NEW: Judge Juan Merchan has finished instructing the jury in the Manhattan DA’s case against Donald Trump. And as soon as two volunteer jurors learn how to operate a laptop that has been loaded with all admitted evidence for the jury’s use, the deliberations will begin.

'By raising the specter of prison, that was a big no, no...'

During closing arguments, Trump attorney Todd Blanche urged the jury not to send Trump to prison, a remark Judge Merchan deemed 'improper.' Lisa Rubin breaks down Blanche's closing arguments. youtu.be/ZS7L5aTaocQ?si…

You may be a listening to a lengthy summation if the corresponding powerpoint presentation is reaching slide number 420...

Todd Blanche did a 'David Letterman Top 10 List' of reasons not to convict Donald Trump

Lisa Rubin and Susanne Craig are outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Donald Trump's hush money trial is taking place and share their expertise.

NEW: While Trump listens to Todd Blanche’s closing in the Manhattan DA’s criminal trial, Judge Aileen Cannon has denied the Special Counsel’s motion to modify Trump’s conditions of release in Florida because the government did not appropriately confer with Trump’s lawyers.

NEW: Todd Blanche just painted David Pecker as a truth teller in marked contrast to his portrayal of Michael Cohen. If I am prosecutor Josh Steinglass, I just did a happy dance.

NEW: Trump lawyer brushes off the idea that there was an intent to conceal an election-related conspiracy. Every electoral campaign, he notes, is basically a conspiracy to elect someone.

NEW: Todd Blanche is now excoriating Cohen’s “ridiculous” claim that he worked for free during 2017. But Cohen a) only worked for about 10 hours that year, which Trump’s team has not rebutted; and b) made ~ $4 million that year trading off his status as Trump’s personal lawyer.

NEW: As week 7 opens, Todd Blanche begins his summation for former president Trump in the Manhattan DA’s criminal trial by thanking the jury for their service and reminding them that they — not the judge his client continually lambasts — will decide the facts.

You've probably been following @LawOfRuby's coverage of the Trump trial. You probably don't know how she ended up on MSNBC. So I profiled her for VANITY FAIR: vanityfair.com/news/story/lis…

Life and careers don’t always move in a straight line. Thanks to Brian Stelter for sharing my very wavy path to @msnbc:

vanityfair.com/news/story/lis…

ICYMI: Trump baselessly accused Biden of trying to assassinate him by using standard FBI protocol on a day everyone knew Trump would not be present. The Special Counsel asked for relief. But now Trump’s team wants sanctions because they got insufficient notice of their client’s

'I expect Josh Steinglass is going to take the jury through how the conspiracy was formed, how we know Trump himself was not only a part of that conspiracy in a broad sense, but okayed the payment to Stormy Daniels.'

Lisa Rubin on closing arguments in Trump's hush money trial.

After Trump, who arrived in NY last night, attacked E Jean Carroll again on Truth Social today, her lawyer Roberta Kaplan says, 'We have said several times since the last jury verdict in January that all options were on the table. And that remains true today -- all options are on

We’re coming up early today!

Jen Psaki will anchor live coverage from 4pm ET – 6pm ET on MSNBC

Joining the conversation:
Mary McCord
David Jolly
Glenn Kirschner
Lisa Rubin
Tim Miller
Jennifer Palmieri
Elise Labott
Anthony Coley
Molly Jong-Fast
McKay Coppins
Kristy Greenberg

TOMORROW: Following closing arguments in former President Trump’s New York criminal trial, Rachel Rachel Maddow MSNBC and team break down the latest in this case.

Tune in Tuesday at 8pm ET on MSNBC.