NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Monday, April 15, 2024

Episode Date: April 16, 2024

Former President Donald Trump appears in court for the start of his unprecedented trial on charges that he falsified business records to cover up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, Israel says there will be a response after Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones against it, and the armorer on the “Rust” movie set is sentenced after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Tonight, the historic criminal trial of a once and potentially future president. Former President Donald Trump appearing today as defendant Trump at the start of the unprecedented trial on charges that he falsified business records to cover up hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Jury selection now underway. Mr. Trump calling an assault on America and an attack by a political opponent. The trial and the political fallout tonight. Also this evening, after Iran launches hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel, Israel says there will be a response, despite U.S. pressure not to retaliate.

A source telling NBC a response may be imminent. While on the streets of the U.S., pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt traffic coast to coast on the Golden Gate Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, and at a major airport. Bracing for severe weather, hail hitting the mid-Atlantic, tens of millions at risk in the plains. Al Roker is here. The armorer on the Russ movie set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, sentenced. The judge, harsh words. The mothers from Kansas missing for weeks. Now four people charged with murder.

Stun guns, burner cell phones. The shocking and elaborate new details alleged in police affidavits. Defacing our national parks, police searching for the men seen damaging ancient rock formations. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome everyone. In a moment he had desperately tried to delay or derail, Donald Trump took the defendant's seat in a Manhattan courtroom today for the start of his first criminal trial, a historic moment for a former American president that brought him practically face-to-face with a stream of prospective jurors, New Yorkers who could potentially determine his fate. None so

far, however, has been seated. Mr. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records revolving around hush money payments to cover up an alleged affair with a porn actress. The former president has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied an affair. Before today's questioning of prospective jurors got underway, the judge made it clear that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee was expected to be in court every day of the trial. The judge also making an important ruling over the admissibility of the infamous Access Hollywood tape in the trial. The judge also making an important ruling over the admissibility of the infamous Access Hollywood tape in the trial. Senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett

has late details. LAURA JARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN

CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN to a jury of 12 with six alternates, people who will soon sit in judgment of the former president, the first to ever face a criminal trial. REP. JOHN BARRASSO, We're not going to be given a fair trial. It's a very, very sad thing. LISA DESJARDINS, 200 people summoned to the courthouse today questioned about their backgrounds, media preferences, and views on Mr. Trump. In deep blue Manhattan, many jurors swiftly dismissed for saying they cannot be impartial the judge driving home

the stakes of the unprecedented moment for the presumptive gop nominee warning mr trump today if he fails to show up he risks arrest mr trump has pleaded not guilty to the 34 counts of falsifying business records a low-level felony but the story prosecutors seek to tell, more sordid and sweeping. Previewing their central theme today of a presidential campaign rocked by the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tape, fueling Mr. Trump's determination, and prosecutors telling, to buy the silence of Stormy Daniels, allegedly directing Michael Cohen to pay her $130,000 so that she wouldn't go public saying she had sex with Mr. Trump, something he maintains never happened. The former president later reimbursing Cohen through a series of checks, allegedly doctoring his company's internal records to cover it all up.

That payment was to hide damaging information from the voting public. The participant scheme was illegal. The judge ruling prosecutors cannot play the Access Hollywood tape at trial but can introduce what he said. Mr. Trump's team expected to highlight how the previous DA and federal prosecutors declined to press charges in this case while Mr. Trump lambasted the case as a Democratic conspiracy to hurt his reelection chances. This is a persecution like never before. Nobody's ever seen anything like it.

And again, it's a case that should have never been brought. It's in the soul of America. The trial expected to stretch on six to eight weeks and feature testimony from Cohen, Daniels, members of Trump's inner circle like former aide Hope Hicks and possibly Mr. Trump himself. I would testify, absolutely. The risk of cross-examination, substantial, but the more immediate threat, possible violations of the gag order prohibiting Mr. Trump from attacking trial witnesses. And Laura, we've spoken a lot about the calendar here. This is just the first criminal case Mr. Trump faces this year.

Yes, Lester, he faces three other criminal cases across three different jurisdictions, but none of those, given all the delays and appeals, is ready to go to trial, which means this one in Manhattan may be the only one that proceeds to a jury before November. But in the meantime, jury selection will continue for the next couple of days, if not weeks here, Lester. Laura Jarrett, thank you. I want to bring in Hallie Jackson. Now, Hallie, in addition to the legal risk, there is the political risk for Mr. Trump as this trial plays out. Yeah, that's right, Lester.

Listen, he hopes to use this case to his political advantage. And that worked for him in the primary. We saw his legal issues rally Republicans around him. They helped him raise money. He's even fundraising off of this case again tonight. But keep in mind, we are in the general election now, and this is where he's got to appeal to independents. About half of them say they believe these charges are serious. Another recent polling suggests if Mr. Trump is convicted, it's President Biden who could get a boost. We are seeing tonight Mr. Trump clearly frustrated that he has to be at court for these proceedings.

But all of it highlights just how extraordinary this moment is. A blockbuster collision of the court and the campaign trail that makes Donald Trump the candidate indistinguishable from Donald Trump, the criminal defendant. Lester. All right, Holly Jackson, thanks. Let's turn to tonight's other top story. Israel saying today it will respond after Iran launched that barrage of missiles and drones, almost all of them shot down by Israel. Richard Engel is in Israel with the latest. 48 hours after Iran attacked Israel with hundreds of drones and missiles, Israel tonight is vowing to strike back. An Israeli official telling NBC News a response could be imminent.

While touring a base that was lightly damaged, the only known damage in Israel, the chief of staff of the Israeli army today said, Iran will face the consequences for its actions. We will choose our response accordingly. That announcement came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a second war cabinet meeting in two days. Throughout his career, Netanyahu has advocated for a tough approach against Iran, including military action. And this is a pivotal moment for him. A senior Israeli official telling NBC News that the cabinet agreed that a military response is needed to show deterrence, but that it should avoid provoking a regional war

and be coordinated with the United States. Easier said than done. Israel is promising to respond, even though President Biden told Netanyahu not to escalate further, because with U.S. help, Israel shot down 99 percent of Iran's missiles and drones. The U.S. even led a hastily organized coalition to defend Israel that included Jordan and the U.K. The day before Iran's attack, President Biden warned Iran not to strike. President, what is your message to Iran in this moment? Don't. But Iran isn't listening either.

Soon after, the Iranian drones and missiles were heading toward Israel. We watched as Israeli missile defense systems were in action over Jerusalem's old city, holy for billions of jews christians and muslims for the last several minutes we've seen these flares streaking all across the skies over jerusalem and now for the first time we're hearing the air raid sirens the pentagon says it shot down around a hundred of the drones and missiles iran says it's done that the barrage was its only response to Israel's deadly airstrike on Iran's embassy compound in Syria. But Iran warned today that

any Israeli reprisal would be met by an immediate counter-strike. Tonight, there are fears that the long-running shadow war between Iran and Israel is breaking out into the open with the United States right in the middle of it. And Richard, there is still some anxiety of real escalation occurring tonight. There absolutely is. There had been a sense here that after Israel, with U.S. help, shot down nearly all of Iran's incoming drones and missiles that this crisis could be contained. Yet once again, the Middle East is on edge, bracing for a possible regional war. And these next several days will be critical as Israel calibrates its response. Lester.

All right, Richard Engel in Jerusalem. Thank you. Tonight, the White House is trying to prevent a wider war in the region after Iran's attack on Israel. It comes as protests broke out coast to coast here at home against President Biden's policies in the Israel Hamas war. We get more from Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, the pressure is mounting on the Biden administration over the war in Gaza. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters today blocked traffic on New York's Brooklyn Bridge with several arrests. Police say protesters near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport today

substantially delayed travelers. And on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, multiple arrests after protesters snarled traffic there for hours. The demonstrations come as President Biden touts what he calls an unprecedented military effort to defend Israel. Together with our partners, we defeated that attack. In the Oval Office today, he met with Iraq's prime minister as he tries to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East. We're committed to a ceasefire that will bring the hostages home and preventing conflict from spreading beyond what it already has. The president spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu this weekend following Iran's attack,

urging restraint. A senior administration official tells NBC News the president told Netanyahu to take the win and that although the White House's commitment to defend Israel is ironclad, the U.S. would not participate in offensive operations against Iran. To ask it bluntly, if Israel retaliates against Iran, will the U.S. support that? To answer bluntly, I'm not going to get into hypotheticals. We don't want to see a wider conflict. Today, the White House stressed Iran did not provide warnings to the U.S. about its time frame for launching an attack on Israel. Some Republican critics argue the Biden administration has emboldened Iran. It Republican critics argue the Biden administration has

emboldened Iran. It's time for the commander in chief to lead allies and partners in an international effort to impose meaningful costs on Iran. And Gabe, amid all this, there are new questions about that U.S. aid package for Israel. What can you tell us? Yes, Lester, House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing intense pressure to bring Israel and Ukraine funding up for a vote after sitting on it for months. Well, late today, he told GOP lawmakers that he planned to do it this week in separate bills. Lester. All right, Gabe, thank you. Now to an update on the Rust movie set shooting with armorer Hannah Gutierrez readReed sentenced to 18 months in prison.

She was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the killing of cinematographer Helena Hutchins. Gutierrez-Reed made an emotional plea in court, but the judge gave her the maximum sentence, citing her lack of remorse. Also tonight, we're watching what could be days of severe weather. This was the scene in Arlington, Virginia, where there was large hail this afternoon. The threat continues there tonight. Al Roker is here. And Al, the Plains and Midwest are under some serious threat right now. Lester, we already have severe thunderstorms going on.

Thunderstorm watch along the mid-Atlantic states. We've also got tornado watches down through Texas. The risk for severe weather tonight. We've got right now 27 million people at risk from North Platte down to Wichita, Oklahoma City and Abilene. We're also looking at the risk of overnight tornadoes that are twice as deadly from Abilene up to Omaha. Then we move into tomorrow. We've got more people at risk, 27 million, 26 million with wind gusts of 60 miles per hour. And again, that tornado risk for EF2 are stronger. Rainfall amounts, Lester, we're talking anywhere from one to three inches with locally upwards of

five. Lester. All right, Al, thank you. The FBI has opened up a criminal investigation into the cargo ship that slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse last month. Federal agents bordered the nearly 1,000-foot-long ship this morning with search warrants. Sources say the investigation will look into events before the collapse and possible mechanical problems. In 60 seconds, and new details behind two mothers killed in Oklahoma and the evidence police are looking at against four suspects, including the grandmother of one of the victim's children. Plus, what investigators found in the suspect's search history.

Next. We are back with new details about two Kansas women believed to be missing moms whose bodies were found in Oklahoma today. Four people are in custody this evening. Sam Brock has more on the possible motive. After a multi-week search for two Kansas women, 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jillian Kelly, tonight Oklahoma authorities revealing the discovery of two bodies in rural Oklahoma believed to be the missing moms. On behalf of the entire FBI, I want to express our sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones of Veronica and Jillian. The pair left a small Kansas town in late March,

court documents show, to pick up Butler's children for visitation at a birthday party, with Kelly only there to supervise the visit. When they didn't show up for the party, Butler's family went looking and found her abandoned car, which uncovered evidence of a severe injury, including blood on the roadway and Butler's glasses near a broken hammer. It's absolutely devastating. They were both young and vibrant, and they deserved more. Now, four people are behind bars charged with murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy, including the children's grandmother, Tiffany Adams, who authorities say was in a years-long custody battle with Butler. State investigators saying the grandmother had later purchased five stun guns and three prepaid cell phones.

Those phones then pinged at the last known location of Butler and Kelly at the time of their disappearance, according to police. The teen daughter of one of the suspects telling authorities her mom was part of a self-proclaimed anti-government group they called God's Misfits and told her things didn't go as planned, but they would not have to worry about Butler again. And tonight, the suspects who remain here behind bars have not been assigned counsel. Police say Butler's children at the center of this custody dispute are out of harm's way. Lester. Sam Brock, thank you. We're back in a moment with the alarming news about coral reefs worldwide. Can anything be done to help? Plus, the tourists seen on camera damaging an Asian part of a national park and why officials are asking for the public's help to find them.

We're back now with alarming news about our changing seas. Two scientific groups saying today that coral reefs are experiencing a worldwide bleaching event. It's all due to record-breaking ocean temperatures. Bleaching can lead to mass coral death, and experts warn this could be the worst event like this ever recorded. Also tonight, new video of two men damaging ancient rock formations here in the West. Now authorities are asking the public to help find them, but it's just the latest incident of visitors damaging sensitive sites. Liz Kreutz has more. It's a moment all caught on video. Two men seen damaging ancient rock formations at Nevada's Lake Mead National Recreation Area outside Las Vegas. The vandals not once, but twice knocking massive redstone boulders off a cliff last week at the popular Redstone Dunes Trail. A young girl standing behind them

screams out as the rocks come toppling down. Authorities with the National Park Service are now investigating and seeking the public's help to track down the two men. According to the park's website, the delicate rocks are millions of years old. Officials say vandalism at federally protected sites like this can result in felony charges, including fines and jail time. Bad behavior is something park rangers have been dealing with for years. In 2013, Boy Scout leaders cheered as they toppled over an ancient rock formation in Utah. The men were sentenced to a year of probation and a fine. More recently, in 2022, Zion National Park reported widespread vandalism with people leaving graffiti on the historic sandstone. Rangers posted this video cleaning up the spray paint. Now, as officials search for the men responsible for this irreparable damage at Lake Mead,

a reminder that breaking park rules comes with consequences. And Lester, this is a serious offense. According to a park official, these men could face potentially several months in prison and thousands of dollars in fines. Lester. Okay, Liz, thank you for that. And that is nightly news for this Monday. Thank you for watching, everyone. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.