Trump has ‘no problem’ testifying in hush money trial after win in bond ruling: Live

Trump Media & Technology Group, whose flagship product is social networking site Truth Social, will begin trading on the Nasdaq stock market on Tuesday.

Shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded shell company, approved a deal to merge with the Trump’s media business in a Friday vote.

The common stock of Trump Media & Technology Group will trade under the ticker symbol “DJT.”

Former president Donald Trump is set to own most of the combined company — or nearly 79 million shares. Multiply that by Digital World’s closing stock price Friday of $36.94, and the total value of his stake could be nearly $3 billion.

In an interview with Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, the former president said he had watched images of bombs being dropped on residential buildings in Gaza every night, calling it a “big mistake”.

“You have to finish up your war … You gotta get it done. And I am sure you will do that. And we gotta get to peace, we can’t have this going on. And I will say, Israel has to be very careful, because you’re losing a lot of the world, you’re losing a lot of support,” he told the newspaper.

The former president has refrained from issuing running commentary on the war since the Hamas attacks of 7 October and the subsequent Israeli response. The comments represent his most forceful intervention yet on the matter ahead of an expected United Nations Security Council vote later today that is expected to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.

Ms James first brought her civil case against the Trump Organization in September 2022, suing Donald Trump, his three oldest children Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump (who was later excluded), former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, former controller Jeffrey McConney and ten related companies alleging that they had engaged in financial fraud by habitually misrepresenting their property values to potential lenders and tax officials for monetary gain.

Judge Engoron duly presided over an 11-week jury trial between October and December after which the defendants were found liable for fraud and ordered to disgorge their ill-gotten gains.

The judge issued a 92-page ruling on 16 February siding with Ms James in which he found that the “defendants failed to accept responsibility or to impose internal controls to prevent future recurrences” and accused them of having “submitted blatantly false financial data” so as to “borrow more and at lower rates”.

In addition to ordering the massive repayment, he barred Mr Trump from running a business in New York for three years and his sons for two years.

The hush money trial, which was initially set to begin with jury selection on 25 March, will mark the first of four criminal trials against him, and the first-ever criminal trial against any current or former American president.

Mr Trump arrived for yet another pretrial hearing in the case inside a 15th floor courtroom in Manhattan on Monday as his attorneys prepared to argue allegations of misconduct from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in front of New York Justice Juan Merchan.

The judge rejected the accusations and set a trial date for Monday, 15 April. Jury selection will begin that week.

Mr Trump’s attorneys signalled they planned to file a motion to appeal the schedule.

“That’s fine,” Judge Merchan said. “See you all on the 15th.”

Alex Woodward has the full story…

Lisa Murkowski’s future in the Republican Party is now publicly in question as the Alaska senator says she is grappling with the reality that her party is set to nominate the twice-impeached former president who faces 91 criminal charges for the presidency.

Ms Murkowski was interviewed by CNN’s Manu Raju on Capitol Hill and said that she wouldn’t be endorsing Mr Trump for president — as most other Republicans on Capitol Hill have already done — in 2024.

She further added that she was “independently minded”, and was asked whether that meant she was considering dropping her party affiliation.

“I am navigating my way through some very interesting political times. Let’s just leave it at that,” she responded.

John Bowden has the full story….

Speaking at 40 Wall Street after a string of rulings made on Monday, Mr Trump discussed the orders, his financial situation — and his willingness to testify in the hush money trial.

When asked if he should have an acquittal in the hush money trial, he said, “I shouldn’t have a trial.” When the reporter said he was having a trial, he replied, “I don’t know if we’re having one,” adding that he plans to appeal.

When asked about whether he would testify in the hush money trial, Mr Trump first said, “I don’t know if you’re going to have a trial. I don’t know if you’ll be able to have a trial in the middle of an election,” he said.

He added that he would have “no problem testifying.” He said, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

The former president noted that it could make him “more popular” if he’s convicted because the people know that the “Biden trial” is a “scam.”

When a reporter asked about the timing of Mr Trump providing the $175m bond payment, he replied, “I have a lot of cash.” Mr Trump added, “I would also like to use some of my cash to get elected.”

“Now that the bonds have been reduced, will you start putting money into your campaign,” one reporter asked, to which Mr Trump replied, “Yeah, yeah. I mean first of all, it’s none of your business, frankly.”

He added that if he has to pay $500m on a bond, “I wouldn’t have that option, I’d have to start selling things.”

The former president’s already-busy week enjoys yet another thrill: Trump Media & Technology Group, whose flagship product is social networking site Truth Social, will begin trading on the Nasdaq stock market on Tuesday.

Shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded shell company, approved a deal to merge with the Trump’s media business in a Friday vote.

The common stock of Trump Media & Technology Group will trade under the ticker symbol “DJT.”

Former president Donald Trump is set to own most of the combined company — or nearly 79 million shares. Multiply that by Digital World’s closing stock price Friday of $36.94, and the total value of his stake could be nearly $3 billion.