The Latest | 'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case

NEW YORK -- A seasoned tabloid steadfast was expected to instrumentality to the witnesser basal Tuesday successful Donald Trump’s historical hush wealth trial.

Prosecutors and defence attorneys successful opening statements Monday painted competing portraits of the erstwhile president — 1 depicting him arsenic idiosyncratic who sought to corrupt the 2016 statesmanlike election for his ain payment and different describing him arsenic an innocent, mundane antheral who was being subjected to a lawsuit the authorities “should ne'er person brought.”

David Pecker, the National Enquirer's erstwhile steadfast and a longtime person of Trump’s, was the lone witnesser Monday. He is expected to archer jurors Tuesday astir his efforts to assistance Trump stifle unflattering stories during the 2016 campaign.

Prosecutors accidental Pecker worked with Trump and Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, connected a “catch-and-kill” strategy to bargain up and past spike antagonistic stories. At the bosom of the lawsuit are allegations that Trump orchestrated a strategy to hide unflattering stories astir his idiosyncratic beingness that mightiness torpedo his campaign.

Prosecutors accidental Trump obscured the existent quality of those payments successful interior concern documents.

He has pleaded not blameworthy to 34 felony counts of falsifying concern records. Though helium faces up to 4 years successful situation if convicted, it's unclear if the justice would determine to enactment him down bars.

Before grounds resumes Tuesday, the justice volition clasp a proceeding connected prosecutors’ petition to authorisation and good Trump implicit societal media posts they accidental interruption a gag bid prohibiting him from attacking cardinal witnesses.

The lawsuit is the archetypal transgression proceedings of a erstwhile American president and the archetypal of 4 prosecutions of Trump to scope a jury.

Currently:

— Key takeaways from the opening statements successful Donald Trump’s hush wealth trial

— Key players: Who’s who astatine Donald Trump’s hush wealth transgression trial

— The hush wealth lawsuit is conscionable 1 of Trump's ineligible cases. See the others here

— Trump’s $175 cardinal enslaved successful New York civilian fraud judgement lawsuit is settled with currency promise

— Without cameras to spell live, the Trump proceedings is proving the potency of unrecorded blogs arsenic quality tools

Here's the latest:

Donald Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying interior Trump Organization concern records. But prosecutors made wide they bash not privation jurors to presumption this arsenic a regular insubstantial case.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said Monday the bosom of the lawsuit is simply a strategy to “corrupt” the 2016 predetermination by silencing radical who were astir to travel guardant with embarrassing stories Trump feared would wounded his campaign.

“No person wants atrocious press,” Colangelo said. “But the grounds astatine proceedings volition amusement that this was not rotation oregon connection strategy. This was a planned, coordinated, long-running conspiracy to power the 2016 election, to assistance Donald Trump get elected done amerciable expenditures to soundlessness radical who had thing atrocious to accidental astir his behavior.”

Two journalists covering Donald Trump's hush wealth proceedings were removed and expelled connected Monday for breaking rules prohibiting signaling and photography successful the overflow room, wherever reporters who can’t get into the main courtroom ticker the proceedings connected ample screens, according to tribunal officials.

One of the banned journalists had antecedently been warned for violating the rules during assemblage selection.

Uniformed tribunal officers person been making regular announcements reminding reporters of the rules. Signs posted successful the overflow country and astir the courthouse marque wide that photography and signaling are not allowed.

Donald Trump's hush wealth proceedings volition adjourn aboriginal connected Tuesday successful observance of Passover. Judge Juan M. Merchan plans to extremity tribunal proceedings astatine 2 p.m. for the holiday.

Prosecutors connected Monday made past arsenic they presented their opening statements to a assemblage successful the archetypal transgression proceedings against a erstwhile U.S. president, accusing Donald Trump of a hush wealth strategy aimed astatine preventing damaging stories astir his idiosyncratic beingness from becoming public.

The dueling statements painted precise antithetic portraits of the antheral who, earlier serving successful the White House, was champion known for being a large existent property developer and his world TV show, “The Apprentice.”

One depicted him arsenic idiosyncratic who sought to illegally corrupt the 2016 statesmanlike predetermination for his ain payment and the different described him arsenic an innocent, mundane antheral who was being subjected to a lawsuit the authorities “should ne'er person brought.”