of his relationship with the former president and how he ultimately gave up his loyalty to Trump and he said he regrets it he regrets the lying and the bullying that he says he did on behalf of Donald Trump Michael Cohen Kira has just concluded more than 9 hours of direct examination walking the jury through his 10 years at the Trump organization and what he said he had to do at at Trump’s Direction uh main at one point pay off Stormy Daniels why in fact did you pay that money to stormmy Daniels prosecutor Susan hoffinger asked to ensure Cohen said the story would not come out so it would not affect Mr Trump’s campaign and were it not for the campaign would you have paid that money to Stormy Daniels and Cohen said no ma’am it’s right in line with the prosecutor’s theory of the case that after the Access Hollywood tape Trump believed his campaign could not take another sex scandal so he paid off Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money Michael Cohen arranged it and he took the jury through the whole course of that payment finally ending today with something of an apology helping the jury understand that he made a lot of mistakes he pleaded guilty to federal charges he served prison time but all he said because of his loyalty to Trump so Brian Cohen testified how he created these false invoices that acted as reimburses M uh of hush money and that Trump was well aware of all of it so let’s just talk about how this is playing and how significant it’s been to the prosecution’s case well I’ll start by saying it’s only the direct examination I in my opinion as a def defense attorney the real case starts at cross-examination But to answer your question so far Michael Cohen has laid out step by step not only how these interactions and payments occurred but that throughout the course of them each time we heard that Michael cooh would go back to Donald Trump to kind of give him updates but also to get that credit for the work that he was doing and for the prosecution that’s huge because they have the ability to say that Donald Trump was in on this at every step of the way that he gave a wink and a nod and sometimes even more to suggest that Michael Cohen should continue with these actions the one thing that I think the defense can jump on though is is that Michael Cohen when it came to the false statements that were made to the FEC and others that didn’t have the same back in fourth that we heard between Donald Trump that the illegality in hiding these payments um wasn’t as closely attenuated as the actual payments and the illegality of covering them up but the cross- examination will highlight what it’s going to and it’s going to be interesting afternoon as well as testimony on Thursday well Jay Trump continues to expand his Entourage of lawmakers today the governor of North Dakota even the highest ranking elected Republican speaker Mike Johnson uh talk about a campaign at the court Courthouse yeah and alongside Johnson there were two other Republican lawmakers Cory Mills of Florida and Byron Donald’s also of Florida who is rumored to be a possible VP Contender for Trump but it was house Speaker Mike Johnson that generated the most buzz by being there as you said just by virtue of his Rank and his constitutional Authority I talked to a source close to the speaker who said that the speaker told Trump he was going to be in town for a different event in New York and volunteered to go to court with him and Trump said come along and this is a pretty coveted invitation for Republican lawmakers to be seen there in the camera shot supporting the former president we had two senators do the same thing yesterday and it gives Trump this display of political force to say that significant members of the Republican Party are behind him but for if you’re Mike Johnson there’s value too in standing there behind Trump Mike Johnson who’s got some Maga hardliners who are against him here in the capital Marjorie Taylor green tried to come for his job just last week and there he is now at also his volunteering but also the invitation of the former president standing behind him showing his support again this is a hot ticket if you’re a republican member of Congress to go there with Trump and be seen alongside him in court clearly it’s just wild to see the lineup there um and true audition so Aaron the goal of Trump’s defense is to bring out what they say is the real Michael Cohen during cross examination let’s talk more about the strategy here it was really remarkable by the way Kira as Michael Cohen was talking about going to federal prison because he lied he said on behalf of Donald Trump that’s when some of the members of the Entourage Jay described walked in so there’s still loyalty and Michael Cohen seemed to be making a subtle point that loyalty to Trump can cost you and now on cross-examination the defense is going to seek to eviscerate his credibility one thing defense attorney Todd blanch has already told the jury back in opening statements is that Cohen had an obsession with seeing Trump convicted and I think that they’re going to try and play for the jury all of the things that Michael Cohen has said in his books on podcasts and interviews that have displayed his animus toward Trump and his goal of trying to put Donald Trump Behind Bars he hasn’t been shy about it Kira as you know and so uh the defense is going to say you can’t rely on his testimony because it’s all steered towards seeing Trump convicted Aaron Brian J gentlemen thank you so much we’ll talk throughout the day coming up the Secretary of State makes a surprise visit to one of the most dangerous places on Earth plus election season continues with primaries in several States we’ll tell you what they could mean for [Music] November whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war after after that brutal surprise attack by Hamas on the ground in Ukraine reporting from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting ABC News live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in Turkey en rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 2024 campaign Trail in Iceland let’s go traveling with the president in Mexico City wherever the story from the front lines from Southern Israel outside the Gaza Strip in beir from the FBI reporting from the nurses on the picket line here at 10 Downing Street in London streaming live to you wherever the story is wherever the story is wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere America’s number one streaming news it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17 poll the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live [Music] glad you’re streaming with us America will stand by your side that was the main message Secretary of State Anthony blinkin gave Ukrainian President Vladimir zalinsky during a surprise visit to ke today our joint task is to secure Ukraine’s sustained and permanent strategic Advantage so that Ukraine can not only deliver on the battlefield today but deter and defend against future attacks as President Biden said we want Ukraine to win and we’re committed to helping you do it the visit comes as Ukraine struggles to hold back a rapidly advancing Russian offensive near its second largest city K our foreign correspondent James Longman is there so James linkoln said that the American military aid is on its way to Ukraine the question is how much of a difference is it going to make on the battlefield yeah Kira this was an interesting speech there was actually quite a long delay with blinkin coming out and one imagines that’s because his AIDS and he were kind of pouring over the language because he had to really walk a fine line here on the one hand we heard all the things that you usually hear from a a senior American visitor to Ukraine about how they were standing strong with the ukrainians You are not alone uh he said but on the other it was also about uh laying out a framework for what a Ukraine of the future might look like without quite so much American Support he said and this is I think was probably the language that they were checking over it was about how American Support should transition to more sustainable levels this was an address not just for Ukraine not just for Ukrainian people but very much for people back home in the United States an election year where support for Ukraine and the war here the amount of money that’s going into it will be a Salient issue America needs to find a way to extricate itself from this war whilst at the same time ensuring that the security of this region uh can uh be sustained he did also talk about NATO I think strong support for Ukraine joining NATO that might have been some of the bartering that was going between uh both the Ukrainian and the American teams as well but it was also talk about how they wanted to make sure that their military could stand alone that there could be better uh um industrial uh infrastructure here to support weapons manufacturing uh and also an economic plan as well because we know that Ukraine has dealt with corruption so it was a wide- ranging speech but interesting that this was the top uh ranking Diplomat from the United States not the defense secretary this was much more than just yes you’ve got military aid this was about a way to figure out a plan for Ukraine going into the future above and beyond this conflict which as we know is in a very very serious position for Ukraine right now Cara well so far thousands of ukrainians have been forced to evacuate uh their homes in K so what more do we know about the fighting in particular yeah it’s getting pretty serious we heard just a few hours ago of a strike on an apartment building there at least 20 people were injured but essentially what you’ve got is this enormous Russian Force which has been camped out on that border just north of KH which is Ukraine’s Second City something like 50,000 Russian troops the ukrainians think 30,000 of them they say are engaged in this incursion in some way they’ve taken a number of villages nine was the number we had but that number may have gone up 7,000 people have been uh displaced but you’re talking about a city of more than a million people which is now now watching as Russian troops are bearing down on it we might be in the situation where that City uh has Russian tanks rolling into its outskirts and if that happens that will cause huge panic in the city a major setback for Ukraine as they have to pull out troops from other parts of their front line in order to to support that uh region uh but they’re already overstretched and the delay in Aid has already made them weaker in a number of areas so this is a really dangerous uh situation that Ukraine is in right now now Cara James Longman we will continue to cover it of course thank [Music] you well there are plenty of unknowns surrounding today’s Primary in the 2024 election despite the general election being set between President Joe Biden former president Donald Trump presidential and Congressional primaries are being held today in Maryland West Virginia and Nebraska one election being watched very closely across the country West Virginia and its vote to fill the longtime Democratic senator Joe Mansion seat then in Maryland all eyes on Republican Larry Hogan and how the critic of former president Trump will Faire in his race for the Senate let’s break it all down with our Deputy political director ay Harper she’s watching it all very closely you know it’s hard to imagine the Senate without Joe mansion who who could be a possible replacement here who are you watching right well Senator Mansion is really the last of his kind uh the last of his kind that we’ll likely see in a state like West Virginia for a very long time a ruby red State he has been a Democratic senator representing that state for quite some time and so uh the question really is on the Republican side who is going to uh be the person who wins that nomination tonight uh we are going to be watching for a governor Jim Justice a current Republican govern governor of the state of West Virginia he is really billing himself as an experienced candidate he has the endorsement of former president Trump and so there are lots of folks who are watching him there’s also a congressman named Alex Mooney he is billing himself as the non-establishment candidate and so those are where I’m going to be watching tonight to see exactly who wins that person likely to replace Joe mansion in the Senate interesting okay well let’s talk about Maryland now expecting to have a very rare and competitive Senate race Congressman David Tron facing down Angela alsbrooks the county executive overseeing Baltimore for the Democratic nomination either of those two expected to face down former Republican Governor Larry Hogan who remains as we know very popular so what would be the dynamic of Democrats having to compete and spend money in a deep blue state right this is not typically a race where Democrats felt as though they were going to have to uh spend lots of money in order to invest in to win in a state like Maryland a very blue state but you have Larry Hogan who was a very popular Governor among both Democratic and Republican voters in that state and so uh you’re looking at Tron who is someone who is very wealthy he could self-fund his his election his campaign uh also looking at someone like alsoo Brooks who uh is someone who would require more investment from the party in order to uh come out on top in this race in November so we’re going to be watching that all right so will we Avery thank you we’re also watching the millions of Americans now facing a new threat of extreme weather after a deadly tornado outbreak across the South powerful twisters and severe storms sweeping through the Ozarks in Louisiana at least two people were killed debris was sent flying into the streets and what was the 19th straight day of tornado touchdowns in the US in St Martin Parish homes and trailers toppled survivors now surveying the damage and picking up the pieces of the lives take a listen it sounded like hurricane Ida with trees snapping and branches hitting wind blowing you could hear the whistling through the doors kind of like you know just that scary sound that maybe there was a tornado up real high parts of the Tennessee Valley in Florida Peninsula also under threat for severe storms our meteorologist Kent goii has been following this Forest what’s the biggest concerned today you think Kira yeah we’re definitely still waiting on that chance for some severe weather to pop up again in that Ohio and Tennessee Valley but right now down in the South there for Florida they have seen some stronger storms that rolled through those are now dying down and they’ll have another threat later tonight but take a look at this this is 5:00 pm. Eastern time over there for Nashville they’re going to have a chance for some strong thunderstorms rolling through could have damaging winds large hail a chance even for a pop-up tornado in that Tennessee area even down to Atlanta as we head towards 9:00 p.m. some more storms possible over here for the Mid-Atlantic we’re not looking at anything severe but you are going to have some rainfall from Virginia Beach going up towards Baltimore and Washington DC too meanwhile take a look tomorrow the threat really picks up for Florida tomorrow morning continues here’s 11:00 a.m. Orlando to Tampa strong thunderstorms there you’re going to have a chance for a large hail damaging winds and even a chance for an isolated tornado or two tomorrow also so so far in May uh usually we would see in the entire month about 275 tornado across the country so far this month half the month in we’ve seen about 217 so certainly uh very active already this month as it’s been an active severe weather season and for everyone here in the Central and Eastern and Southern parts of the United States you are going to have a lot of rainfall over the next s days especially down here towards the coast looking down in Florida anywhere from 5 to 8 Ines in some parts over the next seven days Kira all right Kenton appreciate you we are also following breaking news out of Florida now where bus carrying Farm Workers overturned leaving at least eight people dead it happened this morning on Highway 40 in Central Florida roughly 53 Farm Workers on board when the bus crashed we’re now hearing that there is a high probability that there could be more deaths our Phil lipof has been following uh all this for us what’s the latest this hour Phil well K you’re hearing that that there’s a high probability because uh there are some people in critical condition this happened about 6:30 this morning on State Road 4 in dellan Florida a bus carrying 53 Farm Workers headed to what we believe is a watermelon Farm was involved in a crash a side swiping crash with a Ford Ranger truck the impact so powerful it was enough to send that bus through the fence there as you see and then onto its sideway onto its side highway patrol arrived to find eight of the workers dead there on the scene and another 38 taken to hospitals in the area of the 388 remain in critical condition First Responders calling this a devastating bus crash obviously we’re here because of a tragedy we got eight dead people when we come together because of this tragedy of individuals here in my county that we work together so Kira there were so many people involved in this crash they needed a school bus they brought in a yellow school bus uh to help transport them to the hospital the district wanted to make sure everybody knows no kids were involved they just used the school bus to transport people because there were so many injured people that’s a tough story to to watch and to follow Phil appreciate the details well coming up on a meme and a prayer GameStop shares surging again but hang tight before you [Music] buy what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love this great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you thank you David to meet you is David David yes yes I’m David I know who you are watch you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast this is not about parents who just let their kid watch violent movies play violent video games this is about parents who neglected their son ignored his cries for help then bought him a gun the first parents in America to be charged in a school shooting they purchased that gun for him and bragged about it you don’t get to walk away from that that’s a criminal act sins of the parents the crumbly trials the opposite of love is not hate it’s just being ignored only on Hulu why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here I’m Matt rivers and that is the Panama Canal wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live [Music] glad you’re streaming with us going going GameStop shares of the game retailer surging again today at 1 Point topping 70% why because of a meme and not much else our business correspondent Alexis christopherus has been following it who knew I mean GameStop was up what more than 50% yesterday now it’s over 60% what the heck is going on what’s going on is GameStop mania this this mem stock Mania I’ll call it is back in full force Kira and we’ve seen this story before uh in 2021 uh roaring Kitty started posting on Twitter that folks should pile into stocks uh that were being short squeezed that’s when a lot of Traders are betting against a company they’re actually betting on the stock price to go down and they and raring Kitty otherwise known as Keith Gil that’s his real name convinced a lot of everyday Traders and small investors to start buying up uh shares in these companies and in some instances stocks like GameStop AMC Blackberry saw their stock sore more than a th% in the matter of days a lot of money was made during that time a lot of money was lost as well you and I were talking about this yesterday it spawned a movie a Congressional hearings so you know Keith Gil had been off social media for about three years he posted yesterday and that’s what uh what sent these stock soaring once again and now the mem stock craze is spreading Beyond GameStop actually helping um AMC right so um we again this is a repeat of what we saw two three years ago AMC we know this struggling movie chain seeing its stock up better than 200% so far this week not on fundamentals not because there’s any real reason here like profits or growth but because a number of investors decided to push this stock higher and I think it’s some it’s really Risky Business Kira I mean it’s sort of fascinating to watch happen in real time but there’s a lot of risk involved too yeah it is and what would you tell the average person at home who’s thinking H let’s put some money into this yeah it’s enticing um but again you have to walk into these things with your eyes wide open you know call me oldfashioned but I like to invest on the fundamentals things like you know profits and growth just to give you an idea GameStop just came out with earnings recently they lost money sales are declining massive layoffs the stock is up better than 100% in two in two days how long can that last so I I think if you time it right um and you have the money to spare some money can be made but again the losses can outweigh the gains real quick Kira exactly all right Alexis thanks so much always need a gut check well some other top headlines that were falling for you this hour police say the two officers are dead and a convict is still on the run after a Brazen ambush on a prison van in France eyewitnesses there at the scene say they saw the two hooded men with military grade guns during that Skirmish they escaped one of the prisoners nicknamed The Fly was recently sentenced for burglary and is being investigated for kidnapping and homicide we’ll track it the White House slapping new tariffs on China including a new 100% tariff on electric vehicles imported from the country President Biden telling reporters his administration is taking action because China won’t play by its own rules ning says the move amounts to bullying and has vowed to retaliate well Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa bler is retiring the 63-year-old led the hot guys for 24 seasons she’s the winningest women’s basketball coach in Big 10 history by the way she and her oh you kind of Might maybe possibly know her name Caitlyn Clark appeared in each of the last two national championship games together her retirement comes just hours ahead of Clark’s first game in the WNBA can’t wait to see that game thanks for streaming with us I’m Kira Phillips the news never stops neither do we we’ll be right back [Music] why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podc podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police and riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th pole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the Mel is the Super Bowl of red carpet it’s a celebration the most avangard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the Met Gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of television what’s good to watch read where can I get a great deal what I’m just dying to buy oh it’s all right here GMA life get the latest celebrity Buzz Deals and Steals and the coolest lifestyle tips from GMA I love that so much streaming weekends on ABC News [Music] live hey good afternoon everyone I’m Kira Phillips our top story this hour we are moments away from Michael Cohen taking the stand once again for cross-examination Donald Trump’s defense attorneys will get their first opportunity to tear down the former fixer credibility Court set to resume right after the lunch break any minute now prosecutors wrapping up their examination of Cohen after the last two days on the stand Cohen says the former president absolutely knew his actions were illegal and that Trump warned his former fixer not to flip on him and detailing now how his boss directed him to make that $130,000 hush money payment to stormmy Daniels also in a not so subtle show of support the former president joined at the courthouse right there by an Entourage of heavyweight GOP lawmakers including house Speaker Mike Johnson and a few others considered VP contenders for Trump’s 2024 campaign senior reporter kathern falders along with our Deputy political director Avery Harper and Jerry goldfeder director at forum’s law schools voting rights and democracy project I’ll join me now Katherine you’re were there inside court this morning highlights yeah Cara I think you really nailed it on what you just mentioned about Cohen flipping he went into excruciating detail about how he believed that the president and the president’s newly installed legal team at the time this was back in 2018 uh were essentially sending him threatening messages at least that he viewed as threatening uh directing him in a way to not flip they showed the former president’s tweets at the time saying Michael Cohen would never flip on me so that he went really into a lot of detail on that and it was quite fascinating because Cohen said that his family finally intervened and said come to your senses if if you will in a way uh that was one part of it I think that the other part of it and this this was very direct testimony inside that courtroom Kira was Cohen said that he would not have made that payment if it wasn’t for the 2016 campaign that’s really important obviously because the whole idea here and what prosecutors are alleging is that the payment to stormmy Daniels was made because Trump and his allies thought it would influence the 2016 election so Cohen said in very clear terms he wouldn’t have done that now uh very interesting to see all of the political allies here Kira that you mentioned speaker Mike Johnson the speaker of the house was here he wasn’t physically sitting inside the courtroom but he did appear at the courthouse with Trump his serat other members of Congress people who are rumored to be VP candidates if you will were inside the courtroom for the majority of it they did leave in the middle and a lot of them are Milling about behind me doing various interviews and talking to at least some of the Trump supporters that we have gathered here but it’s over in terms of the direct examination of Michael Cohen so when they come back from the lunch break this is when Trump’s legal team will take over their strategy at least most of their strategy is to try and poke holes and Cohen credibility care all right well Jerry Cohen told jurors that he submitted 11 false invoices to the Trump organization over the course of 2017 to get his reimbursements for the Stormy Daniels hush money Payment Plus other expenses including a bonus and that Trump was completely aware of all of it so was he believable he seemed to be believable we don’t know what the jury will uh determine at the end of the day but he seemed to be calm he seemed to be direct he seemed to be quite credible in his recounting of what went on the defense of course will try to pick holes in every little aspect of his testimony it remains to be seen uh at uh what the jury uh decides uh the defense has a uh a big job ahead of them uh because not only are they trying to impeach his credibility but they have to try to at least distort the content of what he was talking about the whole catch and kill scheme the repayment the cover up so it’s up to the defense and the cross-examination will begin and we’ll see how that goes so Avery Trump’s political allies including V Gramma Swami Doug beram all seen entering the courtroom at the exact moment that Cohen was detailing his decision to flip on Trump what did you think of the timing there well listen I think I told you a few days ago that I I I imagine that we might see some potential VP picks coming to the courtroom in order to uh support former president Trump I think this is just the latest signal that the campaign the Trump campaign is trying to take advantage of the media tension on this trial and so it’s become a new spectacle and opportunity for these potential VP picks to show their loyalty to former president Trump not only by sitting in the courtroom uh beside him but also by speaking to the media outside of the courtroom as well and so this again is just the latest signal of the fact that the campaign Trail in the courtroom have become one and the same so Katherine you reported seeing Trump passing a yellow sticky note to his lawyer Todd blanch during Cohen’s testimony um have you noticed anything else about the former president and do you have any idea what was on that sticky note I don’t K that’s a good question I would I would love to know but that’s his preferred method of notet taking literally that yellow sticky notepad with his Sharpie that’s how he passes notes to his attorneys it seemed to be at times one time I observed was when the prosecutors were asking Michael Cohen for example about a time that Donald Trump had sued Michael Cohen in Florida for half a billion dollars Trump had his eyes closed during much of Cohen’s testimony but that woke him up he wrote something down passed it to his lawyers but but a lot of this too is As Trump listens to it or maybe doesn’t listen so much given that in his view it’s boring um but he also is thinking about the cross-examination and and telling his lawyers what to say or what to do which I can imagine during the lunch break is happening right now so he wasn’t as active in the courtroom as he’s been in previous days he’s been flipping through papers as he has in days before um he did keep his eyes closed a lot but as you just mentioned those yellow sticky notes we’ll see um if any of that strategy at least or if we find find out what he was writing down on those if if we learn about that when they come back from lunch all right so Catherine Avery Jerry uh it’s just kind of getting started we’re going to continue to track everything with you throughout the rest of the afternoon also coming up the Secretary of State making a surprise visit to one of the most dangerous places on Earth plus election season continues today with primaries in several different states we’ll tell you what that could mean about November whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at War en rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that Deadly Mission strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of [Music] [Applause] Television it come give it it [Music] to first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th hole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America the Morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live ABC News America’s number one news [Music] source glad you’re streaming with us America will stand by your side that was the main message Secretary of State Anthony blinkin gave Ukrainian president Vader zalinsky during a surprise visit to ke today our Joint Task is to secure Ukraine’s sustained and permanent strategic Advantage so that Ukraine can not only deliver on the battlefield today but deter and defend against future attacks as President Biden said we want Ukraine to win and we’re committed to helping you do it the visit comes as Ukraine struggles to hold back a rapidly advancing Russian offensive near its second largest city K our foreign correspondent James Longman is there so James blink said that the American military aid is on its way to Ukraine the question is how much of a difference is it going to make on the battlefield yeah Kira this was an interesting speech there was actually quite a long delay with blinkin coming out and one imagines that’s because his AIDS and he were kind of pouring over the language because he had to really walk a fine line here on the one hand we heard all the things that you usually hear from a a senior American visitor to Ukraine about how they were standing strong with the ukrainians You Are Not Alone uh he said but on the other it was also about uh laying out a framework for what a Ukraine of the future might look like without quite so much American Support he said and this was I think was probably the language that they were checking over it was about how American Support should transition to more sustainable levels this was an address not just for Ukraine not just for the Ukrainian people but very much for people back home in the United States an election year where support for Ukraine and the war here the amount of money that’s going into it will be a Salient issue America needs to find a way to extricate itself from this war whilst at the same time ensuring that the security of this region uh can uh be sustained he did also talk about NATO I think strong support for Ukraine joining NATO that might have been some of the bartering that was going between uh both the Ukrainian and the American teams as well but it was also talk about how they wanted to make sure that their military could stand alone that there could be better uh um industrial uh infrastructure here to support weapons manufacturing uh and also an economic plan as well because we know that Ukraine has dealt with corruption so it was a wide ranging speech but interesting that this was the top uh ranking Diplomat from the United States not the defense secretary this was much more than just yes you’ve got military aid this was about a way to figure out a plan for Ukraine going into the future above and beyond this conflict which as we know is in a very very serious position for Ukraine right now Kira well so far thousands of ukrainians have been forced to evacuate uh their homes in K so what more do we know about the fighting in particular yeah it’s getting pretty serious we heard just a few hours ago of a strike on an apartment building there at least 20 people were injured but essentially what you’ve got is this enormous Russian Force which has been camped out on that border just north of KH which is Ukraine’s Second City something like 50,000 Russian troops the ukrainians think 30,000 of them they say are engaged in this incursion in some way they’ve taken a number of villages nine was the number we had but that number may have gone up 7,000 people have been uh displaced but you’re talking about a city of more than a million people which is now watching as Russian troops are bearing down on it we might be in the situation where that City uh has Russian tanks rolling into its outskirts and if that happens that will cause huge panic in the city a major setback for Ukraine as they have to pull out troops from other parts of their front line in order to to support that uh region uh but they’re already overstretched and the delay in Aid has already made them weaker in a number of areas so this is a really dangerous uh situation that Ukraine is in right now Kira James Longman we will continue to cover it of course thank [Music] you well there are plenty of unknown surrounding today’s Primary in the 2024 election despite the general election being set between President Joe Biden former president Donald Trump presidential and Congressional primaries are being held today in Maryland West Virginia and Nebraska one election being watched very closely across the country West Virginia and its vote to fill the longtime Democratic senator Joe Mansion seat then in Maryland all eyes on Republican Larry Hogan and how the critic of former president Trump will Faire in his race for the Senate let’s break it all down with our Deputy political director Avery Harper she’s watching it all very closely you know it’s hard to imagine the Senate without Joe Mansion who who could be a possible replacement here who are you watching right well Senator Mansion is really the last of his kind uh the last of his kind that we’ll likely see in a state like West Virginia for a very long time a ruby red State he has been a Democratic senator representing that state for quite some time and so uh the question really is on the Republican side who is going to uh be the person who wins that nomination tonight uh we are going to be watching for uh Governor Jim Justice a current Republican governor of the state of West Virginia uh he is really billing himself as an experienced candidate he has the endorsement of former president Trump and so there are lots of folks who are watching him there’s also a congressman named Alex Mooney he is billing himself as the non-establishment candidate and so uh those are where I’m going to be watching tonight to see exactly who wins that person likely to replace Joe mansion in the Senate interesting okay well let’s talk about Maryland now expecting to have a very rare and competitive Senate race Congressman David Tron facing down Angela alsbrooks the county executive overseeing Baltimore uh for the Democratic nomination either of those two expected to face down former Republican Governor Larry Hogan who remains as we know very popular so what would be the dynamic of Democrats having to compete and spend money in a deep blue state right this is not typically a race where Democrats felt as though they were going to have to uh spend lots of money in order to invest in uh to win in a state like Maryland a very blue state but you have Larry Hogan who was a very popular Governor among both Democratic and Republican voters in that state and so uh you’re looking at Tron who is someone who is very wealthy he could self-fund his his his election his campaign uh also looking at someone like alsoo Brooks who uh is someone who would require more investment from the party in order to uh come out on top in this race in November so we’re going to be watching that all right so will we Avery thank you we’re also watching the millions of Americans now facing a new threat of extreme weather after a deadly tornado outbreak across the South powerful twisters and severe storms sweeping through the Ozarks in Louisiana at least two people were killed debris was sent flying into the streets and what was the 19th straight day of tornado touchdowns in the US in St Martin Parish homes and trailers toppled survivors now surveying the damage and picking up the pieces of their lives take a listen it sounded like hurricane Ida with trees snapping and branches hitting wind blowing you could hear the whistling through the doors kind of like you know just that scary sound that maybe there was a tornado up real high parts of the Tennessee Valley in Florida Peninsula also under threat for severe storms our meteorologist Kenton has been following this Forest what’s the biggest concern today you think car yeah we’re definitely still waiting on that chance for some severe weather to pop up again in that Ohio and Tennessee Valley but right now down in the South there for Florida they have seen some stronger storms that rolled through those are now dying down and they’ll have another threat later tonight but take a look at this this is 5:00 p.m. e eastern time over there for Nashville they’re going to have a chance for some strong thunderstorms rolling through could have damaging winds large hail a chance even for a pop-up tornado in that Tennessee area even down to Atlanta as we head towards 9:00 p.m. some more storms possible over here for the Mid-Atlantic we’re not looking at anything severe but you are going to have some rainfall from Virginia Beach going up towards Baltimore and Washington DC too meanwhile take a look tomorrow the threat really picks up for Florida tomorrow morning continues here’s 11:00 a.m. Orlando to Tampa strong thunderstorms there you’re going to have a chance for a large hail damaging winds and even a chance for an isolated tornado or two tomorrow also so so far in May uh usually we would see in the entire month about 275 tornadoes across the country so far this month half the month in we’ve seen about 217 so certainly uh very active already this month as it’s been an active severe weather season and for everyone here in the Central and Eastern and Southern parts of the United States you are going to have a lot of rainfall over the next seven days especially down here towards the coast looking down in Florida anywhere from 5 to 8 in in some parts over the next 7 Days Kira all right Kenton appreciate you we are also following breaking news out of Florida now where a bus carrying Farm Workers overturned leaving at least eight people dead it happened this morning on Highway 40 in Central Florida roughly 53 Farm Workers on board when the bus crashed we’re now hearing that there is a high probability that there could be more deaths our Phil lip off has been following uh all this Forest what’s the latest this hour Phil well K you’re hearing that that there’s a high probability because uh there are some people in critical condition this happened about 6:30 this morning on State Road 40 in dellan Florida a bus carrying 53 Farm Workers headed to what we believe is a watermelon Farm was involved in a crash a sideswiping crash with a Ford Ranger truck the impact so far powerful it was enough to send that bus through the fence there as you see and then onto its sideway onto its Side Highway Patrol arrived to find eight of the workers dead there on the scene in another 38 taken to hospitals in the area of the 388 remain in critical condition First Responders calling this a devastating bus crash obviously we’re here because of a tragedy we got eight dead people when we come together because of this tragedy of individuals here in my county that we work together so Cara there were so many many people involved in this crash they needed a school bus they brought in a yellow school bus uh to help transport them to the hospital the district wanted to make sure everybody knows no kids were involved they just used the school bus to transport people because there were so many injured people that’s a tough story to to watch and to follow Phil appreciate the details well coming up on a meme and a prayer GameStop shares searching again but hang tight before you byy [Music] what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis finder is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love this great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you thank than me you is David David yes yes I’m David M I know who you are watch you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere this is not about parents who just let their kid watch violent movies play violent video games this is about parents who neglected their son ignored his cries for help then bought him a gun the first parents in America to be charged in a school shooting they purchased that gun for him and bragged about it you don’t get to walk away from that that’s a criminal act sins of the parents the crumbly trials the opposite of love is not hate it’s just being ignored only on Hulu let’s go the ship is incredible it feels like living in a science fiction movie we just saw what no one has seen before wow look at that oh my God we are heading into the unknown Hammer Hammer Hammer it doesn’t get any more Cutting Edge than this why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here reporting from the front lines of the war in Israel I’m IM panel wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News [Music] live glad you’re streaming with us going going GameStop shares of the game retailer surging again today at one point top being 70% why because of a meme and not much else our business correspondent Alexis christopherus has been following it who knew I mean GameStop was up what more than 50% yesterday now it’s over 60% what the heck is going on what’s going on is GameStop mania this this mem stock Mania I’ll call it is back in full force Kira and we’ve seen this story before uh in 2021 uh roaring Kitty started posting on Twitter that folks should pile into stocks uh that were being short squeezed that’s when a lot of Traders are betting against a company they’re actually betting on the stock price to go down and they and roren kitty otherwise known as Keith Gil that’s his real name convinced a lot of everyday Traders and small investors to start buying up uh shares in these companies and in some instances stocks like GameStop AMC Blackberry saw their stock sore more than a th% in the matter of days a lot of money was made during that time a lot of money was lost as well you and I were talking about this yesterday it spawned a movie a Congressional hearings so you know Keith Gil had been off social media for about three years he posted yesterday and that’s what uh what sent these stock soaring once again and now the memet craze is spreading Beyond GameStop actually helping um AMC right so um we again this is a repeat of what we saw two three years ago AMC we know this struggling movie chain seeing its stock up better than 200% so far this week not on fundamentals not because there’s any real reason here like profits or growth but because a number of investors decided to push this stock higher and I think it’s some it’s really Risky Business Kira I mean it’s sort of fascinating to watch happen in real time but there’s a lot of risk involved too yeah it is and what would you tell the average person at home who’s thinking hm let’s put some money into this yeah it’s enticing um but again you have to walk into these things with your eyes wide open you know call me oldfashioned but I like to invest on the fundamentals things like you know profits and growth just to give you an idea GameStop just came out with earnings recently they lost money sales are declining massive layoffs the stock is up better than 100% in two in two days how long can that last so I I think if you time it right um and you have the money to spare some money can be made but again the losses can outweigh the gains real quick Kira exactly all right Alexis thanks so much always need a gut check well some other top headlines that were falling free you this hour police say the two officers are dead and a convict is still on the run after a Brazen Ambush on a prison van in France eyewitnesses there at the scene say they saw the two hooded men with military grade guns during that Skirmish they escaped one of the prisoners nicknamed The Fly was recently sentenced for burglary and is being investigated for kidnapping and homicide we’ll track it the White House slapping new tariffs on China including a new 100% tariff on electric vehicles imported from the country President Biden telling reporters his administration is taking action because China won’t play by its own rules ning says the move amounts to bullying and has vowed to retaliate well Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa bler is retiring the 63y old led the haot guys for 24 seasons she’s the winningest women’s basketball well coach in Big 10 history by the way she and her oh you kind of Might maybe possibly know her name Caitlyn Clark appeared in each of the last two national championship games together her retirement comes just hours ahead of Clark’s first game in the WNBA can’t wait to see that game thanks for streaming with us I’m Kira Phillips the news never stops neither do we we’ll be right back [Music] what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis fighter this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not of caran how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love it great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you DAV good to meet you it’s May David David yes yes I’m David I know who you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything thing you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that this is ABC News live the crush families on the ground in Ukraine BC News live America’s number one streaming news anytime anywhere streaming 24/7 straight to you for free thank you for making ABC newsline America’s number one streaming news we’re reporting on board a US Navy destroyer in the Eastern Mediterranean I’m Maggie Ry wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re watching ABC News live [Music] right now in ABC News live star witness former Trump Insider and convicted liar Michael Cohen back on the stand in Donald Trump’s felony hush money trial will the jury buy his story we’ve got our panel even a trump surate Congressman Byron Donald’s joining me live plus Secretary of State Anthony blinkin in Ukraine as Russian troops move closer to the country’s second largest city we’ve got the latest from keev and tornadoes ripping through the South along Ong with record heat for Texas and Florida we’ve got your forecast no matter where you live and good afternoon everyone I’m Kira Phillips our top story this hour turning on Trump Michael Cohen about to take the stand again at any moment setting off what’s expected to be a grueling cross-examination for his former B’s defense team with a lot of questions about his credibility the prosecution wrapping up its direct examination just a bit ago with Cohen saying the former president absolutely knew his actions were illegal and that Trump warned his former fixer not to flip on him Cohen also detailed how his former boss directed him to make that $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels and in a not so subtle show of support the former president was joined at the courthouse by quite the on Entourage of heavyweight GOP lawmakers including house Speaker Mike Johnson and a few others considered V contenders for Trump’s 2024 campaign starting us off our investigative reporter Olivia Rubin who is outside Court also joining her Jerry goldfeder senior councel at Kosen o Conor and director at the forom law schools voting rights and democracy project so Olivia what can we expect from cross-examination Trump team cross-examination of Michael Cohen is expected to be long Kira it is expected to be tense and it is expected to be heated as his team tries to credit Michael Cohen in the eyes of the jury to look at what they are going to do look no further than what Todd told the jury Trump’s attorney Todd blanch in his opening statements he told them that Michael Cohen was obsessed with Donald Trump and that he has been a criminal long before he started working for Donald Trump and remember Michael Cohen just walked the jury through years of his work that he did with Donald Trump he spent over 9 hours with prosecutors on the witness stand tying Donald Trump to every single part of this alleged scheme and specifically to the repayments to Cohen that make up the 34 false business records and recently just this morning Michael Cohen looked directly at the jurors as he told them about the Fallout of his life how he ended up being raided by the FBI he recounted the president calling him allegedly and saying don’t worry I’m the president of the United States there’s nothing here he recounted pleading guilty going to jail losing much of his livelihood losing much of you know what he had built as his reputation being disbarred and now Trump’s team is going to try to use much of that show that he has pleaded guilty to lying show that he has flipped on Donald Trump to try to paint him as someone that cannot be trusted and all they need is to plant a seat of doubt that perhaps what Michael Cohen said on direct examination was not true to hopefully remove Donald Trump from the situation Jerry what do you make of the prosecution’s case so far well I think it’s strong and uh the prosecution has already elicited from Michael con that he’s a liar they’ve gone through some of his foibles why he’s not a great witness and uh it’s the prosecution hopes that what Michael con has conveyed to the jury is that he now is telling the truth that he regrets what he has done in the past I think what we should be looking for is the the defense trying to get under his skin uh they’re obviously going to try to pick holes in his story but I think they want to get him angry and also what we’re looking for is do they have does the defense have a counternarrative trials are about stories we’ve heard the prosecution’s story about what happened does the defense have an alternative story that the jury will more likely believe that’s what we should be looking for 104 all right Olivia Jerry thank you both so much we’ll continue to check in with you as we follow [Music] Court America will stand by your side that was the message Secretary of State Anthony blinkin gave Ukrainian president zalinsky during a surprise visit to keev today our joint task is to secure Ukraine’s sustained and permanent strategic Advantage so that Ukraine can not only deliver on the battlefield today but deter and defend against future attacks as President Biden said we want Ukraine to win and we’re committed to helping you do it the visit comes as Ukraine struggles to hold back a rapidly advancing Russian offensive near its second largest city Kar our foreign correspondent James Longman is there hi Cara yeah secretary blinkin has been speaking here in keev he’s sent the message you are not alone to Ukraine it’s one you would expect from a high ranking American visitor to this country he wants to reaffirm America’s support is a big moment for them having him back in this country the the the highest level visitor in six months the first of course since that $61 billion a package was passed in the Congress but interesting also uh his tone in this speech Yes talking about the fact that America needs to stand by Ukraine that there is widespread public support in the United States for Ukraine but some very interesting language as well in his speech because he said that there needed to be a plan for Ukraine to stand on its own he said Americans support transition to more sustainable levels of Aid which suggests that the United States has always been thinking about how they can extricate themselves from this situation how they can bring about a peaceful end to this war here but secretary blinkin is of course part of an Administration which is fighting uh an election campaign this year and he knows that it’ll be an issue in November so this was as much uh an address for the Ukrainian people as it was uh for people back home in the United States he spoke also of longterm help for the Ukrainian military to make sure it can remain standing as a viable Force against Putin well into the future about the fact that he wants this country to join NATO we might be as I was listening to that speech it struck me we might be in a rather strange situation where in the future Ukraine is part of NATO and if former president Trump wins re-election and he does as many people expect he might want to leave NATO he might be in the strange situation where Ukraine is in and the United States is out but be that as it may he also spoke about uh the importance of industrial weapons manufacturer in this country and the fight against corruption to get the economic situation here in Ukraine on a stable footing so an interesting speech from uh UK the United States highest ranking Diplomat interesting that the Secretary of uh defense was not here for this speech because it wasn’t just about military aid it was about a future plan this as of course this incursion by the Russians continues in the Northeast and we now know at least 20 people have been injured in an attack on an apartment building in kke that City very much in the line of sight now the second largest city uh in Ukraine it would be a huge setback for this country if uh Russians made it anywhere closer Cara all right our James Longman for us there in Ukraine James thanks coming up Baltimore Rising our Terry Moran at the site of the keybridge demolition plus the deadly tornadoes that swept across the South when we come [Music] back whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war after that brutal surprise attack by Hamas on the ground everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in Turkey in Rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 2024 campaign Trail in Iceland let’s go traveling with the president in Mexico City wherever the story from the front lines from Southern Israel outside the Gaza Strip in beir from the FBI reporting from the nurses on the pick line here at 10 Downing Street in London streaming live to you wherever the story is wherever the story is wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere America’s number one streaming news first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th pole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the Mel is the Super Bowl of red carpet a celebration the most aant guard KN in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something with within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the me gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on [Music] Hulu glad you’re streaming with us millions of Americans facing a new thread of extreme weather now after a deadly tornado outbreak across the South powerful twisters and severe storms swept through the Ozarks and Louisiana overnight at least two people were killed debris sent flying into the streets and what was the 19th straight day of tornado touchdowns in the US in St Martin Parish homes and trailers toppled over survivors surveying the damage and picking up the pieces of their lives it sounded like hurricane Ida with trees snapping and branches hitting wind blowing you could hear the whistling through the doors kind of like you know just that scary sound that maybe there was a tornado up real high parts of the Tennessee Valley and Florida Peninsula now under threat for severe storms let’s bring in our meteorologist Kent GOI for more what’s the biggest concern today you think Kenton yeah Kira our biggest threat is really going to be the chance for more showers and thunderstorms to turn severe and give us chances for the hail the damaging winds and even a tornado or two there were severe thunderstorm Wars out earlier in Florida those are now gone now we’re really focusing for the afternoon and into the early parts of the evening into Nashville to Atlanta so when we look at that system let’s take a look hour by hour by 5:00 P p.m. Nashville down to decater you are going to have some showers and thunderstorms they could be strong to severe going over towards Knoxville as you head later into the evening some pop-ups over there towards Atlanta as well also 900 pm. check out Jacksonville down there in Florida you will see over for Virginia Beach and areas in the Mid-Atlantic some showers and thunderstorms those are not expected to be severe by the way just some rain over there but as we head into the overnight hours and early tomorrow morning a new day and a new chance for severe weather in Florida here’s Orlando around 11:00 a.m. to Tampa you could have some storms with hail and damaging winds and even an isolated tornado there and then if you think well that’s going to continue all the way down to Miami it doesn’t it’s going to break apart and instead that part of Southern Florida is going to be dealing with record-breaking temperatures we’re talking about highs records in the middle to Upper 90s even going down to Key West at 92 that would be a record high and the heat index by the way that Feld like temperature at 105 or higher but for much of the nation it’s not about the heat it’s actually about the rainfall so over the next week that’s what we looking at on this map the next seven days a lot of passing showers and thunderstorms especially there in the South as you can see but a lot of rain expected and the biggest threat is actually in a couple days on Thursday parts of Texas which have seen four times their normal precipitation over the last month they’re in it again with a high chance for flash flooding so certainly they are on alert already for that on Thursday Kira all right Kenton thanks so much well the Port of Baltimore is one step closer to fully fully reopening crew is now working to remove all the parts of the Francis Scott Key bridge and free that cargo ship that hit it a controlled explosion as you just saw brought down the largest remaining part of the collapse Bridge yesterday with the ship’s crew still on board here’s our senior National correspondent Terry Moran who was there the Port of Baltimore now one step closer to fully reopening after a powerful controlled explosion brought down the largest remaining section of the Key Bridge Crews used small Precision explosives to cut through the giant steel trusses safely and efficiently sending the massive structure tumbling off the cargo ship the dolly and into the water we’re now very close to fully clearing the channel we’re already getting large ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore the dolly has been stuck for 7 weeks after crashing into the bridge and sending it thundering down there last reported at least several vehicles in the water with several people still on a cter floor killing six construction workers on the surface and underwater now crews are assessing the area hoping to move that ship back to Port within 48 hours is an important milestone for us to float The Vessel Dolly and take it out of the federal Channel even then the ship’s crew will remain on board they’re critical to repair efforts as well as to multiple investigations there’s still more wreckage obstructing the port crews are working around the clock to finish the job aiming to fully clear the channel by the end of this month there is a special sense of of mission it seems in everybody you meet who’s on this project that’s right everyone is pulling together everyone is rallying to this cause and our thanks to Terry Moran coming up Michael Cohen may be turning on Trump but Florida Republican Congressman Byron Donald sure isn’t he’s in court with the former president and joining us next to tell us why whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at War en rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David M America’s number one most watched newscast across all of television [Music] [Applause] [Music] why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R ml Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straight forward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th poll the buzz kill in baseball the first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I’m W Johnson reporting from Maui wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is starting here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here glad you’re streaming with us well Michael Cohen returning to the witness stand just minutes ago in Donald Trump’s hush money trial it’s expected to be a feisty cross-examination from Trump’s legal team too inside the courtroom though a slew of former president’s political allies publicly slamming the trial as a sham one of those supporters who is alongside the former president today potential VP pick Florida Congressman Byron Donalds he joins us from outside the courthouse good to see you sir good to be with you thanks for having me on so Congressman let me ask you why do you want to be by Trump’s side today well first of all is to demonstrate support for president Trump having to deal with this foolishness that’s happening in New York City today that’s been going on for the last four weeks number two this is a travesty of the justice system there’s still no underlying crime that’s actually been revealed and Michael Cohen the the star witness for the prosecution they just finished with him they’re not calling any more witnesses for the prosecution and so now you have a situation where they’ve tooken four weeks there is no underlining crime that they’ve been able to establish so of course I’m must stand with President Trump and and quite frankly regardless of your politics everybody should be standing against a misuse of the justice system for political purposes that is what’s happening in New York well let me ask you Congressman do you think Trump should take the stand um quite frankly that’s something for his legal team I’m not going to answer that because they’re going to make that rationale with their with with President Trump it’s not about him taking the stand it’s about looking at the evidence or frankly the evidence that does not exist that the prosecution has brought here in New York City you got Matthew Colangelo the number three guy who was the number three guy at Main Justice he comes down to be on the prosecuting line for Alvin brag that demonstrates the coordination between main Justice the Democrat Party the White House and unfortunately the court system in New York just to get Donald Trump that is unamerican we are better than that this is not about people’s personal feelings or political feelings it’s about the system of justice well let me ask you about the politics because I think the jury will decide what happens in that courtroom uh as the recordings the documents and the testimony will all speak for itself but you along with JD Vance Rick Scott Tommy tuberville now house Speaker Mike Johnson all of you have been to the trial now why is sitting in a New York courtroom with Trump your priority versus hammering out business up on the hill my priority which is what I was elected to do which I swore at all to was to protect the United States and the United States Constitution so when you have a situation where Justice is being misused for political purposes in my view you do have members of Congress and other members who are involved in our politics who have a responsibility to stand in opposition to that I mean take judge marshan for example his daughter is a Democrat operative his daughter is going to make millions of dollars this election cycle fundraising for Democrats and she’s using the images and the likenesses of this trial to help her fund raise that’s a joke that’s a travesty this not this is bigger than just a job on Capitol Hill it’s what’s happening right now in New York City and I will ask I’m not under a gag order so I’m going tell the truth Cong I I I understand that but Congressman let’s be real here the former president is using this courtroom is using this case to to raise money as as well he brought in a big billion dollar donor the other day he’s got commercials out there he’s putting things out on true social he is using this as a campaign F fundraiser and rally cry every single day he comes out to the cameras and he talks politics to reporters every single day when he comes out of the courtroom so that’s a little unfair when you’re when you’re saying this is all political when the former Vice or former president is taking advantage of this entire situation to turn it into a campaign event let’s not use fair or unfair because last time I checked Donald Trump is the one that was indicted on ridiculous trumped up charges and yes the pun is intended that’s number one number two judge mhan put him under an unconstitutional gag order not just president Trump his entire campaign team you have the media you have witnesses in this case who are out there talking day and night against Donald Trump he cannot respond his campaign team cannot respond so we’re going to respond for him if anybody’s playing if any if anybody anybody is playing politics it is the radical left it is Alvin brag it is Judge Marshon and it is the political coordination of using our justice system to attack a political rival axios is reporting that you were at this Florida fundraiser where Trump talked about you as a possible VP pick describing you as quote somebody who’s created something very special politically he also went on to say quote likes diversity and that he likes diversity as in the president likes diversity are you concerned at all about being considered for VP in part for the color of your skin no I’m not concerned about that it’s not even about that I think if you if you actually took the full quote of the president he was talking to a room full of donors he was having fun it was a very light moment he also talked about how a lot of donors like me look I’m a very likable person you know people like me all across the country it’s a beautiful thing so he talked about all those things at the end of the day I think president Trump’s going to pick a vice president that’s going to help him win and help him execute the American first agenda that our country so desperately needs once again and and at at that point we’ll move on from there stay tuned Congressman Byron Donalds appreciate you coming to the camera anytime thank you all right let’s take the conversation now to Executive editorial producer John Cuchi also Jay O’Brien who’s up there on the hill and Jerry goldfeder director at forom law schools voting rights and democracy project well that was interesting uh John Trump feeling even more empowered uh to make this Courthouse a campaign site and the judge really can’t stop him from doing that no he can I mean because all of these people that he’s bringing with him are not part of the gag order the gag order was related solely to defendant Donald Trump and look Kira I mean you you did a great job there holding representative Donald’s accountable because the comments he was making there about Judge maran’s daughter are simply not true there is nothing that we have seen so far that she is making millions off of this case and in fact it’s part of the reason why she was protected by this gag order along with all other members of the judge’s family other prosecutors on the case and certainly why on over the weekend as you well know Donald Trump made it the target of his attacks judge Maran and da Alvin Bragg because they are not part of the gag order those two individuals he’s allowed to mention their names however he so chooses and he did so repeatedly Saturday at a huge rally out in New Jersey as you know but look I I think that you know today was something of a different moment right in the sense that yes as you noted in your interview you know you’ve definitely seen several US senators you have seen you know at least one billion dollar fundraiser for Donald Trump but to think that you had the Speaker of the House who has been under Fire Ju Just you know and Jay’s with us so he he’ll be better to about this than I am you know just recently survived another effort by some of the more um Maga base of that party to throw him out of the speakership to think that he’s there that he’s there and he’s claiming a volunteer capacity we all know that’s just that’s anything from the truth it’s not a volunteer capacity this is the way Donald Trump is testing loyalty in 2024 each of these individuals is showing up it’s remarkable because if you think about 2016 the audition to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential C candidate was hged you on TV the audition this time around is will you come to court with me you know Jay Congressman Donald’s I’m looking back at my notes Here made the point about you know the do this all being a corrupt doj Extravaganza uh with with former uh Donald Trump but you’ve got Democratic senator uh Bob Menendez uh right there not far from where he is uh on trial for corruption by the same doj I mean this is this is a nonpartisan situation yeah and if you look at the the split screen between those two trials you’ve seen Democrats including Corey Booker who was a a close friend of Bob vendez is his fellow senator from New Jersey who after all of these initial charges against Bob Menendez came out and there have been several superseding indictments since then called on Menendez to resign Menendez has said he won’t resign meantime you’ve seen Republicans despite these four criminal cases two of which are federal against the former president jump to Trump’s defense as those Republicans did in court today you’re seeing images of Mike Johnson on your screen standing in the camera shop behind Trump I caught up with Johnson just moments ago because he is back here in the capital I asked him what was it like in court today Kira his his remarks as he said it was a quote interesting day I I called president Trump and told him I wanted to be here myself to call out what is a travesty of justice and I think everybody around the country can see that President Trump is is a friend and I wanted to be here to support him so Jerry what are your thoughts on all these high-profile political appearances I mean should the courtroom be clashing with the campaign Trail like this well the it’s the worst kind of political theater um these folks are there to support the leader of the Republican party that’s their uh motivation uh but Trump uh Trump’s motivation is to uh distract people I think they’re laying the table for a conviction in case he’s convicted um he’s already uh uh loud and clear saying this is uh a sham just like he he’s saying that if he loses the election it’s rigged it’s uh part and parcel of the way he does business the way he uh tries to influence people’s views of what’s going on My worry is if these folks if these senators and Congress people go into the courtroom as they have that’s a subtle way of influencing the jury I suppose the only saving grace is uh Manhattan jurors don’t know who these people are so it probably has no effect and and all of this is uh is just very similar to what the fence is going to do which is to try to poke little holes in uh the testimony of Michael con and other Witnesses um but not address the central story in other words don’t look at what’s really going on look at the shiny objects uh to the side that’s what Trump is doing here with regard to bringing all these uh political people so that Americans uh focus in on that rather than the substance of the trial and in court the defense will be uh asking the jury to be distracted as well with regard to little inconsistencies and so on uh instead of looking at the central core of The Narrative of the prosecution’s case we’ll see how it turns out Point well made yeah how many lawmakers can you jam into a courtroom stay tuned John Jerry J uh the three JS thank you guys thanks for streaming with us I’m Kira Phillips the news never stops neither do we we’ll be right [Music] back whenever wherever news breaks it’s so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London in Buffalo yaldi Texas edinb Scotland reporting from Rolling Fork Mississippi Ukrainian refugees here in waron we’re heading to a small community outside of Mexico City getting you behind the story as they happen ABC News live Prime we’ll take you there stream ABC News live week nights wherever you stream your news only on ABC News live with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television amica’s number one most watched newscast across all of television first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th pole the buzz kill in baseball the first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the me is the Super Bowl of red carpet the celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the me gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day top stories start here now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming make it your daily first listen wherever you get your podcasts hey good afternoon everyone I’m Kira Phillips our top story this hour Michael Cohen back on the stand for cross-examination kicking off a combative start Donald Trump’s defense attorneys getting their first opportunity at tearing down the former fixers credibility prosecutors wrapping their examination of Cohen after the last two days on the stand the one-time fixer detailing how Trump absolutely knew his actions were illegal and that the former president warned him not to flip on him in a not so subtle show of support the former president joined at the courthouse by quite the Entourage of heavyweight GOP lawmakers including house Speaker Mike Johnson and a few others considered VP contenders for Trump’s 2024 election our senior reporter Kathleen f falers is there outside the court also executive editorial producer John zanui and Jerry Goldfield or senior councel at Coen and oconor so Katherine just catch us up uh to what has happened I guess within the past few minutes I understand it’s gotten pretty heated it has kir and it certainly started off that way with Trump’s lead defense attorney Todd blanch confronting Michael Cohen with a comment that Cohen actually made about him him being blanch and names that he he called called him that that frankly uh I can’t really read on the air to you that question that that blanch asked that first question was stricken from the record but now what blanch is doing is confronting Michael Cohen with comments that Cohen has made about Trump publicly things that he is um said about him that are rather disparaging I’m reading this Kira because it’s all coming out of the courtroom as we speak and and blanch is essentially saying did you say these things for example about Donald Trump there’s lots of EXP in here that I can’t read to you on the air but to say the least it’s quite colorful language and Cohen is then responding and saying yeah that sounds like something I would say or I recall saying that we know that he’s been on uh Tik Tok you saw our exclusive reporting on that and Cohen has spoken uh publicly recently about Trump but also uh in the past so right now that’s what blanch is trying to establish that Coen has said these things about Donald Trump and he really wants to at least show that to the jury that this is a man and in the Trump defense team’s uh perspective uh that shouldn’t be trusted because look this is the way he feels about Trump and this is what he said publicly so Jerry the defense is going to attempt now to of course poke as many holes as possible in Cohen’s testimony uh where do you think they’ll start well I think what they’re starting to do is to to try to show that he hates Trump and that’s his motivation it’s revenge and therefore he shouldn’t be believed I’m not sure that they’ll succeed in that uh obviously Michael con needs to keep his cool and not take the bait uh while he’s on the stand but just because he has strong feelings about uh Trump um and by the way it’s a very complicated set of feelings over many years it’s a it was a LoveHate relationship it was like a fatherson relationship and so therefore he he felt uh great admiration for Trump and he also felt real disappointment and hurt uh by what Trump uh did with him and so uh this complication is something that’s been conveyed to the jury already and the defense’s attempt to just to try to create a narrative that the only reason he’s testifying uh against Trump is because he really hates him I think he’s going to fo on deaf ears and I don’t think it’s going to work because there’s really still no counternarrative of everything that uh Michael con is uh testified to so John in ABC News ipsus poll from earlier this month shows that 80% of trump supporters would still support the former president even if he’s convicted I mean he really has a grasp on this uh and particularly his supporters no matter what happens well look Kira he said famously years ago that he could shoot someone on Fifth afternoon and not lose any of his base and that has remained true all these years later it’s despite everything I mean in normal worlds you would think a guy that’s been convicted in four different jurisdictions at originally over 90 criminal accounts between all the different four indictments up and down the East Coast that this would not be possible but as Ronda Santos said last year every indictment has made Donald Trump stronger and these Court proceedings the fact and you alluded to this earlier the fact of look at everybody that’s at court with him today alone I mean we we’ve lost count on how many US senators are there members of Congress now you got the speaker of the house you have the second in command of the Republican party also happens to be his daughter-in-law I I mean th this is where this is showing Donald Trump’s political strength now look that’s our poll there is other polling out there that is also suggested that there could be a crack in Donald Trump’s Foundation if he’s convicted here in this case so I do think it’ll be interesting to see what happens we’re obviously you know nearing the end of the prosecution’s case they’ve said that they’re pretty much coming down to an end maybe as soon as the end of this week and then we have to see what the defense does but in one way and I was having this conversation with our colleague Rachel Scott earlier Kira that you know Donald Trump benefits a bit from time and the fact that this case could be all wrapped up before Memorial Day possibly some of the other cases the documents case the Georgia case I don’t think they’re going to see the light of day before the election and we have to wait and see what the Supreme Court does on the other case all right John Jerry Katherine thank you coming up Baltimore Rising are Terry Moran at the sight of the keybridge demol Demolition and the deadly tornadoes sweeping across the South we’ve got the latest [Music] next this is not about parents who just let their kid watch violent movies play violent video games this is about parents who neglected their son ignored his cries for help then bought him a gun the first parents in America to be charged in a school shooting they purchased that gun for him and bragged about it you don’t get to walk away from that that’s a criminal act sins of the parents the crumbly trials the opposite of love is not hate it’s just being ignored only on Hulu why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start [Music] here glad you’re streaming with us millions of Americans facing a new threat of extreme weather now after a deadly tornado outbreak across the South powerful twisters and severe storms swept through the Ozarks and Louisiana overnight at least two people were killed debris sent flying into the streets and what was the 19th straight day of tornado touchdowns in the US in St Martin Parish homes and trailers toppled over survivors surveying the damage and picking up the pieces of their lives it sounded like hurricane Ida with trees snapping and branches hitting wind blowing you could hear the whistling through the doors kind of like you know just that scary sound that maybe there was a tornado up real high parts of the Tennessee Valley and Florida Peninsula now under threat for severe storms let’s bring in our meteorologist Kenton GOI for more what’s the biggest concern today you think Kenton yeah Kira our biggest threat is really going to be the chance for more showers and thunderstorms to turn severe and give us chances for the hail the damaging winds and even a tornado or two there were severe thunderstorm Wars out earlier in Florida those are now gone now we’re really focusing for the afternoon and into the early parts of the evening into Nashville to Atlanta so when we look at that system let’s take a look hour by hour by 5:00 P p.m. Nashville down to decar you are going to have some showers and thunderstorms they could be strong to severe going over towards Knoxville as you head later into the evening some pop-ups over there towards Atlanta as well also 900 pm. check out Jacksonville down there in Florida you will see over for Virginia Beach and areas in the Mid-Atlantic some showers and thunderstorms those are not expected to be severe by the way just some rain over there but as we head into the overnight hours and early tomorrow morning a new day and a new chance for severe weather in Florida here’s Orlando around 11:00 a.m. to Tampa you could have some storms with hail and damaging winds and even an isolated tornado there and then if you think well that’s going to continue all the way down to Miami it doesn’t it’s going to break apart and instead that part of Southern Florida is going to be dealing with record-breaking temperatures we’re talking about highs records in the middle to Upper 90s even going down to Key West at 92 that would be a record high and the heat index by the way that feel like temperature at 105 or higher but for much of the nation it’s not about the heat it’s actually about the rainfall so over the next week that’s what we’re looking at on this map the next seven days a lot of passing showers and thunderstorms especially there in the South as you can see but a lot of rain expected and the biggest threat is actually in a couple days on Thursday parts of Texas which have seen four times their normal precipitation over the last month they’re in it again with a high chance for flash flooding so certainly they are on alert already for that on Thursday Kira all right Kenton thanks so much much well the Port of Baltimore is one step closer to fully fully reopening crew is now working to remove all the parts of the Francis Scott Key bridge and free that cargo ship that hit it a controlled explosion as you just saw brought down the largest remaining part of the collapse Bridge yesterday with the ship’s crew still on board here’s our senior National correspondent Terry Moran and who was there the Port of Baltimore now one step closer to fully reopening after a powerful controlled explosion brought down the largest remaining section of the Key Bridge Crews used small Precision explosives to cut through the giant steel trusses safely and efficiently sending the massive structure tumbling off the cargo ship the dolly and into the water we’re now very close to fully clearing the channel we’re already getting large ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore the dolly has been stuck for 7 weeks after crashing into the bridge and sending it thundering down there last reported at least several vehicles in the water with several people still on counter for killing six construction workers on the surface and underwater now crews are assessing the area hoping to move that ship back to Port within 48 Hours it is an important milestone for us to float The Vessel Dolly and take it out of the federal champ even then the ship’s crew will remain on board they’re critical to repair efforts as well as to multiple investigations there’s still more wreckage obstructing the port crews are working around the clock to finish the job aiming to fully clear the channel by the end of this month there is a special sense of of mission it seems in everybody you meet who’s on this project that’s right everyone is pulling together everyone is rallying to this cause and our thanks to Terry Moran coming up Michael Cohen may be turning on Trump but Florida Republican Congressman Byron Donald sure isn’t he’s in court with the former president and joining us next to tell us why important to always remember that lives are changed here in London in Buffalo yaldi Texas edin BR Scotland reporting from Rolling Fork Mississippi Ukrainian refugees here in war song we’re heading to a small community outside of Mexico City getting you behind the stories as they Happ ABC News live Prime we’ll take you there stream ABC News live week nights wherever you stream your news only on ABC News live first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 177 P the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News [Music] [Applause] [Music] live come it to me ABC News America’s number one news source reporting from Monteray Park California I’m Robin Roberts wherever wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live glad you’re streaming with us well Michael Cohen returning to the witness stand just minutes ago in Donald Trump’s hush money trial it’s expected to be a feisty cross-examination from Trump’s legal team too inside the courtroom though a slew of former president’s political allies publicly slamming trial as a sham one of those supporters who is alongside the former president today potential VP pick Florida Congressman Byron Donalds he joins us from outside the courthouse good to see you sir good to be with you thanks for having me on so Congressman let me ask you why do you want to be by Trump’s side today well first of all is to demonstrate support for president Trump having to deal with this foolishness that’s happening in New York City today that’s been going on for the last four weeks number two this is a travesty of the justice system there’s still no underlying crime that’s actually been revealed and Michael Cohen the the star witness for the prosecution they just finished with him they’re not calling any more witnesses for the prosecution and so now you have a situation where they’ve took him four weeks there is no underlining crime that they’ve been able to establish so of course I’m going stand with President Trump and and quite frankly regardless of your politics everybody should be standing against a misuse of the justice system for political purposes that is what’s happening in New York well let me ask you Congressman do you think Trump should take the stand um quite frankly that’s something for his legal team I’m not going to answer that because they’re going to make that rationale with their with with President Trump it’s not about him taking the stand it’s about looking at the evidence or frankly the evidence that does not exist that the prosecution has brought here in New York City you got Matthew Colangelo the number three guy who was the number three guy at Main Justice he down to be on the prosecuting line for Alvin brag that demonstrates the coordination between main Justice the Democrat Party the White House and unfortunately the court system in New York just to get Donald Trump that is unamerican we are better than that this is not about people’s personal feelings or political feelings it’s about the system of justice well let me ask you about the politics because I think the jury will decide what happens in that courtroom uh as the recordings the documents and the testimony will all speak for it self but you along with JD Vance Rick Scott Tommy tuberville now house Speaker Mike Johnson all of you have been to the trial now why is sitting in a New York courtroom with Trump your priority versus hammering out business up on the hill my priority which is what I was elected to do which I swore at all to was to protect the United States and the United States Constitution so when you have a situation where Justice is being misused for political purposes in my view you do have members of Congress and other members who are involved in our politics who have a responsibility to stand in opposition to that I mean take judge Marshon for example his daughter is a Democrat operative his daughter is going to make millions of dollars this election cycle fundraising for Democrats and she’s using the images and the likenesses of this trial to help her fundraise that’s a joke that’s a travesty this is not this is bigger than just a job on Capital Hill it’s what’s happening right now in New York City and I will laugh I’m not under a gag order so I’m going tell the truth I I I understand that but Congressman let’s be real here the former president is using this courtroom is using this case to to raise money as well he brought in a big billion dooll donor the other day he’s got commercials out there he’s putting things out on true social he is using this as a campaign F fundraiser and rally cry every single day he comes out to the cameras and he talks politics to reporters and every single day when he comes out of the courtroom so that’s a little unfair when you’re when you’re saying this is all political when the former Vice or former president is taking advantage of this entire situation to turn it into a campaign event let’s not use fair or unfair because last time I checked Donald Trump is the one that was indicted on ridiculous trumped up charges and yes the pun is intended that’s number one number two judge meran put him under an uncon constitutional gag order not just president Trump his entire campaign team you have the media you have witnesses in this case who are out there talking day and night against Donald Trump he cannot respond his campaign team cannot respond so we’re going to respond for him but if anybody’s playing if any if anybody anybody is playing politics it is the radical left it is Alvin brag it is Judge Marshon and it is the political coordination of using justice system to attack a political rival axios is reporting that you were at this Florida fundraiser where Trump talked about you as a possible VP pick describing you as quote somebody who’s created something very special politically he also went on to say quote likes diversity and that he likes diversity as in the president likes diversity are you concerned at all about being considered for VP in part for the color of your skin no I’m not concerned about that it’s not even about that I think if you if you actually took the full quote of the president he was talking to a room full of donors he was having fun it was a very light moment he also talked about how a lot of donors like me look I’m a very likable person you know people like me all across the country it’s a beautiful thing so he talked about all those things at the end of the day I think president Trump’s going to pick a vice president that’s going to help him win and help him execute the American first agenda that our country so desperately needs once again and and and at that point we’ll move on from there stay tuned Congressman Byron Donalds appreciate you coming to the camera anytime thank you all right let’s take the conversation now to Executive editorial producer John Cuchi also Jay O’Brien who’s up there on the hill and Jerry goldfeder director at forom law schools voting rights and democracy project well that was interesting uh John Trump feeling even more empowered uh to make this Courthouse a campaign site and the judge really can’t stop him from doing that no he can Ian because all of these people that he’s bringing with him are not part of the gag order the gag order is related solely to defendant Donald Trump and look Kira I mean you you did a great job there holding representative Donald’s accountable because the comments he was making there about Judge maran’s daughter are simply not true there is nothing that we have seen so far that she is making millions off of this case and in fact it’s part of the reason why she was protected by this gag order along with all other members of the judge’s family other prosecutors on the case and certainly why on over the weekend as you well know Donald Trump made it the target of his attacks judge Maran and da Alvin Bragg because they are not part of the gag order those two individuals he’s allowed to mention their names however he so chooses and he did so repeatedly Saturday at a huge rally out in New Jersey as you know but look I I think that you know today was something of a different moment right in the sense that yes as you noted in your interview you know you’ve definitely seen several US senators you have seen you know at least one billion dollar fundraiser for Donald Trump but to think that you had the Speaker of the House who has been under Fire Ju Just you know and Jay’s with us so he he’ll be better to talk about this than I am you know just recently survived another uh effort by some of the more um Maga base of that party to throw him out of the speakership to think that he’s there that he’s there and he’s claiming a volunteer capacity we all know that’s just that’s anything from the truth not a volunteer capacity this is the way Donald Trump is testing loyalty in 2024 each of these individuals is showing up it’s remarkable because if you think about 2016 the audition to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential candidate was hged you on TV the audition this time around is will you come to court with me you know Jay Congressman Donald’s I’m looking back at my notes Here made the point about you know the do this all being a corrupt doj Extravaganza uh with with former uh Donald Trump but you’ve got Democratic senator uh Bob Mendez uh right there not far from where he is uh on trial for corruption by the same doj I mean this is this is a nonpartisan situation yeah and if you look at the the split screen between those two trials you’ve seen Democrats including Corey Booker who was a a close friend of Bob bendeez is his fellow senator from New Jersey who after all of these initial charges against Bob Menendez came out and there have been several superseding indictments since then called on Menendez to resign Menendez has said he won’t resign meantime you’ve seen Republicans despite these four criminal cases two of which are federal against the former president jump to Trump’s defense as those Republicans did in court today you’re seeing images of Mike Johnson on your screen standing in the camera shop behind Trump I caught up with Johnson just moments ago cuz he is back here in the capital I asked him what was it like in court today K his his remarks as he said it was a quote interesting day I I called president Trump and told him I wanted to be here myself to call out what is a travesty of justice and I think everybody around the country can see that President Trump is is a friend and I wanted to be here to support him so Jerry what are your thoughts on all these high-profile political appearances I mean should the courtroom be clashing with the campaign Trail like this well the it’s the worst kind of political theater um these folks are there to support the leader of the Republican party that’s their uh motivation uh but Trump uh Trump’s motivation is to uh distract people I think they’re laying the table for a conviction in case he’s convicted um he’s already uh uh loud and clear saying this is uh a sham just like he he’s saying that if he loses the election it’s rigged it’s uh part and parcel of the way he does business the way he uh tries to influence people’s views of what’s going on My worry is if these folks if these senators and Congress people go into the courtroom as they have that’s a subtle way of influencing the jury I suppose the only saving grace is uh Manhattan jurors don’t know who these people are so it probably has no effect and and all of this is uh is just very similar to what the defense is going to do which is to try to poke little holes in uh the testimony of Michael con and other Witnesses um but not address the central story in other words don’t look at what’s really going on look at the shiny objects uh to the side that’s what Trump is doing here with regard to bringing all these uh political people so that Americans uh focus in on that rather than the substance of the trial and in court the defense will be uh asking the jury to be distracted as well with regard to little inconsistencies and so on uh instead of looking at the central core of the Narrative of the prosecution’s case we’ll see how it turns out Point well made yeah how many lawmakers can you jam into a courtroom stay tuned John Jerry J uh the three JS thank you guys thanks for streaming with us I’m Kira Phillips the news never stops neither do we we’ll be right [Music] back whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at War en rolling for this tornado T through this town from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly Miss strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there your streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love this great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you thank you David good to meet you is David David yes yes I’m David M I know you are watch you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast it’s watchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news music and of course good food a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that I’m Ariel RF in Norwalk Connecticut wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live [Music] and good afternoon everyone I’m Kira Phillips our top story this hour we’re getting combative over his credibility right now a firey cross-examination of Michael Cohen in Donald Trump’s hush money trial Trump’s attorneys getting their first opportunity to question Cohen’s character the prosecution wrapping its direct examination just a short time ago with Cohen saying the former president absolutely knew his actions were legal and that Trump warned his former fixer not to flip on him Cohen also detailed how his former boss directed him to make that $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels leading us off this hour our investigative correspondent Olivia Rubin she’s outside Court also Jerry goldfeder senior counsel at Coen o Conor and RJ O’Brien up there on the hill Olivia Cohen says uh you know events on Tik Tok because he has trouble sleeping meanwhile Trump appears to be sleeping at times in court well that is essentially what is going on right now Cohen has been under cross-examination for about 45 minutes now kir and his Donald Trump’s attorney Todd Blan wasting absolutely no time starting to go after him and his credibility but not yet Kira about the facts of the case not about what Cohen has testified to for the previous nine hours in court but what Michael Cohen has been saying mainly on social media on Tik Tok on Twitter in various News interviews over the past couple of years as people began to know that he was involved in these investigations and to is picking at him over and over and over again saying in front of the jury specific statements that Cohen said online such as Donald Trump being deserved to be locked in a cage or calling him a dictator but Cohen not being uh not flinching so far sort of coping to what uh Todd blanch is saying saying yes that sounds like something I would say he is even snipping back at Todd at times to say I can’t recall what you’re talking about Todd even trying to pick at Michael Cohen’s memory so just these first 45 minutes Kira is starting to get a sense of what is likely to be hours of heated examination of Michael Cohen again trying to call in his credibility someone motivated by hatred to lie against Donald Trump so Jerry what do you think of Cohen’s post on Tik Tok I mean he’s pretty good with the filters well he he he doesn’t have a lot of self-discipline uh but that’s not news and I think the defense is going after his statements and his uh narratives on Tik Tok and other social media just to show that or to try to show that he hates Donald Trump and that’s the reason as Olivia said that’s the reason he told this story and the defense will then go after the story itself The Narrative of the charges but right now they’re laying the table to show that he’s just filled with uh disgust and hate for Donald Trump it’s it’s something that the the prosecution will uh on redirect will resuscitate him uh rehabilitate him rather with regard to his very complicated relationship with Trump um it was a LoveHate relationship a fatherson relationship um and uh what the defense is trying to do now is just to show that he was just motivated by by hatred of trump and therefore none of what he says about the catch and kill scheme and the cover up and the repayment is true it’s it’s not a very smart uh defense strategy but I think that that’s all they can do is to try to pick them apart we’ll see how the jury responds to it yes we will Jay um I’ll tell you who’s responding to everything going on in court the uh posy that Trump has been packing into the courtroom all these lawmakers showing up potential running mates showing up here at trial hoping to be VP what do you think yeah two members of the House there today in addition to the speaker Cory Mills Byron Donald’s Byron donals often talked about as a potential VP pick both of those are Republican members of the house from Florida and then of course the most powerful Republican politician to join Trump by his side in court uh so far speaker Mike Johnson was there today I caught up with the speaker when he returned here to the capital I asked him what were his Impressions he said it was a quote interesting day but the speaker also spoke with reporters when he emerged from that courtroom here’s what he said I don’t appear it doesn’t appear that we have the speaker but what he said is a version of what he said in the past here on Capitol Hill that he has deep disagreements with this prosecution he says it’s political he had some Choice words for Michael Cohen and the list goes on and on and on but as John has said uh on this broadcast before this is a lit Miss test for Republicans to see their loyalty to the former president a lot of them including a source close to the speaker are fla are framing this as a voluntary act meaning that the speaker said he was in town a source tells me volunteered to go with Trump to court and Trump said come along but also Trump is keeping a close eye it would seem on the Republicans who accompany him to court and certainly also while it has that political benefit for Trump to show a political show of force it also has a benefit for Republicans including speaker Johnson who has some Maga hardliners like margorie Taylor green who have come for his job margerie taylor green tried to house the speaker just last week so it’s also advantageous for Mike Johnson to say to some of his Maga detractors including green look here I am as you see in that camera shot there standing literally and figuratively behind Trump so Jerry what do you think should Trump testify of course he should test ify because he’s the only one who can refute or attempt to refute uh the story that the prosecution has put on U uh on uh has has developed over time through Michael con through David pecker through all the other Witnesses he’s not going to testify because he’s not a real truth teller I think we know that and I think his lawyers uh will try to stop him from testifying but you never know with him he may just feel that he’s the only one who can tell his story that can persuade the jurors uh I think it would be a little nuts to do it and I think it would backfire on him but in a way he may be the only one who can save himself uh on this trial stay tuned Olivia Jerry and Jay thanks guys coming up Israeli demonstrations blocking shipments of aid headed to Gaza we’ll take you there we’re also going to talk to the man who wrote Iraq’s counterinsurgency plan about what he thinks Israel is doing wrong in its fight against Hamas whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war after that brutal surprise attack by Hamas on the ground in Ukraine reporting from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting ABC News live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in Turkey en rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 2024 campaign Trail in Iceland let’s go traveling with the president in Mexico City wherever the story from the front lines from Southern Israel outside the Gaza Strip in Beirut from the FBI reporting from the nurses on the picket line here at 10 Downing Street in London streaming live to you wherever the story is wherever the story is wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere America’s number one streaming news first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th poll the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here right along glad you’re streaming with US President Biden just signed sweeping new tariffs on electric vehicles batteries steel aluminum and semiconductors exported from China all while directing ripping his appointment or his opponent rather former president Trump take a listen my Administration is combining investments in America with tariffs that are strategic and targeted it’s a smart approach compare that to the PRI what the PRI Administration did the my predecessor promised increase American exports and boost manufacturing but he didn’t either he failed he signed a trade with China senior White House correspondent Selena Wang joining me now so Selena let’s talk about how significant these new tariffs are on Chinese Imports and of course as soon as you mention electric cars everybody starts tuning in what’s the deal yeah this is a big deal Cara and it comes after many years of review from the Biden Administration on how to deal with tariffs remember the Trump administration had placed tariffs on some $300 billion dollar worth of goods at the time Biden had been very critical of that move but now not only is he maintaining those tariffs but he’s actually building on them so this would be tariffs on 18 billion doar worth of Chinese Imports it includes quadrupling tariffs Kira on Chinese electric cars from 25 to 100% Now Chinese EVs do not have significant market share here in the US but the White House says that all of these moves are to try and protect these high-tech industries from cheaper Chinese Goods that they say would wipe out the competition earlier in his remark President Biden was highly critical of beijing’s policies which they say are subsidizing these industries creating artificially cheap products that they say are already putting many manufacturers around the world out of business now Kira there are obviously critical political implications here where 6 months away from the election and you have both Biden and Trump fighting to look tougher on China as they try to win over those workingclass voters and President Biden well aware of the recent polling which shows that he is actually trailing behind Trump in several critical Battleground states where manufacturing is a top issue for voters so Selena how is Trump responding to this move and how is his tariff policy any different from Biden’s well Trump did criticize Biden’s move when he was in the courthouse today he said it was too little too late essentially and said it should have been something that was done long ago he also said quote China is eating our lunch now again back in 2019 President Biden had called Trump’s tariffs on China not a smart move he criticized them for essentially being a tax on consumers that the American people have to pay and now his administration is choosing to keep those tariffs from the Trump era time in place Administration officials are telling me they’re making that move because they believe that China hasn’t made changes as a result of that tariff and Trade Agreement now there’s been intense criticism though from some groups including the national retail Federation who say that all of this does is put taxes on products that consumers pay for at a time when consumers are dealing with inflation this is really the last thing that they need all right Selena Wang at the White House Selena thanks so [Applause] [Music] much so the United Nations says that more than 450,000 Palestinians have now fled the southern Gaza town of Rafa just in the past week amid that threat of famine and violence and it comes in much needed Airbound for southern Gaza or Aid Bound for southern Gaza and how that’s been blocked Israeli demonstrators have been destroying food and Aid even setting fire to Aid trucks our foreign correspondent Marcus Moore witnessed one such event joins me now from Tel Aviv it’s heartwrenching Marcus Akira for weeks Israeli demonstrators have been blocking entire roadways in an effort to prevent a trucks from reaching Gaza and today our team witnessed more dramatic and agitated scenes near an Israeli border crossing outside hiin this is where trucks were carrying aid from Jordan those trucks were temporarily stopped from passing and many in that group said that the aid is feeding the enemy and here’s what else a demonstrator told me today you got to finish off your enemy you don’t send food at the same time that’s going probably 50% at least to the Kamas people now today’s incident comes a day after demonstrators destroyed food and supplies Bound for Gaza and set fire to a trucks today there was a noticeable increase in police presence with SWAT team members standing by near the same border crossing outside hibron the um extra police presence follows a strong us condemnation of yesterday’s violence uh Israeli police arresting some of those who were involved in that incident meanwhile today we saw a man holding a baby scuffling with police he told another demonstrator that that baby was his shield Kira Marcus for us there in Israel Marcus thank you well as Russia surges forward in Ukraine there is no stopping Israel either as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu makes it very clear that his War won’t end until he completely destroys Hamas now three top military leaders here in the US spoke to the Washington post about what they see as Israel’s failure to learn from the past specifically the mistakes the US made in Iraq retired lieutenant colonel Dr John naggle is one of those quoted in the oped and he says that Israel’s Gaza strategy against the terrorist organization Hamas is just simply not working John joins me from Carlile Pennsylvania where he now teaches at the army war college John good to see you you know President Biden secretary of state blinkin Secretary of Defense Austin just to name a few of the Heavy Hitters have told Netanyahu to not only back off from the bombing but don’t invade Rafa from your experience does Netanyahu and his right-wing Coalition allies even his senior IDF officers even respect our US military advice well to be fair to them our track record in fighting insurgencies isn’t all that it might be but in this case we’re really hoping they will learn from the mistakes the United States made the mistakes that I saw uh when I was fighting in that war early in Iraq and we’re afraid that Israel is making a bunch of the same mistakes that we made we’d really like to learn from our mistakes you literally wrote the textbook for counter Insurgency you say that Israel needs to learn from our mistakes particularly in Iraq we all know that the US went in there to take down Saddam to wipe out terrorism you were there I was there at the same time it all blew up in our face you can’t just come into a country and clear out the bad guys and then take off you have to clear hold build that’s something that uh you teach and and I and I witnessed you do it do you think Israel is what do you think specifically that Israel is doing wrong here so Israel is making the same mistake that we made early in the Iraq War they’re clearing and leaving and and I did my doctoral work on the Vietnam War and we made the same mistake there and it’s it’s just heartbreaking to read the reports of American soldiers in Vietnam clearing a sector and then six months later having to clear it again because after they Departed the insurgents moved back in we saw that again in Iraq you saw it happening there and now the Israelis are seeing it happen and the Israeli generals are comp complaining to their government that they are clearing a sector and then months later being sent back to clear it again so if you the the only purpose of a war is to build a better peace and to to build a better peace when you’re fighting terrorists you can’t just chase them out of a neighborhood you’ve got to stay there to keep them from moving back in you’ve got to protect the population and then you’ve got to build some of the resources that will get the people to over the long term support the government instead of the Insurgency it took us years to relearn that lesson in Iraq so how do you wipe out Hamas for good could the Palestinians ever have their own security Force because that’s exactly what the US tried to do in Iraq build up Iraqi forces so they could protect themselves and we failed miserably at that how do you go in to a place like like Gaza the West Bank um and and create a Palestinian security Force so Gaza and the West Bank are two different places I wouldn’t recommend trying to build it in Gaza right now but I do think that the Israelis are are very late in working to build a Palestinian security Force ultimately in any counter Insurgency campaign you don’t want to keep your own troops there forever you want local forces to to take over that’s what what we ultimately did in Iraq we trained Iraqi Security Forces who are now tenuously holding control of that country in Afghanistan we got involved in that effort too late and the Afghan Security Forces couldn’t hold without American advisers the in the short term we need a two-state solution so that Arab countries so that Jordan so that Egypt probably with Saudi funding will provide Arab Security Forces to police Gaza after Hamas has been defeated there and then over the long term Israel has to build its own Security Forces out of the Palestinians who will provide long-term security for that area so that the Israelis don’t have to do it indefinitely Dr John ngle always great to talk to you appreciate the oped appreciate you joining us hope we can talk again John thank you I’d like that thank you meanwhile a massive Manhunt underway in France for escaped inmate after a Brazen Ambush on a prison van French officials there saying two officers were killed in the attack three other officers injured two of them reportedly in serious condition now we do have video from the scene that shows the two hooded men with armed with military style guns nearby a car that just went up in Flames our foreign correspondent Tom Sufi burdge has been following the late breaking story he’s uh near Paris uh Tom tell us about the jailbreak uh and what’s up with the the attempt to to try and find uh those involved yeah weira that massive man hunt is still ongoing across France tonight basically at 11:00 uh local time this morning a police prison van and another law enforcement vehicle we’re just going through a toll station uh just to the north of Paris uh just as those Vehicles went through the toll station a black car suddenly appeared and ramm them uh then gunman emerged from that vehicle uh with assault rifles uh surrounded the vehicle shots were fired two French prison officers killed three injured two of them are in a critical condition tonight uh the gunman and the Prisoner who was busted out of that van made a getaway in another vehicle French police have recovered that vehicle tonight uh but the Man Hunter is still ongoing and this is an unprecedented attack uh in modern French in modern French times so let’s talk about how police are characterizing this attack what what has been the reaction throughout France well I think this attack is uh is being treated as organized crime clearly the suspect had been in prison according to his mother who spoken to French TV for the last two years he had multiple convictions uh he was in court this morning uh according to French officials up in h which is a city to 2 hours to the north of Paris he was then being brought in that prison van uh further south back to his jail cell when the attack was launched but it was clearly a very well-coordinated attack uh military grade assault rifles used in the attack that is sort of raising very uncomfortable questions tonight in France about the availability of those weapons about the the the the ruthless and and organized nature that that this attack was carried out and French officials really are reeling there’s a deep sense of shock across France that this type of attack could be carried out to such deadly effects and that prison officers have been killed the first prison officers to be killed in France since 1992 so there is a deep sense of shock here tonight and The Manhunt is still ongoing Cara all right we’ll track it Tom Sufi Burge right near Paris there thank you coming up tragedy on the highway the deadly bus crash involving Farm Workers in rural Florida [Music] what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters This our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to go [Music] the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love this great work hi where are you where are you appreciate thank David than me is David David yes yes I’m David M I know you are watch you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast this is not about parents who just let their kid watch violent movies play violent video games this is about parents who neglected their son ignored his cries for help and then bought him a gun the first parents in America to be charged in a school shooting they purchased that gun for him and bragged about it you don’t get to walk away from that that’s a criminal act sins of the parents the crumbly trial the opposite of love is not hate it’s just being ignored only on Hulu why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R ml Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here reporting in Las Vegas at the unlb shootings I’m Jaclyn Lee wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News [Music] live thanks for streaming with us we are now following breaking news out of Florida where a bus carrying Farm Workers has overturned leaving at least 8 people dead it happened earlier this morning on West Highway 40 in Central Florida roughly 53 Farm Workers were on board when the bus crashed we’re now being told there is a high probability that there will be even more deaths reported our Phil Lipoff is following this story what’s the latest this hour Phil that’s because there are several people in critical condition right now Kira this happened about 6:30 this morning on State Road 48 in dellan Florida that’s about 45 miles south of Gainesville this bus you see there was carrying 53 Farm Workers headed to a watermelon Farm was in a involved in a crash with a Ford Ranger truck we have a few more details right now about that that crash apparently the truck veered toward the center line for some reason and they sideswiped each other the bus then went off the road through that fence there Highway Patrol arrived to find eight of the workers already dead at the scene another 40 or so taken to area hospitals eight still remain in critical condition First Responders are calling this a devastating bus crash listen listen to the latest at this point we have uh eight confirmed fatalities we’ve had a approximately 40 people transported to local area hospitals uh some of those are also in very serious condition I can tell you that it’s going to be probably 6 months at least before we conclude factually what transpired here today the that’s because there are so many details Kira there were there were so many people who needed to be transported to the hospital they actually brought a school bus in uh to help and that caused some concern from parents but no school children were involved they just used the school bus to transport people and the person who was driving that truck Kira uh was taken to the hospital in serious condition as well obviously the person driving the truck uh will have a lot of answers for police figure out why the truck veered toward the center line in the first place Phil thank you uh we’ll follow what is truly a tragic story uh happening still thank you some other headlines that we’re following this hour 147 people have died half a million more have been displaced amid the devastating floods in southern Brazil Rivers rising to record high levels turning the streets into lakes and forcing people to seek Higher Ground more rain still on the way with flood flood alerts rather issued for the next few few days now and then over in South Florida the search is on for a boat involving a fatal hit and run that killed a 15-year-old police say that Ella Adler was killed while wakeboarding in Miami over the weekend investigators and Adler’s family are offering up $20,000 for any information to help them close this case Red Lobster suddenly shutting down dozens of restaurants around the country this comes mid reports at the seafood chain is considering filing for bankruptcy to cover debts the company has not spoken about the closures but the chain blamed its ultimate endless shrimp deal for an $1 million loss last year wow thanks for streaming with us I’m Kira Phillips the news never stops we’ll be right [Music] back whenever wherever news breaks it’s so important to always remember that lives are changed here in London in Buffalo yaldi Texas Edinburgh Scotland reporting from Rolling Fork Mississippi Ukrainian refugees here in warong we’re heading to a small community outside of Mexico City getting you behind the stories as they happen ABC News live Prime we’ll take you there stream ABC News live week nights wherever you stream your news only on ABC News live with so much at stake so much on the line more americ Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of television first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th hole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the meel is the Super Bowl of red carpet the celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about Awakening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the Met Gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories start here now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming make it your daily first than and good afternoon everyone I’m Kira Phillips our top story this hour the fiery and combative cross-examination of Michael Cohen right now attorneys for former president Trump questioning the character of his one-time fixer in Trump’s historic hush money trial defense lawyers focusing on Cohen’s use of Tik Tok and how the former Trump lawyer supposedly cashed in on the trial through a number of social media live streams the prosecution wrapping its direct examination just a short time ago with Cohen saying that the former president absolutely knew that all his actions were legal and that Trump warned Michael Cohen not to flip on him our senior reporter kathern falers is just outside Court also Jerry goldfeld or senior council at Kosen o Conor plus deputy director uh for politics here at ABC Avery Harper joining in on the conversation so proceedings Katherine have been uh quite contentious no surprise since Cohen got back on the stand yeah Kira no surprise at all I think the common denominator here is that Trump’s defense attorneys are trying to use Cohen’s words against him whether it’s what you just mentioned about Cohen taking to Tik Tock even in recent days to talk about Trump and to comment about this trial or if it’s what Cohen said in the past about for example Trump’s book The Art of the deal which he called a masterpiece Todd blanch Trump’s lawyers tried to obviously get him to to admit that and and say that that’s in fact what he said a book that he’s read more than uh once and they’re trying to paint this picture of Cohen’s relationship with Trump obviously before he decided that and Trump in his words was a quote unquote con man so the before and after if you will and and I think what central Kira to at least what Trump’s defense attorneys are going to try and do here is Michael Cohen’s credibility so there was an interesting moment in the court this back and forth with blanch and Cohen where they’re discussing what a lie even is and blanch tries to get Cohen to say you did lie to the special council’s office this was car you remember in Trump’s involvement about Trump’s involvement in the Trump Tower project in Moscow Cohen kept saying well the information wasn’t accurate and blanch said wasn’t a lie he said Cohen said I don’t know if I would characterize it as a lie I it was inaccurate and there was this whole back and forth about how do you distinguish between something being inaccurate and a lie Cohen ultimately conceded okay fine it was a lie but that’s important because that’s the heart of what the Trump defense is trying to do here paint Cohen as a liar he’s been convicted of lying and paint him as a witness who the jury should believe is not credible so Jerry what do you make of the line of questioning from the defense so far well as as you said a moment ago it’s no surprise the jurors know that he’s a liar the jurors know that he’s not the best witness in the world he’s a little unsavory they know that he used to love Donald Trump he would take a bullet for him in his words they know that they that he now hates Donald Trump he’s admitted that the only thing that really matters to the jurors at the end of the day is whether his story is true whether the catch and kill scheme and the repayment and the cover up and Trump’s involvement here was credible if they believe that he was credible in telling that story which was corroborated by other Witnesses and documents if they believe that that’s what matters that’s what the defense attorneys really need to go after and try to pick apart all right well Avery uh reporters inside the courtroom uh making note of how Trump appears to be falling asleep even though the testimony is getting pretty testy um is he tired or just not interested in what Cohen has to say look I’m not inside the mind of the former president uh he could very well be tired these have been some long days inside this courtroom uh but he also could just be showing openly his disdain for Michael Cohen his disdained for this entire process we know that when he goes and he speaks to cameras and to the media outside of the courtroom he openly shows his contempt for uh these legal cases uh it’s actually been a part of uh the way that the Trump campaign has uh used this trial to uh try and rally support from his base and so uh not entirely surprising to see the former president a not off in court today Katherine how does the jury appear to be reacting uh to all the testimony and maybe a little shed eye by the former president there right Kira it’s a good question I was inside the courtroom earlier and the jury was quite engaged here but as our reporters inside the courtroom now have noted that now that Trump’s lawyers are questioning Cohen it’s almost like a tennis match if you will that’s how Jonathan Carl referred to it they look at Michael Cohen and they look at Todd blanch as he’s questioning and it’s back and forth and back and forth so they seem really really engaged at least in the line of questioning from the defense let’s see if it holds uh but definitely certainly uh uh more if you will level of Engagement from the jury that we’ve seen uh so far all right Katherine Jerry Avery thank you all so much and coming up Israeli demonstrators blocking shipments of Aid headed to Gaza we’ll take you there we also talked to the man who wrote a rock’s counterinsurgency plan about why he thinks Israel’s strategy against Hamas just isn’t working whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly Miss strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of [Music] [Applause] [Music] Television come it it why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th poll the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live right along glad you’re streaming with US President Biden just signed sweeping new tariffs on electric vehicles batteries steel aluminum and semiconductors exported from China all while directing ripping his appointment or his opponent rather former president Trump take a listen my Administration is combining investments in America with tariffs that are strategic and targeted it’s a smart approach compare that to the PRI what the pr Administration did the my predecessor promised increase American exports and boost manufacturing but he didn’t either he failed he signed a trade deal with China senior White House correspondent Selena Wang joining me now so Selena let’s talk about how significant these new tariffs are on Chinese Imports and of course as soon as you mention Electric s everybody starts tuning in what’s the deal yeah this is a big deal Cara and it comes after many years of review from the Biden Administration on how to deal with tariffs remember the Trump administration had placed tariffs on some $300 billion dollar worth of goods at the time Biden had been very critical of that move but now not only is he maintaining those tariffs but he’s actually building on them so this would be tariffs on $8 billion worth of Chinese Imports it includes quadrupling tariffs Kira on Chinese electric cars from 25 to 100% Now Chinese EVs do not have significant market share here in the US but the White House says that all of these moves are to try and protect these high-tech industries from cheaper Chinese Goods that they say would wipe out the competition earlier in his remarks President Biden was highly critical of beijing’s policies which they say are subsidizing these industries creating artificially cheap products that they say are already putting many manufacturers around the world out of business now Kira are obviously critical political implications here we’re 6 months away from the election and you have both Biden and Trump fighting to look tougher on China as they try to win over those workingclass voters and President Biden well aware of the recent polling which shows that he is actually trailing behind Trump in several critical Battleground states where manufacturing is a top issue for voters so Selena how is Trump responding to this move and how is his tariff policy any different from Biden’s well Trump did criticize Biden’s move when he was in the courthouse today he said it was too little too late essentially and said it should have been something that was done long ago he also said quote China is eating our lunch now again back in 2019 President Biden had called Trump’s tariffs on China not a smart move he criticized them for essentially being a tax on consumers that the American people have to pay and now his administration is choosing to keep those tariffs from the Trump era time in place Administration officials are telling me they’re making that move because they believe that China hasn’t made changes as a result of that tariff and Trade Agreement now there’s been intense criticism though from some groups including the national retail Federation who say that all of this does is put taxes on products that consumers pay for and at a time when consumers are dealing with inflation this is really the last thing that they need all right Selena Wang at the White House Selena thanks so much [Applause] [Music] so the United Nations says that more than 450,000 Palestinians have now fled the southern Gaza town of Rafa just in the past week amid that threat of famine and violence and it comes in much needed Airbound for southern Gaza or Aid Bound for southern Gaza and how that’s been blocked is really demonstrators have been destroying food and Aid even setting fire to Aid trucks our for correspondent Marcus Moore witnessed one such event joins me now from Tel Aviv it’s heart-wrenching Marcus Akira for weeks Israeli demonstrators have been blocking entire roadways in an effort to prevent a trucks from reaching Gaza and today our team witnessed more dramatic and agitated scenes near an Israeli border crossing outside hiin this is where trucks were carrying aid from Jordan those trucks were temporarily stopped from passing and many in that group said that the aid is feeding the enemy and here’s what else the demonstrator told me today you got to finish off your enemy you don’t send food at the same time that’s going probably 50% at least to the Hamas people now today’s incident comes a day after demonstrators destroyed food and supplies Bound for Gaza and set fire to Aid trucks today there was a noticeable increase in police presence with SWAT team members standing by near the same border crossing outside hibron the um extra police presence follows a strong us condemnation of yesterday’s violence uh Israeli police arresting some of those who were involved in that incident meanwhile today we saw a man holding a baby scuffling with police he told another demonstrator that that baby was his shield Kira Marcus more for us there in Israel Marcus thank you well as Russia surges forward in Ukraine there is no stopping Israel either as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu makes it very clear that his War won’t end until he completely destroys Hamas now three top military leaders here in the US spoke to the Washington post about what they see as Israel’s failure to learn from the past specifically the mistakes the US made in Iraq retired lieutenant colonel Dr John naggle is one of those quoted in the oped and he says that Israel’s Gaza strategy against the terrorist organization Hamas is just simply not working John joins me from Carlile Pennsylvania where he now teaches at the army war War college John good to see you you know President Biden secretary of state blinkin Secretary of Defense Austin just to name a few of the Heavy Hitters have told Netanyahu to not only back off from the bombing but don’t invade Rafa from your experience does Netanyahu and his right-wing Coalition allies even his senior IDF officers even respect our US military advice well to be fair to them our track record in fighting insurgencies isn’t all that it might be but in this case we’re really hoping they will learn from the mistakes the United States made the mistakes that I saw uh when I was fighting in that war early in Iraq and we’re afraid that Israel is making a bunch of the same mistakes that we made we’d really like them to learn from our mistakes you literally wrote the textbook for counterinsurgency you say that Israel needs to learn from our mistakes particularly in Iraq we all know that the US went in there to take down Saddam to wipe out terrorism you were there I was there at the same time it all blew up in our face you can’t just come into a country and clear out the bad guys and then take off you have to clear hold build that’s something that uh you teach and and I and I witnessed you do it do you think Israel is what do you think specifically that Israel is doing wrong here so Israel is making the same mistake that we made early in the Iraq War they’re clear clearing and leaving and and I did my doctor work on the Vietnam War and we made the same mistake there and it’s it’s just heartbreaking to read the reports of American soldiers in Vietnam clearing a sector and then six months later having to clear it again because after they Departed the insurgents moved back in we saw that again in Iraq you saw it happening there and now the Israelis are seeing it happen and the Israeli generals are comp complaining to their government that they are clearing a sector and months later being sent back to clear it again so if you the the only purpose of a war is to build a better peace and to to build a better peace when you’re fighting terrorists you can’t just chase them out of a neighborhood you’ve got to stay there to keep them from moving back in you’ve got to protect the population and then you’ve got to build some of the resources that will get the people to over the long term support the government instead of the Insurgency it took us years to relearn that lesson in Iraq so how do you wipe out Hamas for good could the Palestinians ever have their own security Force because that’s exactly what the US tried to do in Iraq build up Iraqi forces so they could protect themselves and we failed miserably at that how do you go in to a place like like Gaza the West Bank um and and create a Palestinian security Force so guys in the West Bank are two different places I wouldn’t recommend trying to build it in Gaza right now but I do think that the Israelis are are very late in working to build the Palestinian security Force ultimately in any counterinsurgency campaign you don’t want to keep your own troops there forever you want local forces to take over that’s what what we ultimately did in Iraq we trained Iraqi Security Forces who are now tenuously holding control of that country in Afghanistan we got involved in that effort too late in the Afghan security Force couldn’t hold without American advisers the in the short term we need a two-state solution so that Arab countries so that Jordan so that Egypt probably with Saudi funding will provide Arab Security Forces to police Gaza after Hamas has been defeated there and then over the long term Israel has to build its own Security Forces out of the Palestinians who will provide long-term security for that area so that the Israelis don’t have to do it indefinitely Dr John Nogle I was great to talk to you appreciate the oped appreciate you joining us hope we can talk again John thank you I’d like that thank you meanwhile a massive Manhunt underway in France for an escaped inmate after a Brazen Ambush on a prison van French officials there saying two officers were killed in the attack three other officers injured two of them reportedly in serious condition now we do have video from the scene that shows shows the two hooded men with armed with military style guns nearby a car that just went up in Flames our foreign correspondent Tom Sufi burdge has been following the late breaking story he’s uh near Paris uh Tom tell us about the jailbreak uh and what’s up with the the attempt to to try and find uh those involved yeah Kira that massive Manhunt is still ongoing across France tonight basically at 11:00 uh local time this morning uh a police prison van and another law enforcement vehicle were just going through a toll station uh just to the north of Paris uh just as those Vehicles went through the toll station a black car suddenly appeared and rammed them uh then gunman emerged from that vehicle uh with assault rifles uh surrounded the vehicles shots were fired two French prison officers killed three injured two of them are in a critical condition tonight uh the gunman and the Prisoner who was busted out of that van made a getaway in another vehicle French police have recovered that vehicle tonight uh but the manh Hunt is still ongoing and this is an unprecedented attack uh in modern French in modern French times so let’s talk about how police are characterizing this attack what what has been the reaction throughout France well I think this attack is uh is being treated as organized crime uh clearly the suspect had been in prison according to his mother who’s spoken to French TV uh for the last two years he had multiple convictions uh he was in court this morning uh according to French officials up in h which is a city to two hours to the north of Paris he was then being brought in that prison van uh further south back to his jail cell when the attack was launched but it was clearly a very well-coordinated attack uh military grade assault rifles used in the attack that is sort of raising very uncomfortable questions tonight in France about the availability of those weapons about the the the ruthless and and organized nature that that this attack was carried out and French officials really are reeling there’s a deep sense of shock across France that this type of attack could be carried out to such deadly effect and that prison officers have been killed the first prison officers to be killed in France since 199 2 so there is a deep sense of shock here tonight and The Manhunt is still ongoing Kira all right we’ll track it Tom Sufi Burj right near Paris there thank you coming up tragedy on the highway the deadly bus crash involving Farm Workers in rural [Music] Florida what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made in the USA look at your smile you’re proud of I love this great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you thank you D is David yes yes I’m David M I know who you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Le main the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that Deadly Mission strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere here to good mornings in America Can You Feel The Love yeah mornings that Inspire filled with hope kindness joyous surprises and so much fun this is crazy this is absolutely crazy start your day with Good Morning America’s ray of sunshine highlighting the best of America and helping make dreams come true wow just so happy it’s so good get ready to smile and put the good into your Morning America because you know what will make the morning better a little Ray of sunshot first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th pole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I’m Mullen Le and ton wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live thanks for streaming with us we are now following breaking news out of Florida where a bus carrying Farm Workers has overturned leaving at least eight people dead it happened earlier this morning on West Highway 40 in Central Florida roughly 53 Farm Workers were on board when the bus crashed we’re now being told there is a high probability that there will be even more deaths reported our Phil Li off is following this story what’s the latest this hour Phil that’s because there are several people in critical condition right now Kira this happened about 6:30 this morning on State Road 48 in dellan Florida that’s about 45 miles south of Gainesville this bus you see there was carrying 53 Farm Workers headed to a watermelon Farm was in a involved in a crash with a Ford Ranger truck we have a few more details right now about that that crash apparently the truck veered toward the center line for some reason and they sideswiped each other the bus then went off the road through that fence there Highway Patrol arrived to find eight of the workers already dead at the scene another 40 or so taken to area hospitals eight still remain in critical condition First Responders are calling this a devastating bus crash listen listen to the latest at this point we have uh eight confirmed fatalities we’ve had a approximately 40 people transported to local area hospitals uh some of those are also in very serious condition I can tell you that it’s going to be probably 6 months at least before we conclude factually what transpired here today the that’s because there were so many details kir there were there were so many people who needed to be transported to the hospital they actually brought a school bus in uh to help and that caused some concern from parents but no school children were involved they just used the school bus to transport people and the person who was driving that truck Kira uh was taken to the hospital in serious condition as well obviously the person driving the truck uh will have a lot of answers for police to figure out why the truck veered toward the center line in the first place Phil thank you uh we’ll follow what is truly a tragic story uh happening still thank you some other headlines that we’re following this hour 147 people have died a half a million more have been displaced amid the devastating floods in southern Brazil Rivers rising to record high levels turning the streets into lakes and forcing people to seek Higher Ground more rain still on the way with flood flood alerts rather issued for the next few days now and then over in South Florida the search is on for a boat involving a fatal Hit and Run that killed a 15-year-old police say that Ella Adler was killed while wakeboarding in Miami over the weekend investigators and Adler’s family are offering up $20,000 for any information to help them close this case Red Lobster suddenly shutting down dozens of restaurants around the country this comes amid reports that the seafood chain is considering filing for bankruptcy to cover debts the company has not spoken about the closure but the chain blamed its ultimate endless shrimp deal for an $1 million loss last year wow thanks for streaming with us I’m Kira Phillips the news never stops we’ll be right [Music] back what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love it great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you thank you David good to meet you is David David yes yes I’m David M I know who you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know you know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news pop culture with the biggest Stars music Trends and of course good food GMA 3 what you need to know a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that this is ABC News live the crush families on the ground in Ukraine ABC News live America’s number one streaming news anytime anywhere streaming 24/7 straight to you for free thank you for making ABC News live America’s number one streaming news I’m zorine sha reporting from the New Hampshire primary wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live [Music] and good afternoon everyone I’m Kira Phillips some of the top headlines we’re watching for you at ABC News live this hour a fiery cross-examination of Michael Cohen now underway in Donald Trump’s hush money trial Trump’s attorneys getting their first opportunity to question Cohen’s character conceding on the stand the disparaging things he said about Trump on social media and when pressed on if he wanted Trump to be convicted well the former fixer said like to see accountability the combat of back and forth coming after the prosecution wrapped its direct examination earlier today when Cohen told the jury about the lies that he says he told on Trump’s behalf to journalists and to Congress and the alleged catch and kill scheme that he covered up well the body of senior Airman Roger Fortson is set to be returned to his family shortly in an Air Force dignified transfer at Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta this afternoon the 23-year-old active duty Airman was fatally shot by a Florida sheriff’s deputy earlier this month in his own home his body cam shows Fortson actually opening the door and what appears to be a gun in his hand and was shot within seconds he later succumb to his injuries fortson’s mother is now demanding Justice for her son as she Mourns his loss Secretary of State Anthony blinkin on another note rocking out with the Ukrainian ban 1999 after meeting with President zinsky earlier today [Music] [Laughter] [Music] oh yeah blinkin and the band performing their own rendition of Neil Young’s Rocking In The Free World cherry red electric guitar and everything garnering the loudest Round of Applause of the day by the way thanks for streaming with us I’m Kira Phillips ABC News live is here for you anytime sound with the latest news context analysis and live music you can always find us on your favorite streaming service the ABC News app and of course on ABC news.com the news never stops gma3 starts right [Music] now what you need to know right now on GMA 3 former president Trump’s former fixer back on the stand what may set off the fireworks is cross-examination begins and the new concerns about fake fenel about 50 times as strong as heroin the CDC director Dr Mandy Cohen joins us here in studio with the dangers the nation’s top doctors are tracking from bird flu and cattle to the maternal mortality rate what you and your family need to know park again plus the highly anticipated WNBA season tipping off today the president of the League’s brand new team the Golden State Valkyries joining us here and important lessons of resilience students who who surviv the lahina wildfires travel to Japan to learn new strength from thrivers there celebrity party planner Mikey Russo shows us how you can make flower arrangements to wow your [Music] guests plus shabzi having a moment rocketing up the Billboard Hot 100 hey so sister that M Mis on the radio and hey the legendary band Train is here with their new single the conversation and special performance just for GMA 3 now from Time Square Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan with Dr Jen Ashton and what you need to know sing it I know I can’t believe I’m still faned out about train be on the show today wow this is huge you you got your cell phone ready was in the back I I think we’ve never seen you like this I mean you know Dr J tell everybody you learn something new every day and welcome to what you need to know on this Tuesday it is good to see you guys and always good to be with America’s favorite doctor Dr J we do have some sobering headlines to look at today a new study just released looking at the fentanyl crisis Across America break this down for us yeah a published report over 50 pages long put out by the drug enforcement agency really highlighting the scope of this problem and highlighting the dangers of the shift from plant-based drugs of abuse to synthetic so we’re talking about fentanyl um which is so dangerous so lethal because a tiny minuscule amount is enough to stop your breathing and kill someone uh so let me take you through some of the findings from this report uh looking at 2023 um pills representing almost half of all law enforcement seizures in the United States over 15 15 million pills were confiscated in this country that year um that represents a 2300 fold increase from back just as recently as 2017 this is of course so deadly because as we said 50 times more potent more lethal than heroin there are get this you guys according to the CDC over50 deaths per day in this country from synthetic opioids so this is an incredibly pressing and critical problem those numbers are staggering thank you very much we appreciate it it is time now to check in with the host and managing editor of awardwinning start here our ABC News podcast Brad milky good to see you man hey good to see you DeMarco and we begin now with explosive testimony in the hush money criminal trial of former president Trump former fixer Michael Cohen taking the stand for a second day bringing Trump closer to the alleged scheme to protect his political fortunes Cohen testifying the former president instruct him to pay adult film star stormmy Daniels for her silence allegedly saying just do it don’t worry about it you will get the money back the defense expected to try to crack Cohen’s composure and credibility Trump is denied all wrongdoing overseas US Secretary of State Anthony blinkin is in Ukraine meeting with President zalinsky as the Russians gain ground against the ukrainians Russians apparently benefiting from that long debated delay on American Aid blink there reaffirming us support back here at home a controlled explosion in the Port of Baltimore sent the last big piece of the collapsed Key Bridge down into the water officials hope to move the stuck cargo ship Dolly back to Port soon that crew has been on board there for 7 weeks since the crash into the bridge we now turn to our Ginger Z for a look at the weather sounds like a broken record but more tornadoes this one you can see from Branson Missouri was an efzo ripping across the golf course there thankfully nobody hurt unfortunately not the case in Southern Louisiana at least two people killed the damage there prettyy evident of tornado but they’ll get out and do the survey today speaking of today more chances for tornadoes two rounds blasted through uh mostly in North Florida so all the way up into southeastern Georgia I’d be watching having two ways of getting warned but also we get one day to kind of breathe in between and then Thursday Friday we come back with more severe storms and that includes a high flood risk for the areas that have been so inundated in Texas and the tiny baby girl defying the odds micro preey Nyla the smallest baby ever born at this Hospital outside Chicago born at just 22 weeks weighing about the same as a can of soup now after a 6mon fight with the help of a huge team she has grown into a healthy 10B sweetheart huge sendoff there for Nyla and her parents and here’s something i’ never seen before guys at the ballpark in Seattle Mariners fan catches a foul ball hit into the bleachers and on the very next pitch he snags another what like consistency is the name of the game I guess in baseball keep your eye on on the ball you guys that’s the lesson Bravo but I’m still stuck on Nyla right that is amazing there it’s a real Miracle 20 years ago baby’s that size that premature did not survive and those nurses Angels yeah you’re right about that Brad thank you and be sure to catch Brad on start here wherever you get your podcast up next here on gma3 just how big a threat is bird flu to Americans we’ll ask the CDC director who’s tracking that and has some new information for us and later a brand new debut in the WNBA at as the league kicks off its 28th season tonight come on [Music] back ABC’s gma3 what you need to know brought to you by Progressive Insurance save when you bundle Auto home or motorcycle insurance whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war after that brutal surprise attack by Hamas on the ground in Ukraine reporting from Leon main the scene of a horrific Mass shoo ABC News live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in Turkey in Rolling Fork This Tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 2024 campaign Trail in Iceland let’s go traveling with the president in Mexico City wherever the story from the front lines from Southern Israel outside the Gaza Strip in Beirut from the FBI reporting from the nurses on the pick it line here at 10 Downing Street in London streaming live to you wherever the story is wherever the story is wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere America’s number one streaming news first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today ES ating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th hole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live get ready America every Friday the hottest Trends Styles and must have what’s the right stuff to buy right now I really love that it’s time to buy the right stuff yes and Save big time too The Right Stuff Fridays on GMA you’re going to love it why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R ml Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story of bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television welcome back to gma3 concerns growing around an Aven flu outbreak spreading in livestock across the country Health officials monitoring the situation last month the US reported the second human case of the virus ever and the first since this outbreak began and health officials say the current public health risk remains low but concern among Americans lingers and here to discuss it all is CDC director Dr Mandy Cohen Dr Cohen thank you for being with us we appreciate it thanks for having me of course so us officials have pledged $200 million to try and track and contain this virus here what is the CDC doing to monitor this outbreak so one I want to remind everyone that the risk to human health is low right now but we’ve learned through covid that these viruses like to change and so it is the first time we’re seeing this in cows so we want to make sure we’re staying ahead of the virus so we are monitoring this in a lot of different ways we are now able to get information from 90% of the emergency rooms around the country so we are able to get good information from laboratory tests today we’re even putting up waste water so we’re actually able to look in our waste water and see if that can give us us any signals or Clues to what’s happening um but of course we’re working directly with the Farms making sure we’re monitoring Farm Workers who are the ones who are exposed to the cattle to raw milk those are the folks who are at higher risk and and talking about the Farms because this outbreak has economic and Commercial and Industrial um implications to it so many farms and Farm Workers may be reluctant to be inspected or to report what is the answer to that well look we’ve been working with the agriculture folks for many years so this was with poultry right we work with our chicken Farmers for a very long time um so we’ve learned how to build Bridges build trust and I think that’s what we need to do in this moment too but now with our Dairy Farmers um and so I was really grateful for um USDA putting out Financial incentives for the farmers to work closely with public health to identify if there are any issues going on with their cattle we want folks to be well we want the cattle to be well so that humans can be well that the milk can be safe um so we’re taking this very seriously um and we know things can change right we know that that today risk is low um and I I hope it will stay that way um but we know that things can change we have to stay ahead of it is there any possibility that there are human cases that just haven’t been reported to the CDC yet well luckily we have a lot of mechanisms to detect that and we work directly with the Farms um so the good news is we have more visibility than we’ve ever had before but we want even more right we want to make sure folks are being protected it’s why we’re offering free protective equipment to farms and Farm Workers we’re working with advocacy organizations to make sure everyone’s get in the word to protect themselves and please don’t drink raw milk that we we never recommended that from CDC but now increase risk of drinking raw milk um so I think if we can do these simple things we can protect ourselves and we can stay ahead of the virus I want to ask you about another topic that’s close to my heart as a board certified obgy on the maternal mortality crisis in this country uh that we have been watching grow we did have some good news we had a little bit of an improvement recently but black women still facing more than two times the mortality risks of white women what’s the latest on that yes so good news right so we are making some improvement and that’s with a lot of hard work but we are still seeing that disparity as you said so we have to make sure that folks are taking those simple steps um to identify issues when they start and thinking about high blood pressure in pregnancy is really really important so one of the things we’re focused on at CDC is how do we make sure that we’re bringing good evidence and good data and that women are understanding checking their blood pressure working with their Obstetricians you know this well um is really important to protect their health not just during pregnancy but also after Dr Mandy con we know how busy you are we appreciate you coming and spending some time with us all right when we come back to highly anticipated WNBA tips all tonight and you’re about to meet the leader of the newest team to join the expanding League we are exploring all the excitement ahead of the new season stay with [Music] us what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters This our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love it great work hi where are you where are you appreciate thank you David good to meet you is David David yes yes I’m David M I Know Who You Are every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast what’s good to watch read where can I get a great deal on what I’m just dying to buy oh it’s all right here GMA life get the latest celebrity Buzz Deals and Steals and the coolest lifestyle tips from GMA I love that so much streaming weekends on ABC News live why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories start here now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming make it your daily first listen wherever you get your podcast whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight at least in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th hole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live reporting in Philadelphia I’m Trevor Ral wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live it’s time to welcome back to gma3 the women of basketball have been putting on a four court press building the excitement ahead of the start of the 28th season of the WNBA which begins tonight and we are all excited about it and here to kick off the new season with the newest team to debut in the league please welcome the president of the wnba’s Golden State vyes Jess Smith good to see you thanks for having me congratulations Boss thank you how does it feel I feel a sense of relief that we can finally share what we’ve been building over the last number of months but I also just feel excitement it’s time to get to work you know we’ve arrived in a really big way and we’re we’re this is one step of showing exactly who we are what our intentions are and everything that we’re going to lead so very excited today and you have more than 18 years of professional experience professional sports right oh you still look young you know that what in your life would you say if you had to point to one thing and take a guess has prepared you for this moment I’m in a unique position um because it’s not just one I’ve worked in a in a number of leagues I’ve worked within Major League Soccer Major League uh Baseball National Hockey League and each of those leagues has different strengths and weaknesses each of those leagues commercializes themselves differently and I took that experience when I was a part of building Angel City from day one and was really able to learn some from some of those strengths and build it differently and I think what’s so beautiful about women sports today is it is still new you know so there’s a lot of room to create there’s a lot of room to do things differently than people have done that before and so I think my willingness to understand and also try new things has definitely prepared me for this role best let’s talk about this this team um one you were pointing out to us on the what do you call that a symbol logo logo workk uh it’s special it has a meaning yeah and so the Valkyries what’s beautiful about the name is it is a collective it’s a number of things coming together to make possible what folks said was impossible so when you look at our logo you see the bridge right for us the baray area has the bridge connecting both sides we want to make sure that we’re inclusive on all fronts we have 13 lines cross the logo we’re the 13th team here in the WNBA we take we take that really seriously and what this moment is for the W and our opportunity to join and expand and and show people what we’re about which we have big aspirations for and then there’s also the sword coming down right the power of the valky you know there’s a lot there and then little 5 by five um five versus five that are within the wings at the same time so make possible what folks said was impossible I love that go ahead no the wings I love the idea of the Wings because it in a lot of ways is just the beginning of all of this sort of flying away exactly and Valkyries themselves they can fly and go underwater and so the barria you know in that region it’s it’s a cool symbol for for what we’ll do so what are you hoping your team will contribute to the WNBA and just women’s sports overall I mean for us we are really passionate around what this team means but what it represents overall and so we want to show that we have sold out sold out stadiums we want to show that the corporate support and activations is there but most importantly we want to bring people together you know there’s been misconceptions over time of who’s watching women’s sports who it’s built for you know and it’s for everyone you know when you see those everyone watches women’s sports from together who’s a company that did that that’s correct and so we want shoulders down our fans to be inclusive of everyone that lives in the bay and to to represent the Bay Area more nationally and globally of course pressure to win oh yeah I mean you’ve heard of The Warriors in Golden State ownership no yes in fact when they announced the team Joe lob said on the stage uh without telling anyone I think before he’s like going to win a championship in the first 5 years and so he said the same thing when he bought the Warriors you know and he has the same standards here to be relentless in finding that success so we just onboarded our first ever general manager OHA uh last Monday so that’s her job she needs to yeah right I get to worry about the ticketing and partnership she’s got to form that team that wins on the court but we’re going to be incredible Partners in that and we wish you will Madam president thank you very much we appreciate it and the best of luck to you and by the way folks you can tune into the wnba’s season opening night at as Caitlyn Clark rather and the fever take on the Connecticut Sun at 7:30 on ESPN 2 and the rainning champion Aces tipping off at 10 p.m. eastern time on esvn 2 we hope everybody’s watching I do think we have a little something for you too you saw Robin may have gotten a little bit a gear oh okay a swag got a little bit swag for you we like swag right well hey you got a fan right here you know that we got to have you out in May of 2025 we already have 7500 seat deposits and we’re just getting started we love surprises too so thank you you’re welcome just ahead here on gma3 Dr Jen Ashton on creating a tick free zone for you and your family in your own backyard and their hits span across time they in the studio today with a new single it’s Train everybody come on back as we root for the [Music] vyes nice what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters This our comment Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love it great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you thank David thanks to meet you is David David yes yes I’m David I know who you are every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at War enrolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the meala is the Super Bowl of red carpet the celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the me gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu we are back with Dr Jen and today we are talking about a subject for the men yeah testosterone low testosterone so we talk a lot about women and dropping hormone levels particularly in midlife around their 50s this latest study published in the anals of internal medicine looked at the incidence of low testosterone in men in their 50s found about 7% of men in this age group had levels below the number of 300 which is what’s used to you know it’s a simple blood test to make the diagnosis of low testosterone more likely to be associated with men who smoke or men who were obese but also there was a link between men with low testosterone level and what we call all cause mortality so death from a variety of reasons so this is not just a superficial or cosmetic or vain issue amongst men this is you know correlated with potentially life-saving and life risking issues so what happens when you get too much testosterone I know a lot of guys who go get shots in in the pills and everything because they want to beef up and I want to be Crystal Clear when you’re talking about hormones more is not better there is a sweet spot and for certain hormones like thyroid hormone and testosterone we actually can measure that by Blood by a serum level and then titrate the amount that we give as replacement to achieve that that safe amount more can be associated with significant risks of heart attack various types of cancer increase uh effect adverse effect on your cholesterol panel so again I want to emphasize this be crystal clear this is not just to look better it’s really for overall health and wellness and if men have a question they should really talk to their doctor about it all right do thank you very much we’re back in a [Music] moment why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with for Edward R meral Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to [Music] go the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love this great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you thank you David good to meet you is David David yes yes I’m David M I know who you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast this is not about parents who just let their kid watch violent movies play violent video games this is about parents who who neglected their son ignored his cries for help then bought him a gun the first parents in America to be charged in a school shooting they purchased that gun for him and bragged about it you don’t get to walk away from that that’s a criminal act sins of the parents the crumbly trials the opposite of love is not hate it’s just being ignored only on Hulu whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at War en rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere [Music] and good afternoon everyone I’m Kira Phillips our top story this hour we’re getting combative over his credibility right now a fiery cross-examination of Michael Cohen underway in Donald Trump’s hush money tral with Trump’s attorneys getting their first opportunity to question Cohen’s character and while there are no cameras in the courtroom well president Trump’s posi already producing a video of their own capitalizing on every moment to monetize and pay for the former president’s campaign it doesn’t get more interesting than this Olivia Rubin joins me from outside of Court along with our John Carl senior Washington uh correspondent Kimberly Wy uh also with us uh I’m going to look at the panel here because I understand we have all kinds of folks joining in now uh she is of course our law professor professor at the University of Baltimore we got John santui also Rick Klein guys thank you so much I know this was all coming together at the last minute apparently um I’m told things are over so very it’s very possible that Trump may be coming out and coming to the cameras once again but John Carl um let me take it to you just for a little bit of of I guess unexpected spice to add to everything you know Trump is known for producing reality television shows and now apparently he is taking advantage of this moment while his folks uh family friends part of his campaign filming inside the courthouse and putting together a video to use for fundraising Kira I mean what next what next uh yes they uh they they put together a fundraising appeal including footage from right inside 100 Center Street here in lower Manhattan at the courthouse uh you know not surprising at all and what a what a show here you had uh not just uh his son Eric Trump his daughter-in-law Laura Trump you had his former rival for the nomination V ramas Swami you had another former rival and possible vice presidential candidate Doug bergham uh here with us uh even the speaker of the house uh Mike Johnson made an appearance outside the courtroom today inside you know this was the big uh confrontation between excuse me by the way you know we sometimes get sirens in Manhattan uh and we’ll let that pass for a second especially at the courthouse so um um but uh you know but this was the big moment uh where Trump’s attorney Todd blanch would have a chance to uh cross-examine Michael Cohen uh we expected fireworks uh one thing that was interesting is uh throughout the entirety of this cross-examination Donald Trump sat there just feet away uh from Michael Cohen just feet away from his attorney doing the cross-examination his eyes Kira were closed as far as I could tell almost through the entirety of the cross-examination so Olivia what does that tell you if he’s just snoozing away is he tired is he disinterested is he you know daydreaming about being any place else but that courtroom I mean I know we can’t get inside the former president’s head but this is a bit bizarre well John and I were discussing it you know what does it mean that his eyes were so clearly closed for such a large portion of the day is he actually asleep he is moving occasionally is he trying to look asleep is it sort of a mind game with Michael Cohen impossible to say but it is such a departure Kira from how Donald Trump usually is when his own attorneys are up at bat against a witness it has been sort of his favorite time in court the time when he is most engaged the time when he turns his entire chair to look at the witness and to watch his attorneys who are often questioning a witness quite aggressively and for someone like Michael Cohen oh yep anything like it but we uh talk about subjects we’re allowed to talk about uh would love to not be in the G order I’m the Republican nominee for president I’m leading in every poll and I have a g order so I think it’s totally unconstitutional and we’ll test that this will be tested because this should never happen to another candidate or another person what’s happening here and uh today we had a very I think a very good day in cour you see what’s happening and you’ll have to report it because I can’t talk about it too much but uh I think it was a very very good day uh the voters are getting at John mlin probably number one whole number with with Fabia J is probably the number one pollster and voters are getting it they don’t like the idea that the courts are deciding the presidential election well so far far my numbers were leading by a lot as you know against crooked Joe Biden Charlie hert a great person great reporter the problem for Democrats is that the extensive polling now shows that the voters see through they scam and don’t like what’s going on watching 100,000 enthusiastic people gather along the boardwalk in New Jersey beaches Saturday as you probably set out to support former president Trump on Saturday evening giv you some idea how terrified Democrats are of trump well I’m not saying it that he’s saying it I don’t think they’re terrified of anything they’re fascists whatever happens they cannot face him the fair and honest election there’s no way anybody else is going to be Trump and uh they’re using election interference to try and do it and uh he then goes because they lose and they know it if it’s a fair election basically’s saying they lose and they know it Jeff CNN oh CNN as I talk to the voters across the country in these Battleground stets States many of them aren’t paying attention all right every this happens every day after court uh of course the former president comes to the cameras and and and speaks to those that will listen uh I think the only thing different he pretty much says the same thing every time he comes out of court but the only thing different right now is you sort of see the the growing uh expanding posy behind him he’s now bringing in lawmakers uh big donors other supporters and he has them placed right behind him as he goes on and and basically talks what he wants to talk about uh mainly articles that he’s been collecting uh on how this trial has been covered um so uh John zanui a lot of today’s cross examination actually focused on what Cohen has said about Trump uh in the past since they had their big falling out nicknames included uh many of which we can’t even say on TV but I must say that a Cheeto dusted cartoon villain definitely stood out today and we go down uh probably as the latest mean meme that will be out there but what’s the point of of all this it’s all to show that Michael Cohen is out there attacking Donald Trump here I think you know one of the things that was fascinating when Todd blanch took up uh the podium was that he started reading out comments Michael Cohen made on Tik Tok comments first discovered by ABC News by Olivia Rubin who’s with us and will Sten on our team from watching these videos for several weeks where Cohen was hosting basically a nightly program at 10:00 at night we were watching it for several weeks and these are all comments that came out of Michael Cohen’s mouth as these proceedings were underway you know I think that one of the things that is remarkable about this is that Michael Cohen unlike most Witnesses has still been talking during these proceedings and in some ways a lot of that is going to come back to bite him is what we’ve seen from Todd blanch today throughout this presentation I do think also Kira where today started to end off and a little bit of the Tik Tock elements as part of that is how Michael Cohen has been profiting off of Donald Trump right they’re they’re trying to make this connection that Donald Trump has been good for Michael Cohen in the sense that he’s written a book he said that he made over $3 million on that book he’s obviously done a podcast we saw at one point everybody in the courtroom there were parties in this case including the witnesses and attorneys on both sides and the judge were putting on headphones to listen to an excerpt of Michael Cohen on his podcast speaking about the former president and and I think that there’s going to be more of this you know the part of the thing that’s you know just something that we can’t discount here is that Michael Cohen unlike other people that have testified has not remained silent like we were all talking about when this started Kira you know this was a three-way deal in some ways at one point right between Donald Trump Michael Cohen and David pecker David pecker didn’t speak at all over the last couple of years so everything that he was said in the courtroom some of it was for the first time Michael Cohen though we’re getting a Repeat Performance and Todd blanch is going to make him be accountable for every comment he has said some of which they’re hoping will make the jury feel differently about Michael Cohen Kira so John Carl at the end of the day why does this all matter I mean of course Michael Cohen hates the former president they had a falling out the former president booted him out of his orbit didn’t bring him along to be a player at the White House I mean and Michael Cohen has admitted to that he’s angry it makes him mad and so now he’s decided to go ahead and fess up about all the Dirty Deeds he did for the former president but why why keep harping on everything Michael Cohen has said and does to profit offer the former president I mean the former president is profiting off this this uh court case for goodness sake yeah well well look uh what Todd blanch is trying to do here is to sew the seeds of Reasonable Doubt in at least one juror that that is his entire Mission here and to do that he wants to raise questions about Michael Cohen’s credibility first of all his credibility in terms of being somebody who has lied repeatedly in the past who has literally served jail time for lying under oath the other time is to raise the other thing is to raise questions about why he is before them motiv ational questions is he there to tell the truth is he there to truthfully answer now something that he hasn’t done in previous uh uh interactions uh under oath or is he there because he wants to get revenge about Donald Trump so to put it in the jury’s mind when Michael Cohen who is the sole witness that they have to truly establish that the payoff was authorized by Donald Trump and it was authorized by Donald Trump for the express purposes of helping him or Trying to minimize damage to his presidential campaign is Michael Cohen testifying that way because that is truly what happened or is he testifying that way because he wants to see Donald Trump go to jail so that’s why they’re Haring on this in terms of the making money off it I mean that’s another way to kind of raise questions about his motivation but I think more than anything that what blanch was trying to do over and over and over again is to say uh that Michael Cohen is somebody who has an agenda here an agenda that is not simply to tell the truth all right well Rick what do you make of the strong display of support by top GOP lawmakers I I mean it looks like you have to show up to court to be a contender to be a future Trump Administration member or even uh VP yeah and speaker Johnson uh who probably doesn’t have an eye on either of those things showed up today as well I I I’ve been told that a lot of this is about Donald Trump’s mood that he likes having uh friends and family around him um during breaks before and after court he likes seeing the friendly faces he likes knowing that they’re going out to the cameras and saying things frankly that he can’t say uh several of his campaign surrogates potential VP contenders included uh were out there um bashing Michael Cohen which is something that Donald Trump explicitly can’t do because of the gag order that he again alluded to this afternoon so they go out there they show their support they provide some kind of moral support for the former president uh and they can deliver a message to the waiting cameras all all the same and it’s become this kind of uh bizarre kind of segment of the vep stakes to have all of these people uh that are openly auditioning for the job in part by showing up and I think it’s fair to say you’rea if you decline an invitation like this you probably move down the short list that Donald Trump is keeping in his head so end of the day Kim Michael Cohen has stuck to the same story that he has been telling the entire time the same story he told me the day the raid went down on his office in his home so does he can he gain back any credibility here when it comes down to the essence of what this case is about well I mean the problem in part for Michael Cohen as he told some other stories some lies early on when he was still within the grip of Donald Trump um you know the question is whether um whether the jury will believe this new version of Michael Cohen that is he’s articulated during trial so so how an nared he was with Donald Trump how hurt he was when he was thrown under the bus by Donald Trump and so he has a motivation now arguably according to prosecution to tell the truth but picking up on the question of Beyond A Reasonable Doubt what that means is doubt for which the jury could give a reason and I think this cross-examination at least so far hasn’t uh articulated or laid out for the defense an alternative version of events an alternative story of why this money was paid to stormmy Daniels and when without implicating Donald Trump and the defense is going to have to lay that out before the jur jury goes to deliberation and I don’t think they’re going to get that just with Michael Cohen given the other evidence that’s already been presented Olivia Kim John John Carl reclin thank you all so much and thanks for streaming with us I’m Kira Phillips the news never stops more GMA three right [Music] now whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABCs live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters This this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to go [Music] the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love this great work hi where are you where are you appreciate thank you David good to meet you is David David yes yes I’m David I know you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast what’s good to watch re where can I get a great deal on what I’m just dying to buy oh it’s all right here GMA life get the latest celebrity Buzz Deals and Steals and the coolest lifestyle tips from GMA I love that so much streaming weekends on ABC News live why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the meel is the Super Bowl of red carpet celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the Met Gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu get ready America every Friday the hottest Trends Styles and must have what’s the right stuff to buy right now I really love that it’s time to buy the right stuff yes and save big time too the right Stu Fridays on GMA you’re going to love it all right welcome back to GMA 3 spring is in full swing and so are spring blooms and today we are picking up some do-it-yourself floral arrangement skills from the one and only the best in the biz course yes that’s right he created the truly special floral design for our wedding in a week and now he’s back to show us how to create the perfect arrangement for any occasion please welcome owner of made by Michael Russo and celebrity party planner Michael Russo who we also call Mikey Mike how are you good good good see excited to put you guys to work but first we have these beautiful Arrangements in the front so sometimes guys you never know what to give as a gift so there’s a beautiful arrangement there it has a beautiful wood base so that makes it a little more masculine and then also the texture of the flowers are cleaner um and the way they’re arranged or just it’s just it’s a modern look yeah all call me and then we have the cute little little graduation one cuzz graduation season’s coming up ad so we have that and then we just have beautiful ballooms all right let’s get busy now you know Eve and I are competitive on this set yes I love that so I know I’m going to win but let’s just start this is you’re actually teaching us how to make Hostess gifts yes so it’s always nice to go to someone’s home with something but you don’t want to give them fresh flowers not in a vase because then you’re giving them something else to do right you show up and they have to go fix it right so this is a beautiful little mint jeup cup of course they could use this after um so we’re going to start with the hydr right okay so you have clippers here so gather the two hydrangea stems right you’re going to give those a nice little cut okay and then you’re going to put those right in the vase so now this gives you a great base so everything else once you start arranging will stay right in place so hydrange is a great flour cuz it’s a beautiful filler I’m going to use a knife you doing okaya you good I was I’m I’m trying to figure out how strg down there very good and then so for the rest of the blooms you can just go ahead and tuck away okay tuck tuck tuck yep and you know sometimes I take these from my garden sometimes I take them from other people’s Gardens depending what they are but these are seasonal blooms um you can get them at like your local supermarket yeah so that’s Hy which is really beautiful um and these are peonies um so the trick with peonies is to give them a fresh cut and then shave them a little bit at the bottom oh shave them at the bottom yeah so if they’re too like tight and too closed um the hydration just feeds the blooms oh okay how gorgeous is that so how can you keep them any any like tricks to keep them fresh for a long time I know sometimes people talk about dropping aspirins or something in the water no so truly the trick is they love fresh water and once you give the flour a cut you’re opening the pores right so when the common mistake people make is they’ll come home from the supermarket of the flowers and they’ll just put them right in a vase that’s a no no you have to give everything a fresh cut because then they need to drink need to drink yeah how you doing e you okay I’m good how are you sorry I am just very focused you know I’m like I can’t do two things at one time I’m not gifted that way I it looks a little open over there it does still putting stuff in it looks beautiful and then if you do run out of flowers right you could always use the natural Greenery so like the base of the um hydrangea these leaves you could always just cut these and Tuck these right into the oh yeah they kind of like add to the it does look good um is there anything about like how we cut these that we should do I’ve always like seen stuff where you’re like supposed to cut at an angle or is that all just so I mean they do say cut on an angle because you don’t want it to lay flat on the base of the arrangement where the water is um so it’s good for hydration so flowers really really do love to drink all right the clock is uh ticking we’re done over shoving stuff in Marco Mikey talk to me talk talk to me Mikey let them know let them know let know I’m just saying you know what I’m saying looks very similar to mine look at that you guys even you try though that’s I mean you know you know they say bless your heart in the it’s looking it’s looking very well it’s looking very well still shoving away don’t worry and you have one more balloon Mikey it’s nice to have you thank you so much for teaching us how to do these flowers and be sure to check out his signature scent collection for your home it’s available now and it’s on his website all a produc to said they’re both beautiful all Eva yours yes I don’t get a participation medal I’m not about that just ahead here on GMA 3 they’re on track for another head yes they are we are talking about train you know them you love them and they are right here in studio with a performance just for us come on [Music] back first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th poll the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live welcome back to G from hit like Hey soul sister and Drops of Jupiter this Grammy winning band has sold over 10 million albums and their songs have been streamed over a billion times times worldwide yeah the studio is lit and we have every reason to be right and now they’re getting ready yes to take off on their Nationwide tour but first they are dropping by to perform their latest single long yellow dress please welcome Train everybody good to see you and congratulations oh thanks have you had any sleep uh I woke up at 4 woke up at 4 so I got an hour and I ask that question because you guys just finished your tour in Europe you got back Sunday what is it like to still have this connection with your fans people who have loved you guys for you know it’s kind of magical when you’re a kid and you’re at concerts singing Back to the artists and then that happens in your life on the other end it’s there’s nothing better uh I never will get tired of it and you guys are about to go on tour in this country with Ario Speedwagon 45 stops how do you keep your physical and mental energy up during that we actually do a lot of workouts uh we we get in the back of a semi Tru and do like boxing workouts and other things like that seriously in a semi truck in a sem back of a pickup or semi yeah is that not hot it’s very hot yeah you don’t want anything to do with this um you’re also about to perform for us here tell us a little bit more about this song and what the inspiration for it was you know I had a dream that my wife was in a long yellow dress and I couldn’t get to her and so the song is about trying to find her in her long yellow dress cuz it’s home and but in the dream it was weird and I was lost wow we’re always trying my heart is melting right now I’m like wow that was good I could come up with nine more versions of that too that one wasn’t interesting thank you so much for being here today and be sure to check out train on their summer road trip tour coming to a city near you and now without further Ado here is train performing take it away guys nice I know that I’m free without you but something about it something about wrong I had another dream about you oh you’re haing you were wearing that long yellow dress the one I love the best you could almost see right through that long yellow dress good Lord I must confess don’t know what I’m B to do I thought that I be [Music] my now i’ ra beide that dream [Music] I hear that you’re good without me that’s good you’re seeing someone getting on I wonder what you hear about me I’m lost boy call me I’m found more or Les I to leave get some place to call my [Music] own that long yellow dress I wish I could forget for something feels like [Music] home I that I be [Music] my now be inside that dream I guess I wait for summer while wait for spring my wait when you can wear it for me now that long yellow dress I wish I could forget something about it feels like [Music] home now I be inside that tree [Applause] my TR absolutely amazing thank you so much yes than sure to check him out this summer on tour and that is what you need to know for today I’m evany for all of us here at ABC News including Train everybody have a good one and we will see you tomorrow Bravo woo you guys sound so [Applause] good why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R ml Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th hole the buzz kill in baseball first first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news music and of course good food a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that reporting from Bedminster New Jersey I’m Mary Bruce wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television ABC News America’s number one news source [Music] I’m K wwth here in Los Angeles and right now on ABC News live Michael Cohen back on the stand in Donald Trump’s hush money trial as Speaker Mike Johnson joins GOP Heavy Hitters in court what Cohen told the jury about how he says Trump pressured him not to flip plus how the house Speaker attacked the US justice system appearing with Republican vice presidential contenders also the deadly crash it was a bus carrying Farm Workers in Florida what author ities are saying about several people killed there also dozens more injured and President Biden waging an economic Crackdown against China and new policies targeting Imports including computer chips solar technology and electric vehicles but of course we begin here with Donald Trump accompanied to court by an Entourage of GOP Heavy Hitters as his attorneys grilled his former fixer Michael Cohen so we want to show you Trump leaving the courthouse just a short time ago after of course another day of proceedings in his hush money trial blasting his court imposed gag order calling it unconstitutional uh the Entourage of prominent Republicans you see here showing support uh for the former president today that includes uh house Speaker Mike Johnson and some top vice presidential contenders among them Florida Congressman Byron Donalds and V ramaswami Trump’s defense team attacking Cohen’s credibility today during cross-examination leading him to concede he has an agenda and also to admit that he was once quote need de de in the cult of Donald Trump now earlier he also testified about how he says in 2018 then president Trump carried out a pressure campaign on him through allies at the time not to cooperate with investigators so joining me for more and this is our ABC News investigative reporter Olivia Rubin light out live outside the courthouse there in lower Manhattan along with ABC News legal contributor and law professor Kim wayy and ABC News Jay O’Brien in our DC Bureau so thank you all for being here with us and Olivia I look Trump’s defense team as we know kicked off its cross-examination by Grill in Michael Cohen they talked about his Tik Tock use uh the judge also had to Wrangle in the defense a few times because of their colorful choice of language but Olivia really what perked my ear there was when they questioned his entire motivation for even being here they did and that was sort of the central aspect of Todd blanch Trump’s attorney’s questioning today while it started off quite fiery talking about Tik Tok talking about Michael Cohen potentially profiting off of the case Todd blanch pivoted like you said to talk about motivation are you motivated by Fame are you motivated by money are you motivated most importantly by Revenge because remember what Todd blanch is trying to do here is to plant some doubt about exactly why Michael Cohen is testifying against someone he once admired and admitted that he loved someone that he would have done anything for and so what Todd is trying to do is highlight to the jury that Michael was at one point trying to get out of prison earlier by potentially cooperating against Donald Trump because that is really what they are trying to do trying to make it seem like Michael Cohen would get on the stand and potentially lie about Michael Cohen for revenge and that is why Todd blanch was questioning Michael Cohen about wanting him to go to prison and he pinned Michael Cohen down on that point who eventually conceded sure I would like to see Donald Trump go to prison and that is their case import point that potentially Michael Cohen could have gotten on the stand and lied about his personal conversations with Donald Trump ones that only he could speak to because only two of them were there and would lie about them so that he could tie him to the scheme the question really becomes Kana is will the jury believe that Michael Cohen was quite credible on cross-examination but we will see where they go with him tomorrow absolutely and you have pointed that out both yesterday and today Olivia that his testimony was almost by the book he wasn’t shaken up by anything and that that he appeared credible but Kim to you his credibility was in question well before this even started and prosecutors you know they started talking to him about how the judge had to ask Michael Cohen to stop talking about this case publicly they also pointed out that he lied to the special counsel in 2018 about Trump’s involvement in this Trump Tower project in Moscow and they got Michael Cohen to admit to lying on the stand today so what do you see as far as his credibility goes is he really a strong enough witness for the prosecution’s case to bring this home here well I don’t think anything so far is unexpected most people anticipated it would be a really rough cross-examine for do cross-examination for Michael Cohen for the reasons that you describe but the jury could decide both things can be true right that it can be true that he lied when he was within the grip of Donald Trump out of loyalty to Donald Trump and now he’s telling the truth it could be it could be true that he’s telling the truth and he’s angry and he does have a desire to see Donald Trump convicted after all Michael Cohen went to prison for this hush mny payment he was essentially pleaded guilty he did not get any deal actually and he went to prison for the very things that Donald Trump is now on trial for it’s hard to say not being in the courtroom obviously Olivia and others have a a more firsthand view but I you know given that this is a conspiracy case essentially that there was a hush money scheme uh both Michael Cohen and Donald Trump were involved D I don’t think the prosecution has to have a squeaky clean you a perfectly credible witness to make its case particularly given the additional evidence that it has already corroborating Michael Cohen’s story and to your point as well Kim they had already laid the groundwork here so the jury somewhat knew what to expect from his testimony uh but Jay you know we had a tip right that uh Donald Trump might be joined by some people in court today but wow that was an entire Entourage of Republicans with him both inside and outside the court including the Speaker of the House Jay is this a big loyalty test here well it certainly is a loyalty test for Republicans I can tell you I talked to a a source close to the speaker who who was framing this as a a voluntary decision each of the Republicans who went into court today are saying that they volunteered to go with Trump to court speaker Johnson a source says was in New York for an unrelated event and said to Trump he was going to be in town and would he like him to come to court and Trump said yes according to this Source but yes a it is a loyal y test B it’s a show of political force and C it’s an opportunity for these Republicans to say things about this case that Donald Trump can’t say because he’s under that gag order here is Mike Johnson doing a version of that in front of Court earlier today I I called president Trump and told him I wanted to be here myself to call out what is a travesty of justice and I think everybody around the country can see that President Trump is is a friend and wanted to be here to support him and look it demonstrates that Trump has the support of rank and file Republicans and frankly the highest profile Republican in terms of constitutional power there is in Congress that’s the speaker and also it says to a Maga Republicans some of whom have come for Mike Johnson’s job in the past like Marjorie Taylor green who just tried to oust him last week that Johnson has the support of trump he’s standing right behind him both literally and figuratively I talked to this speaker Cana when he returned to DC after New York he said it was a interesting day an interesting day and so you see the support there from prominent Republicans around Donald Trump and you you heard from them clearly speaking outside not all of them made it into the courtroom with him but Olivia from your perspective of covering this now for some 17 days uh what was that support like for Donald Trump in that courtroom again as you’ve pointed out this is a former president who’s kept his eyes closed for most of Michael Cohen testimony well it’s fascinating and I think Jay just laid out so well the motivations for why some of these individuals are coming to court with Donald Trump but I think it’s also important to point out that Mike Johnson one of the most high-profile individuals uh who came to court with Donald Trump did not actually even appear to go inside of the courtroom we were in there for the morning session up until the lunch break and we never even saw Johnson in there so when you see that clip of him saying you know what he saw was a travesty it’s not clear what he saw because it doesn’t appear that he saw any testimony yet is calling the case a sham but I will say every single day it appears Donald Trump’s entourage is growing larger it takes longer for them to come in the courtroom uh they are seated in the first two rows behind the former president and that is something that the jury certainly could be taking note of even just today as some of his allies were outside doing media they came in in the middle of Michael Cohen’s testimony and took their seats and again that is something that the jury is seeing all right that is so important to point out Olivia Kim and Jay our thanks to all of you I want to bring in our ABC News political director Rick Klein now for more on what appears to be Trump seeking to use this trial to his political Advantage here I mean what other choice does he have at this point Rick and we want to talk about this uh this new polling that we’re seeing right it’s a New York Times Sienna poll and Rick it includes one with the Philadelphia inquire as well and it really shows that Donald Trump is leading Joe Biden in five major swing States right now a big area of support for Trump by the way is among young non white voters according to this polling this is a group that typically leans toward Democrats uh so Rick when you look at these numbers what are they telling you especially when you consider the time and the money that Biden is actually spending on the campaign Trail it tells me cada that the race is Frozen in place and it might be for a while I mean this is going to be a very close election it’s going to come down to those States and a handful of others maybe seven states total and just maybe a few 10,000 votes in each of them but it is striking because Donald Trump has been by his own account kind of Trapped in court for the last several weeks Joe Biden has been the one out on the campaign Trail making big splashy announcements attacking uh the former president Trump has had opportunities to campaign he’s taken some of them he’s obviously spent a lot of time out inside a court and outside a court where he is delivering campaign messaging and I don’t know that it is necessarily going as far as that Mike Johnson is saying that that people see this to be a show trial or a sham trial but it is evident from the numbers that the the race has not turned around over the fact that he as a former president and as the Republican nominee the presumptive nominee in court all day uh the fact that he’s spending that time does not seem to have hurt him at the very least certainly not as you have pointed out these polls reflect a moment in time and a lot more discussions to come on this Rick thank you so much for being with us also now police are saying that they have made an arrest after a bush bus carrying Farm Workers crashed and overturned on a Florida highway so we’re now learning that at least eight people were killed dozens more were injured this is the aftermath that you’re looking at there authorities are saying that it happened this morning and the bus and the SUV collided swiped each other in Maring County this is the central part of the State of Florida and what we’re learning right now is that the driver of the SUV has now been arrested on eight counts of driving Under the Influence manslaughter ABC News Phil Lipoff has been following this story throughout the day uh Phil thank you so much for being here with us look we’re just getting some news this arrest has been made uh what is the latest word there from officials Florida well Kaa all the details you gave a at the beginning there of the introduction was what we knew all day we had no idea that there would be any wrongdoing here but just within the last half hour or so we’ve gotten word that there has been an arrest made Brian McLean Howard has been arrested and police arrested him at the hospital he was taken to the hospital let me back up a little bit 6:30 this morning this bus carrying 53 Farm Workers they were headed to a watermelon Farm sideswiped the truck this Ford Ranger and then went through a fence off the road and overturned when police got there there were eight people dead already and they needed to get some 40 plus people uh to the hospital so they brought in us an empty school bus to get these folks to the hospital there are still people in bad shape uh when we checked last in critical condition too uh but eight people died there and now we know the driver of that Ford Ranger truck that earlier today all we knew is that it veered toward the center line sideswiped the bus and that’s what caused the accident now we know or at least we’re being told by police that that Brian Howard who was driving it was driving under the influence and he’s been charged with as you mentioned eight counts of DUI and manslaughter and keep this in mind Kaa there are still people at the hospital in very bad shape who were in this bus bus crash so no doubt if more people God forbid die there could be more charges in this case too right absolutely if that death toll does go up so will those charges fill lip off thank you for being here with us also now to the federal investigators that have just released a preliminary report showing the latest on the investigation into the dolly cargo ship and what may have caused it to crash into that Francis Scott Key bridge it’s a 24 page NTSB report and it reveals that the ship suffered multiple electrical outages hours before hitting the bridge and while they were still this happened while they were still in the port there were two electrical blackouts that disabled critical equipment before that crash now the main propulsion propulsion diesel engine shut down automatically after the pumps lost their electrical power well the ship’s crew then called for assistance and the anchor was ordered to be dropped that’s when the second blackout occurred a final report is expected within two years this of course is as crews are working now to remove the wreckage of the bridge [Music] controlled explosion there brought down the largest remaining part of the bridge sending a 600 ton piece of Steel plunging into the water we brought that to you live on our show yesterday Crews there are assessing that area they’re hoping to move that trapped container ship and its 21 member crew within the next two days officials now are aiming to fully clear that channel and reopen the port by the end of the month and President Biden is now getting tough with China hitting the country with new tariffs on $8 billion worth of Chinese Imports the president’s announcement today says he’s quadrupling the import tax on Chinese electric vehicles from 25% to 100% saying the move will protect key American Industries from cheaper Chinese Goods that could wipe out competition bottom line I want Fair competition with China not conflict and we’re in a stronger position to win that economic competition at 21st century against China than anyone else because we’re investing in America again in American work well the tariffs also Target Imports of batteries steel aluminum chips and semiconductors China calling that announcement typical political manipulation and the US should immediately correct its wrongdoings I’m going to bring in our ABC News senior White House correspondent Selena Lang for more details on this Selena thank you for being with us and can you break down the tariffs for us and the implications for American industry and consumers here yeah Kan so we’re talking about $18 billion doll worth of goods that the president is putting these new tariffs on quadrupling tariffs on electric vehicles from 25 to 100% this targets these key high technology sectors as well as steel and aluminum the White House says that these are Industries they’re investing in at home and they want to protect these markets from what they say are unfairly priced artificially cheaper Chinese products because the government is subsidizing those products and they say that it’s already wiping out competition putting manufacturers around the world out of business and they want to prevent that from happening here in the United States but of course k a major political implications here as both Biden and Trump are fighting to be tougher on China and win over those workingclass voters all right so for more on that Selena I mean the big question now is how different are these tariffs from the ones that were levied on Chinese Imports by President Trump during his administration uh the two of them sort of trading barbs today so let’s take a listen because China is eating our lunch right now and they went away from what I was doing they’re eating our lunch he’ve been feeding a long time okay so Selena that’s the question how do these tariffs differ from the Trump ones and how critical is this for the election especially in some of those Rust Belt states where Trump is leading in these most recent polls Kana two really important points on this number one Trump is vowing that if he is elected again that he’s going to impose dramatically higher tariffs across the board the Biden team says that would increase inflation the Biden team is arguing that their tariffs are more targeted more strategic and that it’s not going to raise prices for Americans but secondly this is the really important Point Kaa is that the Biden Administration is keeping and maintaining those tariffs from the Trump Administration on some $300 billion dollar worth of goods from China Studies have shown that its us consumers largely bearing the brunt of those tariffs Biden went from being very critical of those tariffs years before to now not only keeping those Trump era tariffs but building on them all right Selena Wang our thanks to you and of course we’ll be talking more about this in our Spotlight segment in our next half hour also now Secretary of State Anthony blinkin reaffirming American support for Ukraine with a surprise visit to keev blink’s visit coming as Ukraine struggles to fight back a new Russian offensive near kke its second largest city just hours ago Russia hitting a residential building there injuring at least 17 people including two children blinkin meeting with Ukrainian president V deir zalinsky and telling that Ukrainian soldiers are confronting the greatest threat to transatlantic security since the end of the Cold War we know the time is of the essence that’s why just one minute after Congress approved our Mass debate package president v s ammunition armed Vehicles missiles and air defenses to Ukraine much more will be delivered to the battlefield in the coming days well blinkin later visited a bar and he hopped on stage to play guitar and sing with the band the song a cover of Neil Young’s Keep On Rocking In The Free World who knew he had that Talent all right coming up next here on ABC News live there’s a massive Manhunt underway right now this is after an attack on a prison van in France it has left two officers dead we have more details Straight [Music] Ahead whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at War after that brutal surprise attack by Hamas on the ground in Ukraine reporting from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting ABC News live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in Turkey in Rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 20124 campaign Trail in Iceland let’s go traveling with the president in Mexico City wherever the story from the front lines from Southern Israel outside the Gaza Strip in beir from the FBI reporting from the nurses on the picket line here at 10 down street in London streaming live to you wherever the story is wherever the story is wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere America’s number one streaming news first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood War to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th poll the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the Mel is the Super Bowl of red carpet it’s a celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the Met Gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on hululu [Music] and welcome back there’s an urgent man hunt underway right now in France following a deadly prisoner escape a prison van was attacked at a toll booth 72 miles north of Paris where authorities say an inmate inside the vehicle escaped with the help of at least two people wearing ski masks and carrying assault rifles two prison officers are dead uh three others are injured two of the three injured are said now to be in critical condition ABC News foreign correspondent Tom Sufi burd is near Paris with more There’s real shock here across France tonight after what appears to have been a well coordinated highly organized criminal attack on that police van and another police vehicle as they moved through that toll station a black vehicle a car ramming into the police van then gunman emerging from that black car shooting uh we know that two French prison officers were killed three were injured two of them critically the first time that prison officers have been killed in France since the early ’90s so it’s sent shock waves through this country The Prisoner who was being transported in that van was being moved from a court hearing back to his jail cell but tonight there are uncomfortable questions about the availability to these criminal gangs of what appears to have been military-grade assault rifles used in the attack and also about the ability of a criminal gang to carry out such a Brazen Oran organized attack on a police prison van in the middle of the day and we’ve seen from the Justice Minister here in France today he was clearly shaken uh condemning the attack uh calling it absolutely appalling uh promising that the suspects will be brought to Justice police have recovered a separate vehicle used as a getaway car by the gang but the gang the suspect The Prisoner who was broken busted out of that van and the gunman that helped him to do it and killed uh we believe those two prison officers are still on the run tonight and there is a massive Manhunt ongoing by all of France’s different police forces across this country they’ll clearly be talking to European counterparts too to ensure or to avoid that the the suspects could cross borders in their potential getaway Kana all right Tom Sufi burd thank you so much for being with us and coming up next here uh you can call her doctor but she’s not even old enough to vote yet we’ll tell you about the 17-year-old Prodigy from Chicago’s Southside now earning her doctorate that’s after the [Music] break first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th pole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News [Music] [Applause] [Music] live it to with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here this is ABC News live the crush of families on the ground in Ukraine ABC News live America’s number one streaming news anytime anywhere streaming 247 straight to you for free thank you for making ABC News live a America’s number one streaming news reporting from the Fon County Courthouse in Atlanta Georgia I’m Olivia Ruben wherever The Story Goes we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News [Music] live well in this month of college graduations we have a special one for you Chicago native Dorothy Jee Tilman earning her doctoral degree at the ripe old age of 17 yes she’s the youngest person ever to graduate from Arizona State University with a doctorate she entered college at just 10 years old majoring in Psychology bachelor’s degree by age 12 Master’s by age 14 and now her doctoral degree in integrated Behavioral Health uh she credits her success and her passion for learning to her grandmother who was a civil rights activist as well as her mom Dorothy Jean is also the founder and CEO of a Leadership Institute that creates Pathways to teach underrepresented kids science Tech technology engineering and math wow congratulations to her all right a lot more news ahead here on ABC News live in today’s big story Donald Trump back in court arriving with a team of GOP Heavy Hitters to support him including the Speaker of the House how they went on the attack as former fixer Michael Cohen returned to the stand testifying about how he says Trump pressured him not to flip in his hush money case and in our Spotlight President Biden waging an economic Crackdown against China our panel weighs in on the new trade policies and whether American will end up paying the [Music] price what does it take to be the most watched newscast in America an operation to capture Isis Fighters This our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate now militants came in from four or five different directions operational nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to go [Music] the house is destroyed but the flag there’s not a tear in it not a tear in it how important is this label right here made the USA look at your smile you’re proud of this I love this great work hi where are you where are you appreciate you thank you David than to meet you is David David yes yes I’m David M I know who you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon M the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there your streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straight forward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th hole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the Mel is the Super Bowl of red carpet the celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring [Music] inside the me gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu Donald Trump comes to core with a team of GOP Heavy Hitters I’m Kana Whitworth here in Los Angeles and that is our big story today the former president arriving with an Entourage of Republicans including speaker Mike Johnson how they went on the attack as star witness Michael Cohen returned to the stand testifying about how he says Trump pressured him not to flip also in our Spotlight President Biden waging an economic Crackdown against China our panel weighs in on the new trade policies and whether Americans will end up paying the [Music] price now of course we begin here with our big story Donald Trump back in court arriving with this Entourage of high-profile Republicans including house Speaker Mike Johnson this as Michael Cohen returned to the stand Trump’s attorneys grilling the star witness and her cross-exam ation attacking his credibility and at one point they drilled down into his use of Tik Tok they were showing videos of Cohen commenting on this case expressing hope for a trump conviction and even selling merchandise like t-shirts featuring a cartoon of the former president Behind Bars uh the defense also questioning Cohen’s motivations suggesting that he only began cooperating with investigators because he was in prison at the time and wanted his sentence reduced this as several prominent Republicans went to court to show support for the former president including house Speaker Mike Johnson and some top vice presidential contenders among them Florida Congressman Byron Donalds and vamis Swami uh joining me for more on this is criminal defense attorney and former Federal prosecutor Tim Jansen so Tim thank you so much for being here with us and sharing your expertise uh so let’s jump in here to the Michael Cohen H Tik Tock use right I mean defense attorneys really drilled down on this they talked about some of the outlandish things he was saying on Tik Tok and they even brought up these t-shirts I mean it has an image of trump behind bars that he’s trying to sell throughout all of this what does this do for a man whose credibility is already in question well cross-examination is an art based on experience and knowing who you’re cross-examining you don’t want to come out like a bull in a bull fight you know if you’ve ever been to a bull fight that bu is ready to fight and the guy going to eventually fight that bull lets him get tired out he gives him he Peaks to it right you get to a crescendo effect the first thing he should have done was try to give simple questions that he knows the answer and Michael con is going to have to admit yes what I would have done I would have had two chalk boards or boards and I would have just listed every time that he told a lie every time he told of fabrication every time he’s convicted of perjury the bank fraud the secretly recording and then on another board I would have done all the things that Michael Cohen did on his own in this case that Trump didn’t know about secretly recording him playing that recording to the National inquire false bank all that and you put that on a board and it and it it shows the jury sees it and now the witness is looking at it and you got him where he’s a little more easier to control but just going out there swinging your arms you’re just flaring and so in your mind the way the defense team handled this on behalf of the former president I did they not make it clear to the jury what they were trying to get across here do you think the jury left this Michael Cohen testimony with a lot of questions I think it could have been a little more organized I think they could have gone on two fronts right one impeachment and bias and then the others then go and incorporate all the false statements that he’s given on these documents testimonies that he’s given that were inconsistent with how he testified then at the end when you’re reaching your Crescendo you can say you’re bias and you show these Tick Tock you show them making money and I think that would that would have be a very strong and a credible cross-examination and it would show why the defense is pointing out all his inconsistencies all his bias and why you shouldn’t believe him now I wasn’t in the courtroom to see how it was going but what I’m hearing was the the defense lawyer was jumping around different places another part of cross-examination you can’t be wed to your notes you have to look and see exactly what the witness is saying he may open the door that you can jab him with a killer strike and if you’re wed to your notes you’re going to miss that so we had we had a legal analyst that said essentially that prosecutors had been laying down this corroborating Foundation if you will and that Michael Cohen is their star witness and now it was up to him to sort of tie it all together so knowing what you know at this point uh and Michael Cohen’s testimony is now done uh the prosecution is done has he given the testimony that would lead jurors to believe there has been a felony committed here the problem you have is this 18 days 19 days of trial I don’t think the jury was ever told what the crime was they had salacious details they talked about paying off a bad story not illegal they talked about paying hush money to pay off that story not illegal and they’re saying that he combined this with legal fees he did give legal fees these were expenses as part of the legal fees what they have not tied up is where was the accountant that labeled legal fees when was Donald Trump involved with them ping these bills or misappropriating them and calling them legal fees they haven’t gotten there that is not before this jury um so I I think the the prosecution resting with Michael Cohen is a major mistake um you would never end with the witness like that as your last witness uh we’ll see what happens on uh cross examination tomorrow but that’s not how you normally would end the case you bring in someone else to try to forget the problems and the bias of Michael Cohen oh I see almost bookended um so walk us through now the next couple of weeks here do we expect to see Trump take the stand here in his own defense if so when would that happen and then any idea how long it will be before the jury gets that case um I think cross examination will go till maybe after lunch they’ll do redirect um I don’t think they’re calling any more witnesses then the defense will call their witness um we don’t have court on well tomorrow we don’t yeah we don’t have court tomorrow right so it’s we might end on Friday and I doubt that the judge defense might call a couple I think some accountants uh but we could have closing arguments on Monday um the the defense is going to file a motion for Judgment of AC quid but I doubt that will be granted that’s a standard motion you make uh they’ll make it after the the prosecution case and after they call their Witnesses but I could see us going in the closing arguments Monday or Tuesday all right that is creeping up very quickly Tim Jansen thank you as always for your expertise we so appreciate your time I want to bring this big story now to our panel so joining us today is our ABC News contributor and oped columnist for the Los Angeles Times LZ Granderson our Democratic strategist Kon sherov along with editor at the National Review romes panu and ABC News contributor and series EX radio host Mike Muse thank you all for being here with us so uh LZ let’s start here with you actually I’m just really curious you just listened uh to Tim and I talk do you think it was a mistake here for the prosecution to end on Michael Cohen that they didn’t have anyone to come up after and vouch for his credibility if at all possible Hana I am so thankful for you asking me that question because that was the one part of your conversation that really struck me as odd because if Michael Cohen is your star witness and you need to book in him then perhaps he’s not the witness you think he is I think that ending on Michael Cohen shows that you have some strength in what he is saying that you don’t feel the need you know buffer the fact that he has been found to have perjured himself and not to necessarily have been honest the entire time I think the prosecution feels that the coroporation supply the documentation in addition to his testimony makes a sh enough case and they don’t have to worry about his credibility beyond that oh that’s interesting oh that’s an interesting take LZ thank you and Mike to you we have seen Donald Trump get support from major GOP politicians throughout all of this but then today it was a whole different thing right Mike Johnson joining him at the courthouse uh we saw JD Vance though even yesterday uh this is really turning into more of a campaign stop isn’t it then a court appearance if you will it absolutely is you see two things at play here you see a criminal criminal trial and you also still also too see a campaign in action no one understands media and media strategy like for former president Donald Trump he has a way of playing to the camera he has a way of getting his messages across and he has a way of creating narratives uh he was concerned his campaign there’s a lot of talk out there that it would remove him from the campaign and also two there is questions about him being at a fundraising deficit compared to President Biden but Kane if you think about it this is nothing but earned media for former president Donald Trump and what that means for our audience is just free advertising from the moment that America wakes up to the moment they go to sleep it’s wall to wall coverage of former president Donald Trump and now they’re bringing on more of the GOP Representatives that are sitting there with him as well as the renc really making this a campaign referendum and really politicizing uh this court and this court case really getting to the American public to ask him a question is this a criminal trial or is this a political Witch Hunt in which former president Donald Trump has been owning that narrative so it’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out uh with the polls and how America feels about it yeah absolutely he leaned in hard even created a campaign ad today uh with the courtroom and with his supporters there so a remes to you on that point what now happens to Trump’s support system within the GOP if he’s convicted here do these surrogates uh that we see joining him in court and outside of court do they continue to stand by him well I think they very likely will um the only thing that would change that is if a conviction were to have a real effect on public opinion and maybe not even then would you see a change look I think a lot of Republicans including some of the folks who are rallying with him genuinely think that uh this is to to borrow a phrase used already here a political Witch Hunt and so a conviction is not really going to change people’s minds about whether this was a fair prosecution whether the judge has been biased or not they’re just going to say it’s a Witch Hunt right his base will be his base and we’ll support him through and through Kon while Trump has been stuck in court for 4 days Joe Biden or for several days I not just four right uh Joe Biden’s been out campaigning right and he’s been outspending Trump as well uh but Trump is leading in these new polls that we’re seeing so how does Joe Biden plan to move forward here well I think the Biden campaign has been smart to not jump all over these trials it will play out and I do think it’s a neg if it’s an ad for Trump it’s a negative ad like RFK reading those in ing tweets about him but I think the President right he’s laying out his initiatives his agenda what he’s been fighting for I think it’s critical you know if Tim the last guest sort of said that this was taming a bull Michael Cohen did do a public service you know I’m not one of those Democrats that’s excited about the Michael Cohen Redemption Arc but he was measured this was not the Michael Cohen Show he answered the questions he did what he was there to do that’s right I mean a lot of people did say that in court he was very by the book but then of course he was going on Tik Tok and the evenings and putting on a whole different display that raised a lot of questions in that courtroom LZ Kon raes mik yeah if I can uh really emphasize a little bit about uh speaker Mike Johnson I thought that was a really good political strategy for him to be there uh and particularly it pushes back on the narrative from represent to Marg Hiller green uh and it really neutralizes her argument as she calls his speakership into question so he really Shores up the maging the Republican Party while also to strengthening the moderate ring of Republican party as we just recently saw uh with pass that for an age I thought that was a really interesting political tactic uh that speaker Mike Johnson had today right openly saying I wanted to be their to support him and as oliv Olivia Rubin pointed out he was there at the podium he spoke to reporters he did not go into that courtroom though which is interesting all right LZ Kon raesha Mike thank you so much for being with us here today coming up next here President Biden hitting China with tough new tariffs on Chinese Imports what’s ahead for the already 10th us China relations and will this help American industry giving the president AB boost in those crucial Rust Belt Battleground States our panel weighs [Music] in whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war after that brutal surprise attack by Hamas on the ground in Ukraine reporting from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting ABC News live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in in Turkey en rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 2024 campaign Trail in Iceland let’s go traveling with the president in Mexico City wherever the story from the front lines from Southern Israel outside the Gaza Strip in beir from the FBI reporting from the nurses on the picket line here at 10 Downing Street in London streaming live to you wherever the story is wherever the story is wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere America’s number one streaming news first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th hole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the me is the Super Bowl of red carpet it’s the celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about Awakening something within all of us you get things you never could in 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the Met Gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start [Music] here because China is eating our lunch right now and they went away from what I was doing they’re eating our lunch been Fe a long time well tough words from the president and the presumptive g nominee after President Biden slapped China with tough new tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese Imports including batteries steel aluminum chips and semiconductors the order quadrupling the import tax on Chinese electric vehicles from 25% to 100% saying the move will protect key American Industries from cheaper Chinese Goods that could wipe out competition well China calling that announcement typical political manipulation and saying the US should immediately correct its wrongdoings I’m going to bring back my panel here LZ Kon rsh and joining us as ABC’s senior White House correspondent Selena Wang uh so Selena how big of an impact will these tariffs have on both the American industry and of course on Americans pocketbooks yeah Kana well look the Biden Administration claims that these tariffs are targeted and strategic so they’re not going to have an impact on inflation they say this is all about protecting American Industries from what they argue are unfairly underpriced products from China because of subsidies from the government so that is what the Biden Administration is saying but of course there’s dispute from various trade groups and economists who say this will in fact worsen inflation the Biden team is keeping in place the Trump era tariffs on some $300 billion dollar worth of goods and Studies have shown that us consumers are the ones who largely bore the brunt of those tariffs you have groups like The National Retail Federation who say these tariffs are just a tax on consumers and it will raise prices at a time when people are already dealing with inflation certainly and so then I mean that leads me to my next question question here what will the effect will this have now on the already tense us China relationships well yeah kany you just mentioned at the top of the show that Beijing is slamming this move as political manipulation they claim this is another example of the US trying to contain their rise in technology and their Supremacy in that space so look this move does also raise a risk of escalation when it comes to the trade War because Beijing is already threatening to retaliate with President Biden saying in an interview earlier today that he does expect Beijing to retaliate in some way that all being said Kaa this is not a surprise to the Chinese government they knew this was coming so I do expect the reaction to be contained all right Selena thank you and remes you how are Republicans spinning this as President Biden is essentially affirming the tariffs that President Trump put into place when he was in office well that’s basically what the Republicans are saying uh because it happens to be true uh and also because Republicans aren’t really clear nowadays on where they stand whether they want to attack this as they would have in the old days as a tax increase on American consumers and businesses or if they want to attack him just as aping president Trump fact is we’ve now had two administrations in a row that are R if happy but not particularly strategic about it and Kon how do you see this playing out for President Biden especially in the polls when you look at some of these Battleground States we keep talking about the Rust Belt here uh but also the fact that you know he is he’s trailing significantly in these polls but now this might also hurt consumers so how do they navigate that well I think it’s interesting because we’ve heard so much talk about the importance of being tough on China and Biden’s gotten tough on China and this is the latest example but obviously there’s the for sale of Tik Tok bill as well Trump has really done the opposite I mean he made millions of dollars in office from China his daughter got all those patents from China and he’s on China’s side when it comes to Tik Tok so I do think he’s going to try to draw out a contrast here and really flip the Nar like we saw with the Border Bill and LZ for you from the consumer standpoint here I mean do these tariffs really work is it a political game here does it simply raise the prices for Americans well I think from an American perspective we need to take the Long View with this technology when it comes to China you may remember Kan back in you know the late 70s Carter actually has solar panels in the White House Reagan took them down and what happened in the meantime China rows in terms of Technology with solar paneling and if you add American solar panel manufacturers today they will tell you how China is dominating in that industry fast forward to where we are now and we’re having this conversation about electric vehicles so I do think there is some strategy I don’t know if this is going to play out for voters come November but in terms of what’s best for the American people going forward having a foothold in this new technology will be beneficial to us and we don’t believe that just look what happened to us with the solar panels yeah yeah absolutely all right LZ kvon rsh and Selena thanks to all of you and coming up on our last call here it doesn’t matter if you’re of drinking age there’s a bar in Ohio that says it will only serve an older crowd on its busiest nights no exceptions my panel weighs in after the break whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon Main of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go on the24 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere what’s good to watch read where can I get a great deal on what I’m just dying to buy oh it’s all right here GMA life get the latest celebrity Buzz deals and steals the coolest lifestyle tips from GMA I love that so much streaming weekends on ABC News live with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R ml Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th poll the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the Mel is the Super Bowl of r carpet a celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something within all of us you get things you never could in a hundred years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the me gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know that sounds pretty good you’re your money breaking news music and of course good food a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afternoon for everything you need to know I love that reporting from the Gulf Coast of Florida covering hurricane Adalia I’m M aachi wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News [Music] live okay it’s time for our last call and actually it is kind of kind of about a last call if you will there’s a bar in Ohio that is Banning people under the age of 30 on Friday and Saturday nights and it starts this weekend this is according to their Facebook post from Don’s Pub it’s in Groveport which is about 20 minutes outside of Columbus Ohio uh you can also see it mentions a cover charge the bar noting it will not accept the cash app or venmo for the cover charge I want to bring back my panel LZ kivon raes and Mike Muse is back with us uh okay so Mike what is your take here is it fair to say no no no this is for the 30 and over crowd only I like it I see nothing wrong with it at all it’s about curating your bar experience oh you’re taking it up a level is that what it’s about Kon taking it up a level yeah you know as someone who is now 30 I’m very excited at the premise of once again being the youngest person in a bar he’s now 30 oh my gosh young and young and oh that’s so good but rsh one person actually wrote on their Facebook page they were like no no no it should be 35 and up they wanted it to go even higher well of course it was on a Facebook page uh the fact that they’re uh not allowing venmo or cash app makes the new demographic policy work even better uh it’s it’s all very lined up I you know I’m going to go to that bar I’m going to look forward to being able to have a conversation with a friend my perspective may have changed a little bit on this kind of thing over the years oh that’s so funny LZ for some reason this post just popped in my mind of a guy that was like I had to get my ID out to tell him how old I was and I dropped it and the noise I made bending down to get my ID they were like we don’t need to see it anymore that is so funny and there’s nothing more trag to me than seeing like a middle-aged man with a backwards baseball cap and a holla t-shirt on in some bar so if this helps eliminate that imagery I’m all for it wow we have group of fans I’m a little surprised by that Kyon I’m glad you’re 30 and old enough to be a part of this conversation all right that’s it for our last call this half hour LZ Kon oresa Mike thank you so much and thank you for streaming with us I’m Kaa Whitworth follow us on ABC News live on Instagram Tik Tok Facebook and more and coming up here at 7 p.m. Eastern be sure to catch ABC News live Prime with lindsy Davis for the day’s biggest stories and the impact they have on you the news never stops neither do we keep it right here on ABC News live what does it take to be the most watched news cast in America we are part of an operation is this our combat Operation Center we’re approaching the gate militants came in from different directions nuclear reactor so you have a couple loaded and ready to go the house is destroyed but the flag not a in it how important it made the US day great work hi appreciate it’s David David I’m David I know you are you every night ABC’s World News Tonight with David mure is America’s most watched newscast first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in 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sins of the parents the crumbly trials the opposite of love is not hate it’s just being ignored only on Hulu why do so many people start their day here here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R ml Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here this is ABC News live on the ground in Ukraine ABC News live America’s number one streaming news anytime anywhere streaming 24/7 straight to you for free thank you for making ABC News live America’s number one streaming news reporting from Harvard University I’m Selena Wayne wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re streaming ABC News live [Music] I’m K WTH here in Los Angeles and right now on ABC News live Michael Cohen back on the stand in Donald Trump’s hush money trial as Speaker Mike Johnson joins GOP Heavy Hitters at court what Cohen told the jury about how he says Trump pressured him not to flip plus how the house Speaker attacked the US justice system appearing with Republican VP contenders also hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fleeing Rafa as Israeli troops push deeper into Southern Gaza this is the international court of justice says it will hold hearings over the IDF attacks there also new data shows that credit card delinquencies are on the rise as more young adults are falling behind on their payments will break down the numbers later this hour but we begin here with Donald Trump accompanied to court by an Entourage of GOP Heavy Hitters this as his attorneys grilled his former fixer Michael Cohen Trump leaving the courthouse just a short time ago of course after another day of proceedings in his hush money trial he was blasting his court imposed gag order calling it again unconstitutional the Entourage though of prominent Republicans showing support for the former president today that included house Speaker Mike Johnson and some top VP contenders among them Florida Congressman Byron Donalds and VI ramaswami Trump’s defense team attacking Cohen’s credibility today during cross-examination leading him to concede he has an agenda and admit that he was once quote kneed deep in the cult of Donald Trump now earlier he also testified about how he says in 2018 then president president Trump carried out a pressure campaign on him through allies at the time not to cooperate with investigators ABC News investigative reporter Olivia Rubin has more from outside Court in lower Manhattan after spending over nine hours on direct examination with prosecutors Michael Cohen was turned over to the defense for Donald Trump’s team to have their turn and his attorney Todd blanch immediately with a fiery line of questioning asking Michael Cohen about his social media post spefic specifically one showing hatred about Donald Trump the purpose of that line of questioning to try to plant some sort of doubt in the mind of jurors about why Michael Cohen is testifying today and key could he be lying in order to send his former boss to prison he did Zone in on one line of questioning asking Michael Cohen pinning him down on if he did want to see Donald Trump go to prison Michael Cohen of course conceding yes that he did but not appearing ever to be phased by the questioning of Todd blanch who weaved in and out of different portions of questioning why he could have been trying to cooperate with prosecutors why he was on his social media calling Trump inflammatory comments such as a a dictator at some points even playing for Michael Cohen portions of his own podcast in which he again expressed hatred for Donald Trump the jury though not hearing those comments just Michael Cohen the attorneys and even Donald Trump putting on a headset at one point to listen to that portion of Michael Cohen’s podcast and uh the attorney for Donald Trump Todd blanch likely has much more to go saying he could go all the way through Thursday with Michael Cohen on Cross examination when Court is set to resume at 9:30 on on Thursday P all right Olivia ribben our thanks to you as always and for a legal analysis here I want to bring in our ABC News legal contributor and law professor Kim wayy Kim thanks for being with us all day today in the defense you know as Olivia said spent a lot of time today focusing on Cohen’s relationship with Trump I mean they went really far back talking about if perhaps Cohen was obsessed with Donald Trump it seems like they’re kind of trying to find a pattern of infatuation if you will do you think that that kind of questioning will have an impact on the jury that part probably not just because Michael Cohen admitted as such and it seemed like during the direct exam he maybe even have created some sympathy with the jury he really cared about that job he loved that job he was very loyal to Donald Trump and he felt I think abandoned and thrown under the bus um the the other line of questioning that is that there’s you know he has revenge motivation things like that that’s probably not a big surprise to the jury either but the defense would probably do well if they could somehow unravel his demeaner to get to get Michael Cohen to act irrational more fiery like reportedly he did during the Civil fraud trial but so far he’s been very cool under pressure and could be very well be persuading the jury that now is the time he’s telling the truth not when he was under the grip of Donald Trump oh that’s interesting that his measur demeanor in this courtroom might speak louder than his actual uh loud bombastic voice in the past that’s fascinating but also uh Kim has prosecutors come to a close now with Michael Cohen uh this is their last witness they’re going to call the stand do you think that they have proven a felony in this case well the question is beyond a reasonable doubt right and that really means is there a doubt for which the the jury when they go back to the Jury Room can give a reason and so far there isn’t really a coherent Narrative of the defense that okay we know there was a hush money payment we know Donald Trump participated in at least the Karen McDaniel’s hush money payment McDougall excuse me because she uh he was caught on tape so what’s the what’s the alternative narrative that Michael Cohen did this on his own that really Donald Trump was worried about his wife I think the government especially with the documentary evidence has established a pretty good story and defense needs to give the jury some other reason for this entire account of events all right Kim wayy thank you so much for your analysis we appreciate you as always also there are three states holding primaries today that could help decide the balance of power on Capitol Hill next year voters heading to the polls in Nebraska West Virginia and Maryland and that’s where perhaps the most closely watched contest is taking place County Executive Angela alel Brooks and Congressman David Trum facing off in the state’s Democrat ratic State Primary in the winter will likely take on the former Republican Maryland governor Larry Hogan in November to fill that State’s open senate seat also today police say that they have made an arrest after a bus carrying Farm Workers crashed and overturned on a Florida highway at least eight people were killed dozens more were injured and authorities are saying it happened this morning when the bus in the SUV collided this happened in the central part of Florida and the driver of the SUV has now been arrested on eight accounts of driving Under the Influence manslaughter ABC News Phil Lipoff has been following the story throughout the day and has the latest for us Phil Kana for most of the day we knew the details of this bus crash and the details are horrible I’ll get to that in one minute but we’ve just found out within the last hour or so that the driver of the Ford Ranger this truck that sideswiped the bus and we didn’t know why for most of the day now we know why he has been arrested in charg with 8 counts of DUI manslaughter his name is Brian mcle Howard police say he was driving under the influence and actually caused this crash the crash happened in denell in Florida about 6:30 this morning it’s about 45 minutes south of Gainesville this bus was carrying 53 Farm Workers heading to a watermelon farm when it was sideswiped by this truck the bus went through the fence as I mentioned flipped eight people were killed there at the scene and more than 40 people needed to be rushed to the hospital so improvising uh the police brought in a school bus and took these folks to the hospital no children were hurt in this the school bus was just used for a transport but there are people who are in some uh rough shape at the hospital we knew that some people were in critical condition about eight people uh and the others were injured but non-life-threatening injuries so if someone does die at the hospital you can expect these charges to go up but right now what we know is uh the the cause of this crash this morning police are telling us in Florida Brian McLean Howard driving Under the Influence he is now charged with 8 counts of DUI manslaughter Kaa all right Philip off our thanks to you also more than 450,000 people have now fled the city of Rafa as Israeli troops move deeper into Gaza we’re also seeing some very dramatic scenes with Israeli protesters that have been blocking these Aid shipments some have been said to be destroying food even setting fire to these Aid trucks uh in the meantime the US state department says it’s aware of reports of American doctors trapped in Gaza and believes that more can be done to help them get out the Biden Administration is saying that that is another one of the reasons it’s crucial that that Rafa border crossing be open so that foreign Nationals can be allowed to leave ABC News foreign correspondent Marcus Moore has the latest for us from Tel Aviv Kaa for weeks Israeli demonstrators have been blocking entire roadways in an effort to prevent aid from reaching families in Gaza today our team witnessed more dramatic and agitated scenes near an Israeli border crossing outside hibron that’s where trucks carrying aid from Jordan were temporarily stopped from passing and many in this group said the aid is feeding the enemy here’s what else demonstrators told me today there are people who will say that that you don’t care about the innocent families in Gaza do you care about them and their their access to food I care about every innocent guy that di guy girl whatever but they started a war they can’t cry they can’t end it humanitarian groups a group have said that starving families need this Aid yeah it’s war in war like War people die today’s incident comes a day after demonstrators destroyed food and supplies Bound for Gaza and also set fire to a trucks today there was a noticeable increase in police presence with SWAT team standing by near that same border crossing in Hebron the extra police presence follows strong us condemnation of yesterday’s violence Israeli police arresting some of those who were in meanwhile today we saw a man holding a baby scuffling with police he told another demonstrator that that baby was his shield K all right Marcus Mo thanks to you are joining me for more and this is our ABC News National Security and defense analyst Mick mroy uh Mick thank you for being here with us and look let’s talk about uh what we’re hearing out of the state department saying that just 50 Aid trucks were able to get into Gaza that was on Sunday uh that is far fewer than the 400 that were getting in after President Biden threatened a change in policy there so make how crucial now is that Aid Pier that is being constructed to get supplies in by sea K that’s a very good point one of the reasons why this Maritime Corridor is so substantial is not only because it could bring in Aid at scale so much more Aid that’s being brought in obviously during over these uh uh ground Crossings but it can’t be blocked if the Israeli government approves it then it then there’s a clear path uh from Cypress where it originates in to Gaza and this can really substantially help the people of Gaza particularly the innocent civilians that aren’t getting uh the food they need 50 is far too fewer before the war started only about 65% of the population relied or had relied on food Aid now 100% rely on food Aid and that’s about 10 times less food coming in and what about the latest plans here for the IDF to invade Rafa again they believe this is the last stronghold for some of these Hamas militants do we have any idea of what that plan looks like so it’s that’s a very good question as well the United States is pushing for a limited uh campaign in Rafa which I take to be they lead with intelligence and reconnaissance they find the enemy and then they really focus on that that particular area of Rafa a full scale Invasion could be up to two divisions included an armor division uh and a Airborne Division and that could be uh a a large problem when it comes to civilian casualties for those civilians that don’t leave it’s a good sign I think that almost half a million people have left uh there’s about 1.4 million civilians there that it would also be good for them to leave but if they don’t there’s always going to be some left there could be substantial civilian casualties if they go with a full uh a Full Assault on on Rafa and Mick is there any hope here at all for another potential ceasefire deal uh that would bring home some of these aeli hostages and bring some reprieve from this fighting K I do think there’s a chance I know that’s probably very optimistic but quite frankly Hamas reacts to things that that affect Hamas particularly the leadership if the leadership’s there and they feel that the IDF is closing in on them I would not doubt if they send up another signal that they are willing to do a ceasefire because they’re mostly interested in protecting themselves so the more the IDF closes in on them the last four battalions and potentially some senior leadership we might see an offer by Hamas uh for a ceasefire I know you’ll be watching that closely but also you know there’s been a lot of talk that there isn’t an actual plan here for the future of Gaza if and when this war is finally over even if uh the IDF believes that they’ve eliminated Hamas right we talk a lot Mick you and I that you can’t eliminate this ideology is it possible the cycle could then just repeat itself oh that’s right and we certainly tried to do that over last 20 years of the global war on terrorism we destroyed a lot of terrorists uh unfortunately we did not destroy the ideology so there has to be a political and diplomatic path uh toward a two-state solution I believe just like the United States government believes because that’s the only way to really end the cycle of violence which is going to continue if that does not occur the military can only do so much our military the Israeli military can only do so much uh they can’t defeat a philosophy that has to be a political uh battle if you you will and you have to you have to win that by peace and peace that’s sustainable in which both sides believe they have a prosperous future right now that is not the case all right Mick mroy we always appreciate your analysis so much thank you for being with us today also want to mention here the Secretary of State Anthony blinkin uh reaffirming American support for Ukraine with a surprise visit to keev blink’s visit coming is Ukraine struggles to fight back a new Russian offensive near carke the second largest city there just hours ago Russia hitting a residential building there injuring at least 17 people that includes two children blink meeting with Ukrainian president vlir zalinsky and telling him Ukrainian soldiers are confronting the greatest threat to transatlantic security since the end of the Cold War the time is of the essence that’s why just one minute after Congress approved our Mass debate package president V and ammunition armed Vehicles missiles and air defenses to Ukraine much more will be delivered to the battlefield in the coming days Well Blink leader visited a bar you see him there he hopped on stage to play guitar and he was singing with the band uh the song is a cover of Neil Young’s keep Rocking In The Free World all right well back here at home on Wall Street the NASDAQ closing a record high today it was a strong day for markets overall ahead of another key inflation report coming tomorrow the S&P 500 also ending the day just shy of its record high in the Dow closing up 126 points all of this despite a higher than expected reading from the producer price index for April which put a damper on expectations that the Federal Reserve could begin cutting those interest rates later this year uh there is also a new report from the Federal Reserve it’s Bank of New York that shows Americans credit card debt has dropped from a record high thing is it’s not all good news though according to this report overall credit card debt now sits at $1.12 trillion that’s down about $4 billion from last year but it also shows that more borrowers are missing their payments and that’s a sign of financial distress in some households ABC News Elizabeth schy is joining us for more on this so Elizabeth thank you for being here with us and look on one side you have good news right for credit borrowers but then there’s some people out there spending more than they can pay back so what does this really reveal right what this shows Kaa is that yes balances overall did go down a little bit in the first couple months of the year but that’s also typical this time of year because think about it you’re spending so much on your credit card during the holiday season it’s normal that that might drop at the start of the year when you’re paying off some of those debts but we’re still at $1.12 trillion overall household debt you can see it there on your screen 17.7 trillion that is still a record high so when you combine credit cards Autos mortgages student loans what this shows is that there is a lot of debt for households out there and more people are getting behind on their payments delinquencies are starting to rise this report looks specifically at who is Miss ing their payments and one thing that was a little bit alarming is that younger Americans are taking on more debt they’re maxing out their credit when you look at people who have spent almost all of their credit limit gen Z tops the list 15% of them are maxed out that’s a lot higher than other groups like Millennials Gen X and Baby Boomers Kaa that is concerning especially Elizabeth when you think about younger Americans struggling with their credit card debt younger Americans are also the ones that are trying to pay off student loans as well so where are we with that yes and we just got some new data about this that shows that those borrowing costs for student loans are going to go up higher they’re actually going to be at a 16-year high starting in July and this is an effect of the Federal Reserve continuing to keep those interest rates high so what this means if you’re family taking out a student loan your rate for an undergraduate loan is going to be 6.5% compared to 5.5 when you think about how that adds up it’s going to be more interest over the term of a loan so if you’re taking out a loan for 10 years it’s about $600 more in interest just another added cost when we’ve already talked about the high cost of tuition we’ve already talked about the high cost to get into these places and get these lows in the first place this is a burden on a lot of those families struggling with high prices already and those loans like that with that kind of interest rate they stay with you for decades Elizabeth schy thank you so much for being with us all right coming up next here how artificial intelligence is powering and changing College classrooms that’s [Music] next whenever new news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war after that brutal surprise attack by Hamas on the ground in Ukraine reporting from Leon main the scene of a horrific mass shooting ABC News live is right there everywhere from the scene of that deadly missile strike in Dena Ukraine reporting from the earthquake in Turkey in Rolling Fort This Tornado tore through this little town from the most devastating disaster in Hawaii from Charleston South Carolina on the 2024 campaign Trail in iand let’s go traveling with the president in Mexico City wherever the story from the front lines from Southern Israel outside the Gaza Strip in B from the FBI reporting from the nurses on the picket line here at 10 Downing Street in London streaming live to you wherever the story is wherever the story is wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live you’re streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere America’s number one streaming news first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straight forward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th pole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the meel is the Super Bowl of red carpet celebration the most Avant guard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about a wiening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the me gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu [Music] well artificial intelligence is becoming a big part of the world every single day and especially in education here in California a UCLA business class is using artificial intelligence to teach the curriculum instead of reading a 40-page case study the students are navigating an interactive one together they’re split into small groups and listening to Virtual conversations voiced by actors on business Concepts and then they offer a debate to support or oppose the group’s decision in tonight’s Prime preview ABC zorine Shaw shows us how it all works take a look I absolutely agree with like you have to make sure there’s still a line that you’re not like Crossing during this entire process the students are being recorded software called breakout learning transcribed their words then ran it through open AI which then spit out a summary and match it against a grading rubric figuring out an individual engagement score and then two group performance scores it’s one way to fight students using generative AI to cheat making it a part of the lesson in a way that makes sure they’re comprehending the material you’re turning AI on them I’m turning AI on them and I think it’s a good way I think this evaluation is just fantastic and it’s real time well thanks to zor sha for that and you can see the full report on ABC News live Prime with Lindsey Davis coming up tonight at 700 p.m. Eastern right here and coming up next here the WNBA season tips off tonight and so does you know Caitlyn Clark’s Dave de with the Indiana Fever more details after the [Music] break whenever news breaks we are here in Israel a nation at war in Rolling for this tornado tore through this town from Leon Maine the scene of a horrific mass shooting from the scene of that deadly missile strike ABC News live everywhere in Iceland let’s go the 2024 campaign Trail here at 10 Downing Street wherever the story is we’re going to take you there you’re streaming ABC News live ABC News live they streaming ABC News live ABC news live streaming free everywhere what’s good to watch read where can I get a great deal on what I’m just dying to buy oh it’s all right here GMA life get the latest celebrity Buzz Deals and Steals and the coolest lifestyle tips from GMA I love that so much streaming weekends on ABC News live with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here here to good mornings in America can you feel the yeah mornings that Inspire filled with hope kindness joyous surprises and so much fun this is crazy this is absolutely crazy start your day with Good Morning America’s ray of sunshine highlighting the best of America and help make dreams come true wow just so happy it’s so good get ready to smile and put the good into your Morning America because you know what will make the morning better a little ray of sunshine it’s lunchtime in America so what are we serving up well how about everything you need to know that sounds pretty good your health your money breaking news music and of course good food a third hour of GMA in the afternoon so join us afterno for everything you need to know I love that reporting from Iowa on the 2024 campaign Trail I’m Mary Alice Parks wherever the story is we’ll take you there you’re watching ABC News live all right some other stories that we’re following at this hour Indonesian Rescuers Now searching through rivers and Rubble for survivors this is after flash floods killed at least 52 people there’s Monsoon rain plus you can see a landslide of mud and what they call cold lava from Mount Mori caused rivers to overflow their Banks over this weekend uh the flood sweeping through the Mountainside Villages it forced more than 3,300 people to flee uh they’re in temporary government shelters more downpours are also forecasted for the area in the coming days as well and the City of Buffalo marking two years now since a racist mass shooting at a supermarket they have new plans to honor the victims the 514 Memorial commission unveiling these renderings of a new Memorial featuring Stone pillars and arches connected to a building where events and exhibitions will be held it was two years ago today that a white gunman opened fire in a top Supermarket killing 10 black people nine Shoppers a retired Buffalo police officer working on as a security guard in the store and hundreds of workers are left scrambling now at Red Lobster Red Lobster abruptly closed more than 50 restaurants across the country uh they’re listed as temporarily closed on their website but this comes as the company reportedly considers filing for bankruptcy the struggling restaurant chain has about 650 locations nationwide and what might be the most highly anticipated WNBA season ever tips off tonight with Caitlyn Clark and the Indiana Fever visiting the Connecticut sun in a testament to the growing popularity of women’s sports this is the first time the Sun have sold out their home opener since 2003 you can catch that game at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN 2 that’s exciting all right there’s a lot more news ahead here on ABC News live in today’s big story Donald Trump back in court arriving with a team of GOP Heavy Hitters to support him including the Speaker of the House how they went on the attack as his former fixer Michael Cohen returned to the stand testifying about how he says Trump pressured him not to flip in his hush money case also in our Spotlight President Biden waging an economic crap Crackdown against China our panel weighs in on the new trade policies and whether Americans will end up paying the price why do so many people start their day here from ABC News this is start here to be in the know and get a different take on the day’s top stories a lot of news today so let’s get into it listen now to the Daily News podcast honored with four Edward R murl Awards and see why the New York Times calls it a news podcast worth wor listening to start here ABC News make it your daily first listen now that’s a part of the story I bet you didn’t see coming wherever you get your podcasts start here first thing in the morning there’s a lot going on we’re still in a flash flood warning to catch you up with what happened overnight police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters what’s happening today escalating tensions in the Middle East what people are talking about the migrant crisis fast straightforward with some fun in between check out the gator on the 17th pole the buzz kill in baseball first thing in the morning America this morning America’s number one early morning news on ABC News live I love to play dress up and this is the night to do it the meel is the Super Bowl of red carpet the celebration the most avard night in all of fashion it’s a bit erotic bit exotic it’s about Awakening something within all of us you get things you never could in a 100 years have imagined the Met Gala is inspiring inside the Met Gala this is impact by Nightline now streaming on Hulu here’s to good mornings in America Can You Feel The Love oh yeah mornings that Inspire filled with hope kindness joyous surprises and so much fun this is crazy this is absolutely crazy start your day with Good Morning America’s ray of sunshine highlighting the best of America and helping make dreams come true wow I’m feel so happy it’s so good get ready to smile and put the good into your Morning America because you know what will make the morning better a little ray of sunshine with so much at stake so much on the line more Americans turn here than any other newscast ABC News World News Tonight with David mure America’s number one most watched newscast across all of Television right now there’s just so much happening in our world so much at stake at the start of every morning making sense of it all that’s not always so easy and that’s where we come in Good Morning America we want you to know every morning we’re right here and we got you you’re watching America’s number one streaming news ABC News live breaking news exclusives live reporting across the globe keep streaming with ABC News live Donald Trump comes to coure with the team of GOP Heavy Hitters I’m Kaa Whitworth here in Los Angeles and that is our big story today the former president arriving with an Entourage of Republicans including speaker Mike Johnson how they went on the attack as star witness Michael Cohen returned to the stand testifying about how he says Trump pressured him not to flip also in our Spotlight President Biden waging an economic Crackdown against China our panel weighs in on the new trade policies and whether Americans will end up paying the price [Music] now of course we begin here with our big story Donald Trump back in court arriving with this Entourage of high-profile Republicans including house Speaker Mike Johnson this as Michael Cohen returned to the stand Trump’s attorneys grilling the star witness and her cross-examination attacking his credibility and at one point they drilled down into his use of Tik Tok they were showing videos of Cohen commenting on this case expressing hope for a trump conviction and even selling merchandise like t-shirts featuring a cartoon of the former president Behind Bars uh the defense also questioning Cohen’s motivations suggesting that he only began cooperating with investigators because he was in prison at the time and wanted his sentence reduced this as several prominent Republicans went to court to show support for the former president including house Speaker Mike Johnson and some top vice presidential contenders among them Florida Congressman Byron Donald’s and bamas Swami uh joining me for more on this is criminal defense attorney and a former Federal prosec Tim Jansen so Tim thank you so much for being here with us and sharing your expertise uh so let’s jump in here to the Michael Cohen Tik Tock use right I mean defense attorneys really drilled down on this they talked about some of the outlandish things he was saying on Tik Tok and they even brought up these t-shirts I mean it has an image of trump behind bars that he’s trying to sell throughout all of this what does this do for a man whose credibility is already in question well cross-examination is an art based on experience and knowing who you’re cross-examining you don’t want to come out like a bull in a bull fight you know if you’ve ever been to a bull fight that bull is ready to fight and the guy going to eventually fight that bull lets him get tired out he gives him he Peaks to it right you get to a crescendo effect the first thing he should have done was try to give simple questions that he knows the answer and Michael con is going to have to admit yes what would have done I would have had two chalk boards or boards and I would have just listed every time that he told a lie every time he to a fabrication every time he’s convicted of perjury the bank fraud the secretly recording and then on another board I would have done all the things that Michael Cohen did on his own in this case that Trump didn’t know about secretly recording him playing that recording through the national inquire false bank all that and you put that on a board and it and it it shows the jury sees it and now the witness is looking at it and you got him where he’s a little more easier to control but just going out there swinging your arms you’re just flaring and so in your mind the way the defense team handled this on behalf of the former president I did they not make it clear to the jury what they were trying to get across here do you think the jury left this Michael Cohen testimony with a lot of questions I think it could have been a little more organized I think they could have gone on two fronts right one impeachment and bias and then the others then go and incorporate all the false statements that he’s given on these documents testimonies that he’s given that were inconsistent with how he testified then at the end when you’re reaching your Crescendo you can say you’re bias and you show these Tick Tock you show them making money and I think that would have that would have be a very strong and a credible cross-examination and it would show why the defense is pointing out all his inconsistencies all his bias and why you shouldn’t believe him now I wasn’t in the courtroom to see how it was going but what I’m hearing was the the defense lawyer was jumping around different places another part of cross-examination you can’t be wed to your notes you have to look and see exactly what the witness is saying he may open the door that you can jab him with a killer strike and if you’re wed to your notes you’re going to miss that so we had we had a legal analyst that said essentially that prosecutors had been laying down this corroborating Foundation if you will and that Michael Cohen is their star witness and now it was up to him to sort of tie it all together so knowing what you know at this point uh and Michael Cohen’s testimony is now done uh the prosecution is done has he given the testimony that would lead jurors to believe there has been a felony committed here problem you have is this 18 days 19 days of trial I don’t think the jury was ever told what the crime was they had salacious details they talked about paying off a bad story not illegal they talked about paying hush money to pay off that story not illegal and they’re saying that he combined this with legal fees he did give legal fees these were expenses as part of the legal fees what they have not tied up is where was the accountant that labeled it legal fees when was Donald Trump involved with them ping these bills or misappropriating them and calling them legal fees they haven’t gotten there that is not before this jury um so I think this the prosecution resting with Michael Cohen is a major mistake um you would never end with the witness like that as your last witness uh we’ll see what happens on uh cross examination tomorrow but that’s not how you normally would end a case You’ bring in someone else to try to forget the problems and the bias of Michael Cohen oh I see almost bookended um so walk us through now the next couple of weeks here do we expect to see Trump take the stand here in his own defense if so when would that happen and then any idea how long it will be before the jury gets that case um I think cross examination will go till maybe after lunch they’ll do redirect um I don’t think they’re calling any more witnesses then the defense will call their witness um we don’t have court on well tomorrow we don’t yeah we don’t have court tomorrow right so it’s we might end on Friday and I doubt that the judge Defence might call a couple I think some accountants uh but we could have closing arguments on Monday um the the defense is going to file a motion for Judgment of acquit but I doubt that will be granted that’s a standard motion you make uh they’ll make it after the the prosecution case and after they call their Witnesses but I could see us going into closing arguments Monday or Tuesday all right that is creeping up very quickly Tim Jansen thank you as always for your expertise we so appreciate your time I want to bring this big story now to our panel so joining us today is our ABC News contributor and oped columnist for the Los Angeles Times LZ Granderson our Democratic strategist kvon shurov along with editor at the National Review romes panu and ABC News contributor in Series XM radio host Mike Muse thank you all for being here with us so uh LZ let’s start here with you actually I’m just really curious you just listened uh to Tim and I talk do you think it was a mistake here for the prosecution to end on Michael Cohen that they didn’t have anyone to come up after and vouch for his credibility if at all possible Hanah I am so thankful you ask me that question because that was the one part of your conversation that really struck me as odd because if Michael Cohen is your star witness and you need to book in him then perhaps he’s not the witness you think he is I think that ending on Michael Cohen shows that you have some strength and what he is saying that you don’t feel the need you know buffer the fact that he has been found to have perjured himself and not to necessarily have been honest the entire time I think the prosecution feels that the coroporation supply the documentation in addition to his testimony makes a sh enough case and they don’t have to worry about his credibility beyond that oh that’s interesting oh that’s an interesting take LZ thank you and Mike to you we have seen Donald Trump I get support from major GOP politicians throughout all of this but then today it was a whole different thing right Mike Johnson joining him at the courthouse uh we saw JD Vance though even yesterday this is really turning into more of a campaign stop isn’t it than a court appearance if you will it absolutely is you see two things at play here you see a criminal criminal trial and you also so also too see a campaign in action no one understands media and media strategy like former president Donald Trump he has a way of playing to the camera he has a way of getting his message across and he has a way of creating narratives uh he was concerned with his campaign there’s a lot of talk out there that it would remove him from the campaign and also two there is questions about him being at a fundraising deficit compared to President Biden but Kane if you think about it this is nothing but earned media for former president Donald Trump and what that means for our audience is just free advertising from the moment that America wakes up to the moment they go to sleep it’s wall toall coverage of former president Donald Trump and now they’re bringing on more of the GOP Representatives that are sitting there with him as well as the rnz really making this a campaign referendum and really politicizing uh this and this court case really getting to the American public to ask him a question is this a criminal trial or is this a political Witch Hunt in which former president Donald Trump has been owning that narrative so it’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out uh with the polls and how America feels about it yeah absolutely he leaned in hard even created a campaign ad today uh with the courtroom and with his supporters there so a remes to you on that point what now happens to Trump’s support system within the GOP if he’s convicted here do these surrogates uh that we see joining him in court and outside of court do they continue to stand by him well I think they very likely will um the only thing that would change that is if a conviction were to have a real effect on public opinion and maybe not even then would you see a change look I think a lot of Republicans including some of the folks who are rallying with him genuinely think that uh this is to to borrow a phrase used already here a political Witch Hunt and so a conviction is not really going to change people’s minds about whether this was a fair prosecution whether the judge has been biased or not they’re just going to say it’s a Witch Hunt right his base will be his base and we’ll support him through and through kivon while Trump has been stuck in court for four days Joe Biden or for several days I not just four right uh Joe Biden’s been out campaigning right and he’s been outspending Trump as well uh but Trump is leading in these new poll that we’re seeing so how does Joe Biden plan to move forward here well I think the Biden campaign has been smart to not jump all over these trials it will play out and I do think it’s a neg if it’s an ad for Trump it’s a negative ad like RFK reading those insulting tweets about him but I think the President right he’s laying out his initiatives his agenda what he’s been fighting for I think it’s critical you know if Tim the last guest sort of said that this was taming a bull Michael Cohen did do a public service you know I’m not one of those Democrats that’s excited about the Michael Cohen Redemption Arc but he was measured this was not the Michael Cohen Show he answered the questions he did what he was there to do that’s right I mean a lot of people did say that in court he was very by the book but then of course he was going on Tik Tock in the evenings and putting on a whole different display that raised a lot of questions in that courtroom LZ Kon raes mik yeah if I can uh really emphasize a little bit about uh speaker Mike D I thought that was a really good political strategy for him to be there uh and particular it pushes back on the narrative from representative Marg Hillary green uh and it really neutralizes her argument as she calls the speakership into question so he really Shores up the Maga wing of the Republican Party while also to strengthening the moderate ring of Republican party as we just recently saw with pass that forign age I thought that was a really interesting political tactic uh that speaker Mike Johnson had today right openly saying I wanted to be there to support him and as oliv Olivia Rubin pointed out he was there at the podium he spoke to reporters he did not go in to that courtroom though which is 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