Trump fans gather in South Bronx for ex-president’s first New York rally in eight years: Live updates

Ariana Baio reports:

Former FBI director James Comey is confident that the Manhattan district attorney’s hush money case against Donald Trump is strong enough that he will be convicted, he told NewsNation.

Mr Comey, who served as director of the FBI from 2013 until 2017, said that the prosecution built a “very strong circumstantial case” by tying together evidence like documents, checks, phone calls, messages and Mr Trump’s words to prove their allegations.

“There’s an overwhelming chance of a conviction, a significant, but much smaller chance, of a hung jury and zero chance of an acquittal,” Mr Comey told host Dan Abrams on Wednesday.

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A Democratic political consultant accused of using AI technology to create a deepfake of President Joe Biden’s voice and distribute robocalls spreading election misinformation has been hit with 26 criminal charges and a $6m fine.

Steven Kramer, 54, was indicted in New Hampshire on Thursday on charges of felony voter suppression and misdemeanor impersonation of a candidate for his actions in connection to a scheme that sought to stop Democratic voters from casting their ballot in the New Hampshire presidential primary.

Ariana Baio has the story:

The first-ever criminal trial of an American president is now drawing to a close in Manhattan Criminal Court after five weeks of extraordinary testimony and courtroom antics.

The jury will then begin deliberations to decide the fate of the former president.

With the trial nearing its end, here’s what to expect:

Per reporting by ABC News:

The Trump campaign on Thursday fired off a letter to U.S. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle, demanding she fix a “critical flaw” in the security perimeter of this summer’s Republican National Convention, claiming that attendees’ safety is at risk as protesters plan to descend on the area.

The convention, slated for July 15-18 in Milwaukee, includes a perimeter that encompasses a nearby park, Pere Marquette.

As of now, pedestrians would have to walk through Pere Marquette, which is owned by the city, to reach the facilities. According to a person familiar with the security plan, the park serves as a natural congregation point and there’s a heightened concern that attendees’ safety may be at risk if the park is not secured.

Alex Woodward reports:

Justice Juan Merchan has denied Team Trump’s motion to sanction the Manhattan District Attorney’s office over that document dump that delayed the trial back in March.

The judge says the DA Alvin Bragg didn’t do anything wrong, there was no coordinated investigation between federal investigators and the DA’s office, and defendant Donald Trump wasn’t hurt by any of it, so nothing needs to happen.

You can read the full ruling over at the New York State Unified Court System website.

Former Trump aide Alyssa Farah Griffin doesn’t believe the thousands of people who voted for Nikki Haley will follow her and vote for Donald Trump as they were always more Never Trump than she was...