Trump fined $1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as ex-employee recounts reimbursements
The judge presiding over Donald Trumpโs hush money trial has fined him $1,000 and warned of jail time for future gag order violations.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trumpโs hush money trial in New York.
The Latest | Court in Trump's hush money trial adjourns for the day following Hope Hicks' testimony
Court in Donald Trump's hush money case has adjourned for the week, following hours of testimony from ex-Trump adviser Hope Hicks.
Hope Hicks, ex-Trump adviser, recounts fear in 2016 campaign over impact of 'Access Hollywood' tape
Former longtime Donald Trump adviser Hope Hicks testified about how his 2016 presidential campaign became embroiled in a political firestorm over a tape in which he boasted about grabbing women sexually without their permission.
![Lawmakers who met with Giuliani scramble after COVID news](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/ZTxzCY0G1jphObYSzo131IR5BNs=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/U563K3YRFREMNCMLOE32Q3KUD4.jpg)
Lawmakers who met with Giuliani scramble after COVID news
The president on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 confirmed in a tweet that Giuliani had tested positive for the virus. On numerous occasions, Giuliani met with officials for hours at a time without wearing a mask, including hearings last week with state lawmakers in Arizona, Georgia and Michigan. Giuliani spoke for hours last week before a Republican-led committee in Lansing investigating alleged election irregularities. Giuliani traveled last Monday to Phoenix, where he met with Republican legislators for an hourslong hearing in which he was maskless. The Arizona Republican Party tweeted a photo of Giuliani and several state GOP lawmakers standing shoulder-to-shoulder and maskless.
![Top Pentagon official tests positive for coronavirus](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/yzOw6KO1JsyHtpADv8WHuYKFFHA=/1600x918/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XYDFGTCL7ZFAFKUE4OYPIQQHBQ.jpg)
Top Pentagon official tests positive for coronavirus
WASHINGTON โ A Pentagon official installed in a top policy job last week has tested positive for COVID-19, the Pentagon said Thursday, just days after he met with the Lithuanian defense minister, who had contracted the virus. Jonathan Hoffman, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, said Anthony Tata, who is serving as the undersecretary of defense, was tested Thursday after learning that Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis had tested positive. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows tested positive after attending an election night party at the White House. Others who were at the party also tested positive, including White House political director Brian Jack, former White House aide Healy Baumgardner and Trump campaign advisers David Bossie and Corey Lewandowski. The assistant commandant of the Marine Corps later also tested positive, and all the chiefs were forced to quarantine at home for at least 10 days.
![Trump plays down virus as he steps up pitch for second term](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/9LzENF3BRofXnhiRVOOE52DQ468=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/X3IIOEYSHRCQFB33HT5B57V2M4.jpg)
Trump plays down virus as he steps up pitch for second term
And the days when Vice President Mike Pence and other task force officials would head to Trumpโs office to brief him immediately after their meetings. The White House wonโt say when Trump last met with the task force. National and battleground public opinion polls suggest that Trump faces stiff headwinds in his bid for a second term. Public health experts say that by refusing to wear masks, Trump and his advisers are missing an opportunity to model behavior that is essential to keep the rest of America safe. Trumpโs interest in engaging with Fauci and other top medical officials on the coronavirus task force waned long ago.
![Three people associated with Biden campaign test positive for COVID-19](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/Xqii0mUyJpzzDFD7SfnZ2Io5fJk=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IWRYCP7ZJNASDOPGGNFZ7ZAR5E.jpg)
Three people associated with Biden campaign test positive for COVID-19
Bidens presidential campaign says Harris will suspend in-person events until Oct. 19, after two people associated with the campaign tested positive for coronavirus. According to Bidenโs campaign manager, Jen OโMalley Dillon, the campaign learned late Wednesday that two people associated with the operation had tested positive for the coronavirus. And as Trump returns to aggressive campaign travel before massive, often unmasked crowds, the Biden campaign reinforced its commitment to following public health guidelines. Since then, the White House has repeatedly declined to say how many staffers have tested positive, citing privacy concerns. The White House has not notified reporters, Secret Service agents or Trump campaign staffers who may have been exposed during the outbreak.
![Why won't White House say when Trump last tested negative?](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/di4nLeTY9mD_xovhQk44VxWKYUY=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UGFEIG7NOVD4NADRLE4YSMHXGA.jpg)
Why won't White House say when Trump last tested negative?
White House director of communications Alyssa Farah waves after speaking with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Washington. โYeah, Iโm not going to give you a detailed readout with timestamps every time the presidentโs tested," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters last weekend. And the White House refusal to answer makes it hard not to wonder what they're hiding, given other details they've shared. Senior White House staff and those who are in direct contact with the president are tested for the virus daily. What about Sept. 27, when he visited his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, held a late afternoon news conference in the White House briefing room, and held an evening reception for Gold Star families on the White House state floor?
![Trump greets supporters following new details of his illness](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/3rks3lYETZDZ9huaSh2ASFBfBF0=/1600x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YAX3VCQNVJFUXPRQ2CY7FOHCJY.jpg)
Trump greets supporters following new details of his illness
Still, the doctors said Trumpโs health is improving and that he could be discharged as early as Monday. In a short video released by the White House on Sunday, Trump insisted he understood the gravity of the moment. It was the second straight day of obfuscation from a White House already suffering from a credibility crisis. At the time of the briefing, Trumpโs blood oxygen level was 98% โ within normal rage, Trumpโs medical team said. They were particularly upset by the whiplash between Conleyโs upbeat assessment Saturday and White House chief of staff Mark Meadowsโ more concerned outlook.
![Trump said to be improving but next 48 hours 'critical'](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/0AN7wb2Ok97MOKCYkb6GpNVNF7E=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UCO5DVIHI5BDRL6VDF5772N55E.jpg)
Trump said to be improving but next 48 hours 'critical'
And yesterday with the team, while we were all here, he was not on oxygen,โ Conley said. Meadows himself had insisted Friday morning that Trump had only โmild symptoms" as the White House tried to project an image of normalcy. โPresident Trump remains in good spirits, has mild symptoms and has been working throughout the day,โ press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said late in the day on Friday. The first word that a close aide to Trump had been infected came from the media, not the White House. At the same time, the White House has been working to trace a flurry of new infections of close Trump aides and allies.
![Cavalier White House approach to COVID catches up to Trump](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/BwcV7eIAj_bSpP_SIFxk8Suky04=/1600x1110/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/M4LQAF7MPBCSTP36Q6A2WD6R5M.jpg)
Cavalier White House approach to COVID catches up to Trump
Crowds of people gathered shoulder to shoulder on the White House South Lawn. Instead, he flouted his own governmentโs guidelines and helped create a false sense of invulnerability in the White House, an approach that has now failed him as it did a nation where more than 200,000 people have died. And their use, while technically required, wasnโt enforced in the White House either. Even in the hours after the presidentโs diagnosis, senior White House staff, including chief of staff Mark Meadows and economic adviser Larry Kudlow, walked around the White House complex without wearing masks. The White House, even now, says the face coverings are a matter of โpersonal choiceโ for most staffers.
![An abundance of risk, not caution, before Trump's diagnosis](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/rvrvWNSYioTzbimfnbM1EicTPNg=/1600x1065/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KY7TT5WD4RFTNEI3XR5ORBEVU4.jpg)
An abundance of risk, not caution, before Trump's diagnosis
But to retrace some of his steps over the last week is to see risk at multiple turns and an abundance of opportunity for infection. The White House worked furiously to swap out staff who had been in close contact with Hicks and replace them with others. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not make the trip. White House officials said they began learning of Hicksโ positive test after Trump boarded Marine One to start his journey to New Jersey. And masks still won't be required on the White House grounds for all West Wing employees.
![From Trump's taxes to virus: News moves at breakneck pace](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/Shya1N4CjD53BGNkLUP08bGdvb0=/1600x1067/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WFLFSEBXPNCHJL5AAVKLS2GCE4.jpg)
From Trump's taxes to virus: News moves at breakneck pace
The revelation about how much President Donald Trump pays in taxes? Then, just as quickly, they receded into memory with the revelation Friday that Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. The coronavirus story unfurled shortly after 8 p.m. Eastern on Thursday when Jennifer Jacobs, Bloomberg News White House reporter, tweeted that sources had told her that Hope Hicks, one of Trump's closest aides, had tested positive. Then, at 12:54 a.m. Eastern, the president tweeted that both of them were positive. Were reporters who attended a White House news briefing on Thursday at risk?
![President Trump showing โmild symptomsโ after COVID-19 diagnosis](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/mAZOwblD1I8GeFOOYmLWiVehKeE=/1600x1068/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6N7O6L6OGBFQ5HFHHBFXILLHX4.jpg)
President Trump showing โmild symptomsโ after COVID-19 diagnosis
All rights reserved)WASHINGTON โ President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for coronavirus. The president announced the diagnosis overnight on Twitter, saying in part โWe will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. The president does have mild symptoms,โ White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told reporters Friday morning. Several White House officials, campaign staffers and Trump family members have been in contact with Hicks in recent days. Safety protocols are in place for White House staff.
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Trump, stricken by COVID-19, flown to military hospital
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON โ Stricken by COVID-19, a feverish and fatigued President Donald Trump was flown to a military hospital Friday night where he is being given Remdesivir therapy after being injected with an experimental drug combination in treatment at the White House. Also testing positive: Trumpโs campaign manager, Bill Stepien. โPresident Trump remains in good spirts, has mild symptoms, and has been working throughout the day,โ said press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. Very early Friday, after returning from the Thursday afternoon New Jersey fundraiser, Trump stunningly tweeted, "Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Friday confirmed that the White House knew Hope Hicks, the aide, had tested positive before Trump attended the fundraiser.
![Stocks end bumpy day lower after Trump's positive virus test](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/EevIo-jhxdxM3hW2xciUnaohrNU=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XBG3WHF4V5FTBGDODK6ELIFWRU.jpg)
Stocks end bumpy day lower after Trump's positive virus test
Stocks are pulling lower Friday, as Wall Street's first reaction to President Donald Trump's testing positive for the coronavirus was to retrench. By the end of the day, it had trimmed its loss to 1%, down 32.38 points at 3,348.42. The Dow Jones Industrial Average swung from a loss of 433 points to a gain of 44 points through the day. Stock futures and Treasury yields tumbled after Trump tweeted overnight that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. The White House also said Trump had been injected with an experimental antibody drug combination for the virus made by Regeneron.
![The Latest: Trump campaign manager tests positive for COVID](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/zcpiyuR1tn-IbLhsyFnzCDXjY3I=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VZIUKA3ZTNFR5LMYT4LSP6M5IU.jpg)
The Latest: Trump campaign manager tests positive for COVID
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on President Donald Trump testing positive for the coronavirus and being hospitalized (all times EDT):12:10 a.m.President Donald Trumpโs campaign manager, Bill Stepien, has tested positive for the coronavirus. Conway attended the Rose Garden announcement Saturday where President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. He issued the statement as President Donald Trump was being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the same illness. ___6 p.m.Joe Bidenโs campaign is taking down its attack ads in the wake of President Donald Trumpโs coronavirus infection. ___11:55 a.m.First lady Melania Trump says she is experiencing โmild symptomsโ after she and President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19.
![President Trump and first lady test positive for COVID-19](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/nbnjYjlA98Gr0ic35zGoULe_mjw=/1600x1068/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/R76MTULGGFBNZDTWV4VZBXXWHA.jpg)
President Trump and first lady test positive for COVID-19
WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump said early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, a stunning announcement that plunges the country deeper into uncertainty just a month before the presidential election. The White House physician said the president is expected to continue carrying out his duties โwithout disruptionโ while recovering. โTonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. Penceโs aides had no immediate comment on whether the vice president had been tested or in contact with Trump. Anyone in close proximity to the president or vice president is also tested every day, including reporters.
![Trump says he and first lady tested positive for coronavirus](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/nbnjYjlA98Gr0ic35zGoULe_mjw=/1600x1068/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/R76MTULGGFBNZDTWV4VZBXXWHA.jpg)
Trump says he and first lady tested positive for coronavirus
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump said early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, a stunning announcement that plunges the country deeper into uncertainty just a month before the presidential election. Hours before Trump announced he had contracted the virus, the White House said a top aide who had traveled with him during the week had tested positive. โTonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. Pence's aides had no immediate comment on whether the vice president had been tested or in contact with Trump. Anyone in close proximity to the president or vice president is also tested every day, including reporters.
![The Latest: Trump in debate prep before faceoff with Biden](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/3CHFfy3bm_S4HmD3nBHcIZ_khdA=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TQS3LNP6SZEXPFEAIE6FH6YOWQ.jpg)
The Latest: Trump in debate prep before faceoff with Biden
President Donald Trump listens to Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden during the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, Pool)
![The Latest: Trump casts election doubts, Biden urges voting](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/p6Z93zreuO4STN1R0XTxsT1yfTo=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TQS3LNP6SZEXPFEAIE6FH6YOWQ.jpg)
The Latest: Trump casts election doubts, Biden urges voting
(AP Photo/Morry Gash, Pool)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on the 2020 presidential election (all times local):10:50 p.m.President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden are painting a very different picture of the reliability of the upcoming election. ___10:20 p.m.President Donald Trump has sidestepped a question from moderator Chris Wallace about whether he was willing to condemn white supremacists and militia groups. Biden made the comment during Tuesday nightโs debate after President Donald Trump accused him of supporting abolishing private insurance. ___2:15 p.m.Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, have released more of their personal tax returns ahead of the first presidential debate. ___12:30 p.m.President Donald Trump spent Tuesday morning in informal preparations for the first debate with Joe Biden.
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Facing electoral headwinds, Trump brings back 2016 team
NEW YORK As anyone who has ever heard him speak knows, President Donald Trump loves to relive 2016. Our latest staff additions are making Team Trump even stronger and solidify Brads leadership.In the last week, the Trump campaign hired Jason Miller, communications director in 2016, to focus on strategy and coordinate between the campaign and the White House. And some of Trumps 2016 team never left: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the presidents daughter and son-in-law, are senior advisers. Kellyanne Conway, the presidents final 2016 campaign manager, remains a senior White House counselor. That includes Bannon, who remains supportive of Trump after a messy exit from the White House, and Keith Schiller, Trumps longtime security man.
![Sarah Sanders joins Fox News as contributor](https://sharedmedia.grahamdigital.com/photo/2018/01/25/Sarah%20Sanders%20Jan%2023.jpg_22193966_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg)
Sarah Sanders joins Fox News as contributor
(CNN) - Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has joined Fox News as a contributor, the network announced on Thursday. Sanders, who exited the White House in June, will make her debut before a live studio audience episode of "Fox & Friends" on Sept. 6. Hope Hicks, the former White House communications director, joined Fox Corporation in 2018 as executive vice president and chief communications officer. And in July, Raj Shah, the former White House deputy press secretary, joined Fox Corporation as a senior vice president. Bill Shine, the former co-president of Fox News, joined the White House in 2018 in a top communications role.