Michael Cohen’s former attorney, Robert Costello, testified for Donald Trump in today’s Manhattan trial. Under oath, he said that Michael Cohen told him Donald Trump knew nothing about the payment to Stormy Daniels and that it was his idea to pay her off. Mr. Costello is a prominent attorney with the courage and ethical underpinnings […] The post Judge Merchan Kicks Trump’s Witness Out of the Court appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki revealed during a recent interview that despite their regular sparring in the briefing room, she “didn’t hate” Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy. Psaki made the comments during a forum titled “President and the Podium” while discussing her new book, “Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World.” The forum — hosted by The Ankler — also included another former Press Secretary, Dee Dee Myers (who served during the Clinton administration). The former Biden Press Secretary — whose exit to MSNBC opened the door for current White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre — explained that she followed the network well enough to know what Doocy might ask on any given day. She also made clear her contempt for Fox News, suggesting that it must be “traumatizing” for anyone who was employed there. “People often ask me, ‘How much did you hate that guy?’ And I’m always like, ‘No, I didn’t hate him at all,’ Psaki said. “I feel like it would be a real mind-bend to work for Fox. It feels like a traumatizing experience he has to live through every day.” “That aside, it’s quite predictable what they were going to ask — if there was a winding roundabout of, you know, ‘migrants at the border, here to kill all of you,’ you knew they were going to ask about immigration that day. So I didn’t see it as necessarily winning the argument with him as much as using it as a forum to provide what our points were, right?” Psaki continued. “When I came in, we followed Trump and an administration that was like, ‘inject bleach, you’re all liars, we hate the media.’ So there was a very low bar for me.” Doocy, meanwhile, continues to have a contentious relationship with President Joe Biden’s White House — and with the president himself, on occasion. One exchange in early 2022 ended with Biden calling Doocy a “stupid son of a b****” — only to call the Fox News correspondent a short time later to add that it was “nothing personal, pal.”

Judge Juan Merchan cleared the courtroom on Monday as the Manhattan hush money case against former President Donald Trump continued with defense witness Robert Costello. Costello, an attorney who had previously advised former Trump attorney — and star prosecution witness — Michael Cohen, was brought in by the defense team to cast doubt on Cohen’s testimony. But as the trial proceeded, Costello’s demeanor apparently got under Merchan’s skin. CNN anchor Jake Tapper described the scene on Monday afternoon, saying, “What’s going on is, Costello is really expressing disdain for Judge Merchan’s ruling. Costello shakes his head as if he were exasperated when Merchan sustained an objection from the prosecution about one of the questions. At another time, when the prosecution objected, Merchan told the lawyers to approach the bench and Costello could be heard saying on the microphone, ‘Ridiculous!’ Then, at another time, there was another objection that was sustained, Costello lets out a, ‘Jesus!’” Tapper went on to explain that Merchan, by then clearly upset with Costello, first scolded him and then ordered the entire courtroom cleared. “[He] told Costello in a raised voice when he told the jury to leave, ‘Mr. Costello, you’re to remain seated.’ The jury leaves, then Costello, after another sustained objection, Costello rolls his eyes, lets out an audible sigh, side-glances the judge. The judge says, ‘I want to discuss proper decorum in my courtroom.’ The judge says, ‘You don’t give me a side eye, and you don’t roll your eyes. If you don’t like my ruling, you don’t say geez, you don’t say, strike it.’ Costello holds a long stare at the judge. The judge asks, ‘Are you staring me down?!’ Then the judge says, ‘Clear the courtroom!’” President Trump: "This is a Witch Hunt. This is an attempt to…damage [Biden's] political opponent. That's all this is." pic.twitter.com/FYhH5a0rMW — MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) May 20, 2024 Costello was reportedly called to discredit Cohen’s testimony, but if CNN legal analyst Elie Honig is correct, Cohen may have already discredited himself by admitting in court that he stole some $60,000 while working for Trump. Honig pointed out more than once that larceny in that amount was actually a more serious crime than the charges facing Trump.

President Joe Biden rejected the International Criminal Court’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders on Monday for what it claimed were war crimes. The ICC filed for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for what they claimed were war crimes in Israel’s war against the Hamas terrorist organization. Israeli officials reacted strongly to the pursuit of warrants, largely a symbolic gesture, against Netanyahu and Gallant. The warrants, if obtained, have no legal authority in most countries, including Israel and the United States. “The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous,” said Biden, who has repeatedly thrown Israel under the bus in recent months in an attempt to appease the far-left. “And let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.” Later in the day, Biden said during remarks at the White House that “we reject the ICC’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders.” “Whatever these warrants may imply, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas,” he said. “And it’s clear Israel wants to do all it can to ensure civilian protection. But let me be clear, contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what’s happening is not genocide. We reject that. And we’ll always stand with Israel and the threats against its security.” WATCH: President Biden: “We reject the ICC’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. Whatever these warrants may imply, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas…Contrary to allegations against Israel…what’s happening is not genocide.” pic.twitter.com/zneQ2TkbOy — CSPAN (@cspan) May 20, 2024

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) slammed President Joe Biden this week for policies that he says have led directly to Jews being murdered by terrorists. Cruz made the remarks during an episode of his “Verdict” podcast with co-host Ben Ferguson while talking about new updates from Israel’s war against Hamas and the political impact that it’s had in the U.S. He said that the fallout of Hamas’ October 7 attack “somehow doesn’t seem to be very relevant to Joe Biden to the Democrats calculus” for the upcoming election. “When he came into the White House, they systematically attacked Israel, they also funneled over $100 billion to Iran, they funded Iran, they funded Hamas,” Cruz said in referring to Biden’s relaxing of sanctions enforcement against Iran. “Now, they funded Hamas, both through Iran, because 90% of Hamas funding comes from Iran. They funded Hezbollah through Iran, because 90% of Hezbollah’s funding comes from Iran, but they also sent hundreds of millions of dollars to Gaza, which they knew would go directly to Hamas and be used for terror killings, Joe Biden, which he somehow didn’t tell this to the college kids in the commencement address, in a very real sense, have funded the death squads that murdered Jews.” Cruz also took a shot at Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), saying that he is “the second greatest friend Hamas and Hezbollah has ever had.” “And by the way, and historically, Schumer has always said, I’m an Israel guy,” Cruz said. “He’s defined himself as the defender of Israel. And he is right now defending Hamas and supporting Joe Biden and cutting off weapons to Israel. Like Chuck Schumer, the language and words he said for 30 years are all being turned on their head because Schumer, just like Biden, just like the rest of the Democrats is terrified of the radical left, that is their base.” WATCH: Joe Biden has undermined Israel for his entire career. He has allowed over $100 billion to flow to Iran, which has consistently supported Hamas. In a very real sense, Joe Biden funded the October 7th terrorist attack on Israel.https://t.co/px5RWQcVFs pic.twitter.com/j0DUMBSjkl — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 20, 2024

Former ESPN anchor Sage Steele came to Kansas City Chief’s kicker Harrison Butker’s defense following the kicker’s commencement speech that caused a leftist meltdown, blasting the silence from the left over “hateful” pro-Palestine campus protests with “death to Jews” calls. In a video posted on X, Steele said she couldn’t believe the attacks against the placekicker over his speech to the graduates at Benedictine College — when he praised his wife for being a “homemaker,” called out President Joe Biden’s support for abortion, and criticized LGBTQ “Pride month.” “I am so saddened at the criticism that has come this man’s way just because he voiced his opinion,” Steele said. “Doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything he said, right. Diversity of thought.” “I’ve been preaching that since long before I left ESPN and I will never stop preaching it because that is what’s right,” she added, noting that she didn’t agree with “every single thing Butker said.” Harrison Butker….please don’t change. ?? #diversityofthought@buttkicker7 pic.twitter.com/jx0MDEsQhi — Sage Steele (@sagesteele) May 19, 2024 “I know women, women who are close friends of mine, who actually are quite content in life without having kids, whether it was their specific choice, they didn’t want to become a mother or they couldn’t and are now at peace with it…” Steele continued. “For me that would not have been the case. And I am so grateful and blessed that I am a mother times three. And that by far is my best accomplishment and something I’m most proud of. The best job I’ll ever, have being a mother.” Steele then asked why it was acceptable to judge one person based on his opinion, calling “so many parts of [Butker’s speech] beautiful” and blasting the NFL for releasing a statement affirming that, as an organization — one that represents thousands of people — it didn’t “align with” Butker’s views. “How cool is it as a woman to hear your spouse praise you and have such gratitude towards you?” the former sports anchor said. “That’s a beautiful thing. Isn’t that pro woman? That’s the way I took it.” “I’m just saddened at all of the negativity that surrounds him,” she added. “And how about the hypocrisy. Where were all these people on college campuses over the last couple of months…if you are hateful towards others and doing [calls] ‘death to Jews’ and being threatening towards Jewish people. Where were all of you with your statements then denouncing the pure hatred?” “Instead you are denouncing a man who is uplifting women?” Steele continued. “I just don’t get it. Harrison Butker has a right to believe what he wants to believe. Harrison Butker thank you for your courage. Don’t change. We need you.”  Related: ‘This Is Total B.S.’: Sage Steele Slams ‘Hypocrisy’ Of Left Pushing ‘Diversity And Tolerance’ During Interview With Ben Shapiro

'They deserve to be made whole'