International
Trump, portrayed by his former lawyer: Fixation for silencing porn actress and reluctant to pay
The testimony of Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, during this Monday’s session in the criminal trial faced by the former president in New York portrayed him as someone with such a fixation for silencing the ‘affair’ with porn actress Stormy Daniels as a will to try to dodge payments.
Emails, invoices and even a recording of an audio of Trump himself were provided today by the Prosecutor’s Office during Cohen’s statement, which assured that the former president, accused of forging accounting documents to silence Daniels and thus protect his 2016 campaign, prioritized his political career over his marriage.
“I want it to be hidden until the elections are passed (2016). If I win, it will have no relevance because I will already be president; if I lose, I won’t even care,” Cohen paraphrased Trump to add that Trump’s obsession with silencing the adult film performer “was for the campaign, not for Melania (his wife).”
Melania – who has not accompanied the former president on any day of this trial – and Trump met in 1998, when he was 52 years old and she was 28, and the couple arrived at the altar in 2005, just a year before the alleged slip with Daniels; an adventure that, if proven, would have happened when she was pregnant.
Despite Cohen’s quiet face, these harsh statements provoked some of Trump’s most agitated-headed denial movements today. Meanwhile, a hundred journalists and ordinary citizens scrutinized their gestures with maximum expectation from the court or a surrounding room to follow the process.
Cohen, sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 for illicit financing of the Republican presidential campaign two years earlier, defined as “catastrophic” the possibility that the alleged sexual relationship between him and Daniels would come to light.
“Women are going to hate me… Men may think it’s cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign,” the former head of the U.S. Executive allegedly said according to Cohen’s account.
Trump agreed to seal an agreement in 2016 with Daniels’ former lawyer, Keith Davidson, to send the story to limbo for $130,000, but the transfer was postponed again and again, and the porn actress’s legal team began to become impatient to the point of threating with publishing the story in the Daily Mail media, according to the lawyer, who is now disabled.
He then detailed multiple meetings with Allen Weisselberg, former financial director of the Trump Organization, to solve the problem.
Among the proposals that were considered were, according to Cohen, creating an event of the institution whose entries were aimed at paying for it or presenting it as a “business opportunity” to the related tabloid The National Enquirer to buy the story and apply the ‘catch and kill’ technique, for which history would never see the light.
The former president, who even boasted with his condition of “billionaire”, avoided the payment and this then fell to Cohen, according to his version, who agreed to advance the money and then receive it through a screen company and under the false concept of legal services provided to the Trump Organization.
Finally, the premium that was paid to advance the money was “disappointing” for Cohen, who said that he was very angry with this undisclosed amount and that he let Weisselberg know: “I expressed how angry he was in a very clear language (…) I was even surprised how irritated I was,” he said as Trump sketched a half-smile.
Cohen also corroborated today the scheme set out by the Prosecutor’s Office in which, as a former lawyer for the former president, he allegedly worked hand in hand with the former editor of The National Enquirer, David Pecker, to acquire the exclusive rights of other extramarital Trump scandals and exercise ‘catch and kill’, as well as favoring the publication of positive news towards the future Republican candidate, along with other negative news about his political rivals.
International
Trump claims he’s the only one who can prevent World War III
Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that he is “the only one who can prevent World War III,” during a political rally in Wisconsin, one of the swing states where the 2024 November presidential elections could be decided.
Trump outlined the geopolitical implications of his victory: on one hand, he reiterated his stance that “I will fix the Ukraine situation,” without providing details, and on the other hand, he warned that a victory by his opponent, Vice President and Democratic contender Kamala Harris, would mean the end of the State of Israel.
“If I don’t win this election, Israel, with Comrade Kamala Harris at the helm of the United States, is doomed. Israel will disappear in a year or two and will cease to exist. You better hope I win, or you’re going to face problems like never before,” he explained.
Trump has stated on numerous occasions, and repeated today, that if he had been in charge, neither the war in Ukraine nor the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war would have occurred. He also claimed that he had predicted both conflicts.
He concluded: “Trump is always right. I hate being right, but I always am,” adding that he had also foreseen the rampant inflation and immigration problems currently facing the country.
The Republican candidate’s rally focused on his usual themes: security, immigration threats, the cost of living, and the decline of U.S. global influence. However, the loudest applause in Wisconsin came when he promised to eliminate transgender policies, especially in schools.
On Tuesday, Trump will face off against his rival Kamala Harris in a presidential debate on ABC, which is expected to be crucial in swaying many undecided voters. Interestingly, the candidate made almost no mention of the upcoming debate during his rally.
International
Jair Bolsonaro calls for action against “dictator” judge de Moraes over social media ban
Former President Jair Bolsonaro once again demonstrated his mobilization power and intensified his rhetoric against Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes during a massive street rally in São Paulo, where he called for the impeachment of the magistrate, labeling him a “dictator” for his decision to block the social media platform X in Brazil.
“We need to put a stop to those who overstep the limits of the Constitution. I hope the Federal Senate puts an end to Moraes, this dictator who is harming the country more than [Luiz Inácio] Lula da Silva,” Bolsonaro said, acting as the main speaker at the event that drew a large crowd on Avenida Paulista.
The rally, which featured speeches from key figures of Bolsonaro’s movement and support from magnate Elon Musk, the owner of X, had already been planned before Moraes’ decision on September 30 to block the social media platform in the country after X’s non-compliance with court orders.
Bolsonaro is also under scrutiny from the Supreme Federal Court (STF), particularly by Moraes, who is leading investigations that could have serious legal consequences for him, including prosecution for the attempted coup on January 8, 2023.
The former Brazilian president questioned the judge’s conduct during the 2022 elections, accusing him of favoring Lula. He also reiterated a call for Congress to grant amnesty to the “political prisoners” detained for their involvement in the attempted coup in Brasília.
“That was never a coup, and we are seeing people being judged as if they were an armed group trying to overthrow our democratic state. I regret the situation of these prisoners,” Bolsonaro said, urging amnesty for those detained.
Central America
Young actress Adriana Isabel Mojica dies in tragic accident in Torrelodones
Young actress and singer Adriana Isabel Mojica, 19 years old, died Thursday morning after being struck by a vehicle in Torrelodones, Spain, confirmed the town’s mayor.
“I am deeply shocked by the death of our young neighbor Adriana Isabel in this tragic accident. My heartfelt support goes to her family and friends during these terribly difficult times. Rest in peace,” posted Almudena Negro, Mayor of Torrelodones.
According to Spain’s El Mundo newspaper, the incident occurred on the A-6 motorway, at kilometer 31.5, at 7:35 a.m.
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Jair Bolsonaro calls for action against “dictator” judge de Moraes over social media ban
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