Donald Trump trial LIVE: Margo Martin and Eric Trump head to court with ex-president as Stormy Daniels’ friend reveals what the porn star will do when she testifies

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Donald Trump returns to Manhattan for the third week of the hush money trial.

The former president will be sat in the courtroom while prosecutors carry on questioning Michael Cohen’s former banker Gary Farro.

He testified on Friday that he helped Trump’s disgraced former fixer open accounts, including the one used to pay porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000.

Trump is also facing a fine of up to $10,000 for contempt of court for violating the gag order in the case. 

Judge Juan Merchan has scolded his social media activity and could rule as soon as Tuesday.

Follow DailyMail.com’s coverage from our reporters in the courtroom. 

Sports stars, news channel anchors from MSNBC and Fox News, media moguls and casino owners.

A Trump Organization contacts list of phone numbers introduced in court last week offers an unparalleled insight into how Donald Trump moves through the world, rubbing shoulders with the rich, the glamorous and the merely useful.

And the Fox News anchors like Brett Baier and Sean Hannity whose evening shows are where the former president likes to make news by telephoning in live.

Their boss, Rupert Murdoch, is in there too, alongside sporting icons such as tennis champion Serena Williams and golfing great Jack Nicklaus.

There are also more surprising reminders of Trump’s past as a New York liberal.

Judge finds Trump in contempt for violating gag order

Judge Juan Merchan finds that Donald Trump violated the gag order nine times.

He is fining the ex-president $1,000 per violation.

He has also ordered Trump remove the seven ‘offending posts’ from Truth Social and the two ‘offending posts’ from his campaign website by 2:15pm Tuesday.

Judge rules Trump can go to son Barron’s graduation

Donald Trump will be able to go to his youngest son Barron’s high school graduation.

Judge Merchan said he does not think that May 17 is a problem.

Trump blasts case as a ‘hoax’ after entering the courthouse and addresses college campus protests

Donald Trump slammed all the cases against him as hoaxes after entering the Manhattan criminal court and blasted the judge in the hush money case as conflicted.

‘This is a case that should never have been brought,’ Trump said with his lawyer by his side. The ex-president called it a ‘disgrace to the New York City court system.’

Trump also addressed the protests taking place on college campuses. He claimed the protests are all caused by President Biden and claimed the campuses are overrun.

‘Charlottesville is peanuts compared to what you’re looking at now,’ Trump said referencing the march by White supremacists. ‘This whole country is up in arms.’

He called protesters taking over a building a ‘big deal’ and questioned whether there will be anything ‘comparable to what happened to J6.’

The ex-president questioned whether those protesters will be given the ‘same kind of treatment as J6.’

Former President Donald Trump speaks upon arriving at Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool)

Trump walks into court with son Eric

Trump walked into court wearing a navy suit and a bright red tie.

His son Eric Trump was with him and sat in the front row of the public gallery.

Trump waved to somebody in the public gallery and pursed his lips together. 

Trump talked with Eric and waved to a woman sat next him.

Donald Trump leaves Trump Towr in New York City April 30th alongside his son Eric and communications team of Natalie Harp, Dan Scavino (in navy suit and light blue tie) and Margo Martin. Credit- Probe-Media for DailyMail.com

Margo Martin returns to court with Trump

After a week away from the trial, Donald Trump’s loyal communications aide has returned to the Manhattan court.

She was spotted by DailyMail.com getting into the former president’s motorcade alongside his son Eric, fellow aide Natalie Harp and senior advisor Dan Shapiro.

They then loaded into the SUVs to make the downtown trip from Trump Tower.

Donald Trump leaves Trump Towr in New York City April 30th alongside his son Eric and communications team of Natalie Harp, Dan Shapiro and Margo Martin. Credit- Probe-Media for DailyMail.com
Donald Trump leaves Trump Towr in New York City April 30th alongside his son Eric and communications team of Natalie Harp, Dan Shapiro and Margo Martin. Credit- Probe-Media for DailyMail.com

Trump motorcade arrives at criminal court

Donald Trump’s motorcade has arrived at the Manhattan criminal court.

Outside the courthouse, a group of pro-Trump protesters have gathered for week three of the hush money trial.

Supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump rally outside Manhattan Criminal Court during Trump's trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 continues, in New York City, U.S., April 30, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump rally outside Manhattan Criminal Court during Trump's trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 continues, in New York City, U.S., April 30, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Stormy Daniels will look Trump ‘dead in the face’ and ‘call it out’ says friend of adult film star

A friend of adult film star Stormy Daniels told CNN Daniels is ready for her appearance in the hush money trial and look Trump dead in the face and call him out.

‘Stormy is an incredible woman. She’s been steadfast through this entire process,’ said adult actress Alana Evans.

‘She’s been very solid, so honestly, I would imaging that she’s ready for this. We have all been waiting for some sort of justice to come out of this situation,’ she added.

Evans told CNN’s Abby Phillips that Daniels has been honest since day one as soon as she was allowed to speak out and will be a strong witness on the stand.

‘I think what’s going to be going through Stormy’s mind is this is the moment that she has to look him dead in the face and call it out for what it is and finally be able to put her voice to the truth in a way that we’ve all been waiting for.’

Trump does interview with local Michigan TV station before court

Donald Trump’s communications aide Margo Martin shared an image of the former president doing an interview with a local TV station in Michigan before heading to court.

‘No one works harder,’ she wrote alongside the photo on X.

Donald Trump departs Trump Tower for court

Donald Trump departed Trump Tower to head to the Manhattan criminal court for his hush money trial.

It is day five of testimony in the case.

Trump waved to cameras but did not speak to reporters as he walked to his motorcade.

Farro testified on Friday about his work with Michael Cohen

Gary Farro says he was assigned to work with Michael Cohen based on his ‘ability to handle individuals that may be a little challenging.’

He says he didn’t find him that difficult, but when he did call, it was always something ‘urgent.’

Farro says he worked with Cohen from 2015 through 2018 or 2019, and Cohen held personal accounts and entities with First Republic Bank.

Farro testifies that Cohen ‘was very excited’ to be working for Trump and spoke about it frequently.

Farro says he didn’t open any accounts for the Trump Organization.

Who is Gary Farro? The banker who helped Michal Cohen pay Stormy Daniels

Gary Farro was a senior managing director at First Republic Bank in 2016.

Michael Cohen allegedly wired hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, aka Stephanie Clifford, using the bank.

Someone at the bank reported the wire transaction as suspicious to the Treasury Department.

On October 26, 2016, an employee of the bank whose name is publicly redacted confirmed to Cohen his wire to Daniels’ lawyer was successful.

First Republic Bank was seized and sold by regulators last year.

Gary Farro testifies during former U.S. President Donald Trump's criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S. April 26, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
Gary Farro  -Farro was, in 2016, a senior managing director at First Republic Bank. Cohen allegedly wired the hush money payment to Stephanie Clifford using First Republic Bank. A so far unnamed individual or individuals at First Republic played known roles in the wire transfer. Someone at First Republic reported the wire transaction as suspicious to the Treasury Department. And, on October 26, 2016, a First Republic employee whose name is publicly redacted confirmed to Cohen that his $130,000 wire to Clifford's lawyer was successful.

Biden mocks Trump’s trial at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

President Joe Biden used his speech to a crowd of 2,600 at the Washington Hilton on Saturday to jab his rival.

The 81-year-old has been out campaigning while Trump has sat in a courtroom in Manhattan.

The president had a laugh at the case where his likely 2024 opponent is accused of paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair.

Biden said: ‘I’ve had a great stretch since the State of the Union. Donald has had a tough few days lately — you might call it stormy weather.’

RECAP: Trump’s longtime assistant and ‘right hand’ Rhona Graff testifies she had ‘vague’ memory of Stormy Daniels at Trump Tower

Donald Trump’s longtime assistant told his hush money on Friday trial she recalled seeing porn star Stormy Daniels in the lobby on the 26th floor of Trump Tower before the 2016 election.

Rhona Graff, 64, who worked for Trump for 34 years until 2021, said she assumed Daniels was there to discuss being a contestant on The Apprentice.

Graff also confirmed she had entered contact details in the Trump Organization system for Daniels and Karen McDougal.

Daniels and McDougal, a former Playboy model, have both claimed they had affairs with Trump, which he has denied.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to buy the silence of Daniels.

Rhona Graff testifies as former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during Trump's criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S. April 26, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg

Welcome to DailyMail.com’s coverage of the third week of Donald Trump’s hush money trial

Donald Trump returns to Manhattan for the third week of the hush money trial.

The former president will be sat in the courtroom while prosecutors carry on questioning Michael Cohen’s former banker Gary Farro.

He testified on Friday that he helped Trump’s disgraced former fixer open accounts, including the one used to pay porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000.

Trump is also facing a fine of up to $10,000 for contempt of court for violating the gag order in the case.

Judge Juan Merchan has scolded his social media activity and could rule as soon as Tuesday.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 26: Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears in court during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 26, 2024 in New York City. Former U.S. President Donald Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial.  (Photo by Dave Sanders-Pool/Getty Images)



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