Recapping the Week's Political Headlines Across the U.S.
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The nearing of the conclusion of the Trump hush money trial, a statement by Nikki Haley about who she plans to support in the upcoming presidential election, and a state dinner at the White House highlight the top political news this week.
Read on for all of the details that you need to know.
Trump Hush Money Trial Nearing the End
The criminal hush money trial against former President Donald Trump is nearing its end. Trump's defense team rested its case on Tuesday, ending several weeks of testimony and sending the case on a break until after the Memorial Day holiday.
While Trump had at one time signaled that he might take the witness stand in his own defense, he never testified in the case.
The last day of the trial this week saw Robert Costello take the stand. Costello is the former attorney for Michael Cohen, Trump's infamous past fixer and close confidant.
The jury is off for the long weekend and court will resume on Tuesday. Judge Juan Merchan said on Tuesday that he expects that closing arguments will begin next Tuesday, meaning that the jury could be handed the case by Wednesday.
Depending on how long the jury needs to deliberate to reach a consensus, there could be a decision as soon as next week.
Should Trump be convicted, he would make history as the first former president to be found guilty of a crime. He has pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony charges.
Trump Uses Campaign Rally in Bronx to Court Hispanic and Black Voters
Former President Donald Trump scheduled a campaign rally on Thursday in the Bronx as his team makes an effort to reach out to Hispanic and Black voters.
The rally happened in one of the most Democratic strongholds in the nation, happening just down the road from his hush money trial in a Manhattan courtroom.
Thursday's event in Crotona Park was the first major rally in the state of New York for Trump since he visited in 2016. Trump has put a focus on wooing voters in Manhattan and beyond during his six-week stint on trial in his hometown.
The presumptive GOP nominee's campaign also made stops at a bodega in Harlem and a construction site over the last few weeks.
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An official with the Trump campaign said that the former president decided to go hard after New York despite its history of voting blue, wanting to challenge the status quo.
Trump is also working to win over minorities as he marches closer to the Republican National Convention this summer.
A GOP presidential nominee has not won the state of New York since 1984. The Bronx is even more Democratic with Trump losing by approximately 68 points to Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
However, Trump made more inroads in this district when compared to 2016 when Hillary Clinton won the county by 79 points.
Former Opponent Nikki Haley States Intention to Vote for Trump
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was back in the news on Wednesday when she announced that she would vote for Donald Trump in the November 2024 presidential election.
Haley had stepped away from the limelight after pulling out of the Republican primary election cycle over two months ago, all but handing the nomination to Trump.
The comment was made during a question and answer session with reporters after she gave a speech on Wednesday at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C.
While Haley acknowledged that she did not align completely with all of Trump's policies, she finds them to be better suited to her views than Biden's governance.
Although Haley was Trump's most competitive opponent in the primary season, she also once worked for him as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (UN) during the time that Trump was in the White House.
Haley also used her first public remarks since dropping out of the election to encourage Trump to court the voters that had supported her earlier in the year, cautioning him to not take their votes for granted.
White House Holds State Dinner for Kenyan President and First Lady
On a more docile and traditional political note, the White House held a state dinner on Thursday welcoming Kenyan President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto.
The diplomatic occasion is the first time that a sitting American president has hosted a top African leader for a state visit since President George W. Bush invited the president of Ghana to the White House in February of 2008.
The guest list included a wide array of politicians and celebrities.
Those invited to the lavish affair included former President Bill Clinton and his wife former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, and actors LeVar Burton and Sean Penn.
Also in attendance were philanthropist Melinda French Gates as well as former Meta chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, two women with a keen interest in Africa.
The Biden administration is using the formal occasion of a state dinner with Kenya to amplify the importance of an alliance between the two nations. Also in attendance at a pre-dinner reception in the Blue Room was former President Barack Obama.
The 44th president of the U.S. also met with Ruto earlier in the day at the presidential guest house. Obama's father was born in the African country of Kenya, solidifying his connection to the region.
Thursday's event is the sixth state dinner hosted by Biden since taking office. Guests dined on a chilled heirloom tomato soup to start, followed by a duo of smoked beef short ribs and butter-poached lobster.
The dinner was served on the South Lawn in a pavilion decorated with over 1,000 candles. Country music singer Brad Paisley and the Howard Gospel Choir were selected to provide the entertainment for the festivities.