2/ Via Pagliery:

Trump has walked into the courtroom, flanked by quite a crowd: his son Eric, half a dozen lawyers, Trump Org general counsel Alan Garten, and Secret Service agents.

Trump is in a dark blue suit, white shirt, red tie. He's got a tiny American flag pinned to his jacket lapel.

He turned around and is talking to his son, asking for "the papers." Eric turned and asked the people around him for the same thing.

3/ NOTE: I have to leave at noon PT today for an appt.

I also have to break to get ready for the day (I’m in Calif, 3 hours behind), so there will be gaps in my coverage.

Sorry.

And REMINDER: I cannot reply while live posting. Use Not For Laffy (NFL) please, if you comment and it’s not intended for me. Thanks.

4/ Someone watched Lawrence O’Donnell last night and decided to show up.

Bower:

While we wait for things to get started at 9:30 ET, some color from The Line:

A group of Trump supporters chant “USA” in front of the Manhattan criminal courthouse.

It’s a small group—maybe a few dozen people.

5/ Pagliery:

Ah, yes. "The papers." A lawyer just walked into the courtroom with a thin stack of printouts in her hand. She walks up to Trump's table and hands them to the former president.

They appear to show his own recent Truth Social posts—the ones that might screw up his day.

6/ Klasfeld:

The National Enquirer's secrets spilled out in Week One of Trump's trial.

We learned:

* Top AMI exec and Enquirer editor feared prosecution
* An insider thought the tabloid handed Trump victory
* "Hush money" was just one facet

7/ Klasfeld:

A few quick words on this:

Critics of Bragg's case have long ques whether alleged 2016 election-related conspiracy was a crime.

1st week of trial revealed Trump's accused co-conspirators feared criminal prosecution, as it happened.

As it became clear Trump would win, then-Enquirer editor in chief Dylan Howard sent a close relative a message saying the soon-to-be POTUS-elect may pardon him for "electoral fraud."

(Since Howard wasn't in court, jury couldn't see the message.)

8/ Klasfeld:

David Pecker pulled out of deal to assign rights to Karen McDougal's story to Michael Cohen's shell company *after* a conversation with his counsel.

What did Pecker's lawyer say?

That's privileged, and we don't know; but Pecker got cold feet right after, he revealed.

9/ And before Trump went into the court room… via Ron Filipkowski:

After doing ZERO campaign events during the last SIX off days during the trial while holed up at his country clubs playing golf, Trump whines that the case prevents him from campaigning.

10/ #BREAKING

The judge walks in. All the lawyers introduce themselves.

The lead defense lawyer Todd Blanche said he's here for "President Trump."

Justice Merchan says, "Good morning, Mr. Trump."

👉🏼👉🏼The judge rules swiftly on the contempt motions.

Trump is fined $9,000 for repeatedly posting about witnesses and jurors.

The judge declined to fine him on a single instance brought up by the DA's office. But he clearly violated the rule on the other 9.

11/ Inner City Press (Press):

Justice Merchan: We finished jury selection quickly, so I think Mr. Trump can attend the graduation on May 17. June 3, not if the jury is deliberating... I will now rule on contempt. On the ten incidents, the people have met their burden on all but incident 1

12/ Klasfeld adds:

Trump must pay $1,000 per violation, 👉🏼and he faces a hearing later this week on the last four.

13/ Press:

Note: the written order says that the nine posts at issue are to be taken down by 2:15 pm today

14/ Anna Bower:

“Let’s get the witness please.”

We pick up with the testimony of Gary Farro, the banking executive who worked with Michael Cohen on setting up the accounts at issue in this trial.

Farro now retakes the stand, still looking more like a bouncer than a banker. He's a burly guy.

15/ Here’s the contempt order:

https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/D.O.motion4contempt-FINAL.pdf

Klasfeld:

In his written order holding Trump in contempt, a Manhattan judge warns the former president that higher fines or "an incarceratory punishment" could follow for further violations.

The prosecutor returns to the "Know Your Customer" form that Michael Cohen had to supply to open an account.

16/ Bower:

Rebecca Mangold, for the prosecution, starts by displaying paperwork Cohen filled out to open a First Republic bank account for Essentials LLC--a business that Cohen indicated was for real estate consulting purposes.

17/ Phang:

👉🏼Katie’s Sidebar: Judge Merchan exercised his discretion in only fining Trump.

I suspect that when (not if) Trump violates again, Merchan will be more inclined to put Trump into custody, escalating the punishment.

It’s giving Trump enough rope to hang himself.