🤥 Axios PM: "MVP of liars"

Plus: Pope's rare apology | Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Open in app View in browser   Presented By BlackRock   Axios PM By Mike Allen · May 28, 2024 Good afternoon. Today's newsletter, edited by Zachary Basu, is 595 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.     1 big thing: "MVP of liars" Trump and his lead attorney Todd Blanche inside the courtroom today. Photo: Steven Hirsch/New York Post/Bloomberg via Getty Images Former President Trump's defense team hammered Michael Cohen in closing arguments today, calling Trump's former fixer an "MVP of liars," Axios' Erin Doherty reports. Why it matters: In his final presentation before jury deliberations, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche made one last attempt to destroy the star witness' credibility — calling him "the human embodiment of reasonable doubt." "You cannot convict President Trump on any crime, beyond a reasonable doubt, on the words of Michael Cohen," Blanche argued. "He lied to Congress. He lied to prosecutors. He lied to his family and business associates." 🗣️ The other side: "We didn't pick [Cohen] up at the witness store," New York prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said at the start of his closing arguments, which were expected to last more than four hours. "The defendant chose Michael Cohen to be his fixer. He picked him for the same qualities that the defense now urges you to reject his testimony over." More highlights. Robert De Niro delivers remarks outside the Manhattan criminal courthouse today. Photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images Outside the courthouse, the Biden campaign staged a news conference after months of deliberately avoiding commenting on Trump's criminal cases. The unusual event featured actor Robert De Niro and two former police officers who protected the Capitol on Jan. 6. The speakers did not explicitly focus on Trump's trial. Asked why the Biden campaign decided to come to the courthouse today, spokesperson Michael Tyler told reporters: "Because you all are here, incessantly covering this day in and day out." ⚡ The other side: Immediately after the event, Trump campaign officials held their own press conference accusing the Biden team of politicizing the trial. "After months of saying that politics had nothing to do with this trial, they showed up and made a campaign event out of a lower Manhattan trial day for President Trump," said senior adviser Jason Miller. Go deeper.     2. Pope's rare apology Pope Francis leads a mass on World Children's Day at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on May 26. Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images Pope Francis apologized after reports surfaced that he used a homophobic slur during a private meeting with Italian bishops last week, Axios' Jacob Knutson writes. Why it matters: The pope has sought to make the Catholic Church more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people, while at the same time upholding its historical views on the sacrament of marriage. Francis was quoted in Italian media using offensive slang while stating his opposition to allowing gay men to enter seminaries. Matteo Bruni, the press office director for the Holy See, said in a statement that the pope was "aware" of the reports and "never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms." Go deeper.     A message from BlackRock BlackRock is invested in the future of veterans like Christine     Meet Christine, a retired Army nurse. Her financial stability enabled her to retire and devote time to volunteering with the Medical Reserve Corps. At BlackRock, we're dedicated to the financial well-being of the U.S. veterans who have served our country. Learn more by watching her story.     3. Catch me up Data: Axios/Harris Poll; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios ✨ Disney's reputation is bouncing back after losing favor with Republicans in 2022, when the company began feuding with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to the latest Axios Harris Poll 100. 🎓 Harvard announced it will refrain from taking official positions on controversial public policy issues, after months of controversy and campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war, The Crimson reports. 🦾 A top OpenAI researcher who resigned this month over safety concerns is joining rival AI company Anthropic, Axios' Meg Morrone reports.     4. 🎤 1 fun thing: Cheaper summer concerts Olivia Rodrigo performs in Dublin on April 30. Photo: Samir Hussein/Getty Images for LIVE Nation   Concert prices are down this summer after a year of historic demand driven by pop's biggest names, Axios' Maxwell Millington writes from new SeatGeek data. Why it matters: With Taylor Swift and Beyoncé no longer touring in the U.S., the average resale ticket price to attend a summer concert is $224 — down from $269 this time last year. 💰 Top artists performing this summer, according to overall SeatGeek sales: Olivia Rodrigo Morgan Wallen Zach Bryan The Rolling Stones Noah Kahan Full list.     A message from BlackRock BlackRock CEO on rethinking retirement     Join BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink on an episode of BlackRock's podcast, The Bid, where he discusses the retirement challenges that come with living longer and why it's crucial to have this conversation now. Listen to the episode.   Are you a fan of this email format? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. 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