Trump case goes to jury after closing arguments

Donald Trump confers with lawyer Todd Blanche outside Manhattan courthouse — Trump's lawyer called his former fixer Michael Cohen "literally the greatest liar of all time"

(Image credit: Julia Nikhinson-Pool / Getty Images)

What happened

Manhattan prosecutors and Donald Trump's defense lawyers delivered 10 hours of closing arguments Tuesday. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up an alleged affair with porn actress Stormy Daniels and illicitly influence the 2016 presidential election.

Who said what

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche "had a clear message for jurors: The prosecution's case rests on the testimony of Trump fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen, and he can't be believed," The Associated Press said. He called Cohen "literally the greatest liar of all time," and showed jurors a PowerPoint labeled "Case Turns on Cohen." Blanche also argued prosecutors had Daniels testify about her sexual encounter with Trump to "embarrass" him.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said the "messy" and "uncomfortable" Daniels testimony showed why, after a recording of Trump boasting of sexual assault emerged right before the election, he agreed to secretly pay her the $130,000 in hush money allegedly disguised as legal fees. "Stormy Daniels is the motive," he said. "This case is about Donald Trump," not Cohen, who is merely a useful "tour guide" through the mountains of hard evidence, Steinglass added. You don't have to like him, but "like all fixers, Cohen knew where the bodies were buried."

What next?

Judge Juan Merchan will give the 12 jurors their instructions Wednesday, then they "could take anywhere from a few hours to weeks to reach a verdict," The New York Times said.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.