Fact: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former fixer, testified that Trump ordered him to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to stay quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter, and then approved a plan to reimburse Cohen through bogus invoices.
Fact: Michael Cohen testified that Donald Trump personally approved a hush money payment of 0,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged 2006 liaison before the 2016 presidential campaign.
President Biden posted on social media that he plans to let the individual provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expire at the end of 2025, leading to criticism and accusations of tax hikes for all. However, Biden’s budget includes ways to revise the TCJA without raising taxes for all households, potentially cutting taxes for some and raising them for others. Biden has promised not to raise taxes for those making 0,000 or less, but it remains unclear if this includes corporate taxes. Biden’s plan to revise the TCJA while retaining some key features has led to debates on whether he is scrapping the law or simply rewriting parts of it. The tax law is constantly evolving, and major changes are not binary exercises, with some provisions surviving while others are remade. Biden’s plan to let the TCJA expire in name is seen as an attempt to move away from Trump’s tax policies, which were unpopular with the public.
Fact: The pharmaceutical industry pays the lowest effective tax rate in 2022 at 11.6%, with some companies like Pfizer and Abbvie paying even lower rates.
Corruption is a common element in politics, with different countries handling corruption cases in varying ways. In Spain, the judiciary is investigating Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s wife for allegedly using her influence to secure a bailout for an airline, followed by funding for a research program. The media and judges will ultimately decide the outcome, and despite the accusations, no defamation lawsuits have been filed. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is facing legal troubles for illegal campaign financing, with media extensively covering the case. Sarkozy has been stripped of his political rights for three years, and no lawsuits have been filed to stop media coverage.
Donald Trump held a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where some of his supporters camped out overnight in their cars to see him. Trump’s rallies are a key feature of his campaign, designed to create an emotional experience for his base and attract new supporters. The rallies are meticulously planned and Trump is involved in every detail, including the music. Attendees register with the campaign to attend the rallies, which are also used to collect data, attract media coverage, and recruit volunteers. The rallies are held in battleground states like Wisconsin, where Trump narrowly lost to Biden in 2020. The events are carefully stagecrafted to entertain the crowd and reinforce Trump’s message that the country needs to be fixed. During the rally, Trump repeated false claims about the 2020 election being stolen and made promises about deportations and building a wall. The speech had a religious tone and included pledges of loyalty and protection between Trump and his supporters. The rally ended with Trump exiting the stage to an R&B song.
Donald Trump is the first former U.S. president to stand trial in Manhattan court on charges related to a hush-money payment to a porn star. The trial is expected to last through May, with 12 jurors and six alternates selected from Manhattan residents. Trump pleaded not guilty to falsifying records to cover up the payment. If convicted, he could still hold office, but a guilty verdict may impact his prospects in the 2024 White House race. The case is seen as the least consequential of the four criminal prosecutions he faces, but it is the only one guaranteed to go to trial before the November election. The payment to the porn star was part of a “catch and kill” scheme to suppress negative information about Trump before the 2016 election.
Fact: Donald Trump became the first former U.S. president to stand criminal trial in a Manhattan court on charges related to a hush-money payment to a porn star.