Jurors in Donald Trump’s Manhattan hush money trial learned about his unique grammatical preferences for social media posts, such as capitalizing the word “country” and using the Oxford comma. Madeleine Westerhout, Trump’s former director of Oval Office operations, testified that the former president had a specific routine with his aides to craft social media posts. She would write down Trump’s dictated tweets, type them up, print them out, and then present them to him for editing, where he would often capitalize certain words and use exclamation points.
Westerhout described Trump as a detail-oriented individual who preferred working with hard copies of documents rather than using a computer or email. She also shared insights about how Trump kept the Resolute Desk at the Oval Office pristine for meetings and preferred working in the dining room. Despite resigning from her position after sharing information about the Trump family to the press, Westerhout spoke fondly of her time working for Trump, calling him a good boss who always made her feel valued and respected.
During the trial, Stormy Daniels, a porn star who allegedly had a one-night stand with Trump, took the stand to testify about her encounter with the former president. This revelation added to the already dramatic week in court, where Westerhout also testified about her experience working for Trump. The trial also included electronic evidence presented by two staffers from the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, focusing on social media posts and cell phone records related to the case.
Former Trump lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen is expected to take the stand in the trial when it resumes, serving as the prosecution’s star witness. Cohen previously testified against Trump in a civil fraud trial and is expected to provide more incriminating information in this case. The accusations against Trump involve covering up a $130,000 payment he directed Cohen to make to Daniels to keep her quiet about their alleged affair before the 2016 election.
In response to Daniels’ testimony and claims about her encounter with Trump, his lawyers unsuccessfully sought a mistrial, arguing that her salacious testimony could prejudice the jurors against their client. Judge Juan Merchan allowed Daniels to testify to corroborate her story and prove her credibility after Trump’s legal team challenged her credibility. Despite facing multiple criminal cases, Trump has denied the charges against him and asserted that these legal challenges are politically motivated attempts to prevent his reelection.
The trial has been filled with dramatic testimonies and revelations, shedding light on the inner workings of Trump’s social media communications and personal preferences as a leader. Westerhout’s emotional testimony about her time working for Trump, as well as Cohen’s impending testimony, adds another layer of complexity to the case. As the trial resumes with more key witnesses expected to take the stand, the legal battle between Trump and the prosecution continues to captivate public attention and scrutiny.
