It was another historic week in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York. Trump attorney Todd Blanche attempted to poke holes in former fixer Michael Cohen's testimony about a key 2016 phone call between Cohen and Trump in which they discussed the hush money payment to Karen McDougal. Meanwhile, the former president was joined in the courtroom by a revolving door of Republican lawmakers making headline-grabbing guest appearances and helping the former president to subvert his gag order.
On Thursday, after spending the morning with Trump in the courtroom, several House Republicans flocked back to Washington, D.C., in time for a House Oversight Committee hearing that devolved into chaos and personal attacks when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene insulted another member's physical appearance.
Meanwhile in a New Jersey courtroom, the criminal trial of Sen. Bob Menendez got underway. The senator is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for official acts.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito also found himself at the center of controversy this week after the New York Times published a photo of an upside-down American flag that the Alitos flew outside their home days before Biden's 2021 inauguration. Alito confirmed the photo and excused it by saying his wife had raised it as part of a spat with an anti-Trump neighbor.
After a contentious back-and-forth on social media, President Joe Biden and former President Trump have agreed to two debates, under a few crucial conditions, setting the dates of June 27 and September 10 for their long-awaited face-offs.
Missed something? Don't worry. Here are our select columns and videos from the week. And don't forget to check out MSNBC.com for more.
