reported speech for past tense

Reported Speech

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Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

Direct speech: I like ice cream.
Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

Direct speech: The sky is blue.
Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

Direct speech: Where do you live?
Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
Direct speech: Where is Julie?
Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

Direct speech: Close the window, please
Or: Could you close the window please?
Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
Direct speech: Please don't be late.
Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

Direct speech: Sit down!
Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.
Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

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Reported Speech Tenses

Reported speech tenses will change from that of the direct speech in most cases.

This is known as backshifting in reported speech , with the basic rule that a tense is shifted back to its past tense form.

This is because we are usually talking about something in the past.

You can also watch a video of this lesson:

Backshifting in Reported Speech

Here are some examples of backshifting, with tenses going back from present to past:

Reported Speech Tenses Change Chart

Below is a reported speech tense change chart with the rules for backshifting for each tense and for modal verbs.

You will see reported speech does not go back a tense if it is already in the past perfect (there is no further back it can go), and some modal verbs also do not change.

If you are tested on this, though, these are the changes you need to make.

Exceptions to the rules

This is a useful starting point. However, it is a simplification as we may not always decide or need to shift the tense back.

For instance, if the circumstances we are reporting on have not changed since they were directly said, then the tense would not need to be changed. For example:

Direct Speech

I am happy
(present simple)

Reported Speech

She said she is happy

So if we want to convey that the situation is still true then we may keep the tense the same.

Alternatively, the tense could even forward shift. An example would be in relation to a film or book. In this case, the person may use the past tense to say that the film was good, but the present or past tense could be used when you convey that to someone else:

Direct Speech:

The film was really good!
(past simple)

Reported Speech:

He said that the film was very good!
(past simple) Or
He said that the film is very good!

As you can see, either reported speech tenses would be ok if you wanted to pass the information on to somebody else. The person said the film was good, and it is still good (it hasn't gone away).

So there are some general rules for reported speech tense changes but it can depend on the context. There may be no need to change it or you may be able to choose either tense.

Click the ' reported speech: practice forming indirect speech ' link below to practice changing tenses.

More on Reported Speech:

Reported Speech Quiz - Practice forming indirect speech

This reported speech quiz gives you the chance to practice converting direct speech to reported speech, also known as indirect speech. This involves backshifting with the tenses.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

In these examples of direct and indirect speech you are given a sentence in direct speech which is then connected to indirect speech.

Reported Speech Imperatives: Reporting commands in indirect speech

Reported speech imperatives, also known as reported commands, follow a slightly different structure to normal indirect speech. We use imperatives to give orders, advice, or make requests.

Direct and Indirect Speech: The differences explained

Direct and indirect speech are different because in direct speech the exact words said are spoken, but in indirect or reported speech, we are reporting what was said, usually using the past tense.

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Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions

👉 Quiz 1 / Quiz 2

Advanced Grammar Course

What is reported speech?

“Reported speech” is when we talk about what somebody else said – for example:

Direct Speech: “I’ve been to London three times.”
Reported Speech: She said she’d been to London three times.

There are a lot of tricky little details to remember, but don’t worry, I’ll explain them and we’ll see lots of examples. The lesson will have three parts – we’ll start by looking at statements in reported speech, and then we’ll learn about some exceptions to the rules, and finally we’ll cover reported questions, requests, and commands.

Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions Espresso English

So much of English grammar – like this topic, reported speech – can be confusing, hard to understand, and even harder to use correctly. I can help you learn grammar easily and use it confidently inside my Advanced English Grammar Course.

In this course, I will make even the most difficult parts of English grammar clear to you – and there are lots of opportunities for you to practice!

Backshift of Verb Tenses in Reported Speech

When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called “backshift.”

Here are some examples in different verb tenses:

Reported Speech (Part 1) Quiz

Exceptions to backshift in reported speech.

Now that you know some of the reported speech rules about backshift, let’s learn some exceptions.

There are two situations in which we do NOT need to change the verb tense.

No backshift needed when the situation is still true

For example, if someone says “I have three children” (direct speech) then we would say “He said he has three children” because the situation continues to be true.

If I tell you “I live in the United States” (direct speech) then you could tell someone else “She said she lives in the United States” (that’s reported speech) because it is still true.

When the situation is still true, then we don’t need to backshift the verb.

He said he HAS three children

But when the situation is NOT still true, then we DO need to backshift the verb.

Imagine your friend says, “I have a headache.”

If you immediately go and talk to another friend, you could say, “She said she has a headache,” because the situation is still true
If you’re talking about that conversation a month after it happened, then you would say, “She said she had a headache,” because it’s no longer true.

No backshift needed when the situation is still in the future

We also don’t need to backshift to the verb when somebody said something about the future, and the event is still in the future.

Here’s an example:

On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Friday .”
“She said she ‘ll call me on Friday”, because Friday is still in the future from now.
It is also possible to say, “She said she ‘d (she would) call me on Friday.”
Both of them are correct, so the backshift in this case is optional.

Let’s look at a different situation:

On Monday, my friend said, “I ‘ll call you on Tuesday .”
“She said she ‘d call me on Tuesday.” I must backshift because the event is NOT still in the future.

Review: Reported Speech, Backshift, & Exceptions

Quick review:

Normally in reported speech we backshift the verb, we put it in a verb tense that’s a little bit further in the past.
when the situation is still true
when the situation is still in the future

Reported Requests, Orders, and Questions

Those were the rules for reported statements, just regular sentences.

What about reported speech for questions, requests, and orders?

For reported requests, we use “asked (someone) to do something”:

“Please make a copy of this report.” (direct speech)
She asked me to make a copy of the report. (reported speech)

For reported orders, we use “told (someone) to do something:”

“Go to the bank.” (direct speech)
“He told me to go to the bank.” (reported speech)

The main verb stays in the infinitive with “to”:

She asked me to make a copy of the report. She asked me make a copy of the report.
He told me to go to the bank. He told me go to the bank.

For yes/no questions, we use “asked if” and “wanted to know if” in reported speech.

“Are you coming to the party?” (direct)
He asked if I was coming to the party. (reported)
“Did you turn off the TV?” (direct)
She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.” (reported)

The main verb changes and back shifts according to the rules and exceptions we learned earlier.

Notice that we don’t use do/does/did in the reported question:

She wanted to know did I turn off the TV.
She wanted to know if I had turned off the TV.

For other questions that are not yes/no questions, we use asked/wanted to know (without “if”):

“When was the company founded?” (direct)
She asked when the company was founded.” (reported)
“What kind of car do you drive?” (direct)
He wanted to know what kind of car I drive. (reported)

Again, notice that we don’t use do/does/did in reported questions:

“Where does he work?”
She wanted to know where does he work.
She wanted to know where he works.

Also, in questions with the verb “to be,” the word order changes in the reported question:

“Where were you born?” ([to be] + subject)
He asked where I was born. (subject + [to be])
He asked where was I born.

Reported Speech (Part 2) Quiz

Learn more about reported speech:

Reported speech: Perfect English Grammar
Reported speech: BJYU’s

If you want to take your English grammar to the next level, then my Advanced English Grammar Course is for you! It will help you master the details of the English language, with clear explanations of essential grammar topics, and lots of practice. I hope to see you inside!

I’ve got one last little exercise for you, and that is to write sentences using reported speech. Think about a conversation you’ve had in the past, and write about it – let’s see you put this into practice right away.

Master the details of English grammar:

More Espresso English Lessons:

About the author.

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Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.

Reported Speech – Rules, Examples & Worksheet

| Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

They say gossip is a natural part of human life. That’s why language has evolved to develop grammatical rules about the “he said” and “she said” statements. We call them reported speech.

Every time we use reported speech in English, we are talking about something said by someone else in the past. Thinking about it brings me back to high school, when reported speech was the main form of language!

Learn all about the definition, rules, and examples of reported speech as I go over everything. I also included a worksheet at the end of the article so you can test your knowledge of the topic.

What Does Reported Speech Mean?

Grammarist Article Graphic V3 2022 10 25T162134.388

Reported speech is a term we use when telling someone what another person said. You can do this while speaking or writing.

There are two kinds of reported speech you can use: direct speech and indirect speech. I’ll break each down for you.

A direct speech sentence mentions the exact words the other person said. For example:

Kryz said, “These are all my necklaces.”

Indirect speech changes the original speaker’s words. For example:

Kryz said those were all her necklaces.

When we tell someone what another individual said, we use reporting verbs like told, asked, convinced, persuaded, and said. We also change the first-person figure in the quotation into the third-person speaker.

Reported Speech Examples

We usually talk about the past every time we use reported speech. That’s because the time of speaking is already done. For example:

Direct speech: The employer asked me, “Do you have experience with people in the corporate setting?”

Indirect speech: The employer asked me if I had experience with people in the corporate setting.

Direct speech: “I’m working on my thesis,” I told James.

Indirect speech: I told James that I was working on my thesis.

Reported Speech Structure

A speech report has two parts: the reporting clause and the reported clause. Read the example below:

Harry said, “You need to help me.”

The reporting clause here is William said. Meanwhile, the reported clause is the 2nd clause, which is I need your help.

What are the 4 Types of Reported Speech?

Aside from direct and indirect, reported speech can also be divided into four. The four types of reported speech are similar to the kinds of sentences: imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, and declarative.

Reported Speech Rules

The rules for reported speech can be complex. But with enough practice, you’ll be able to master them all.

Choose Whether to Use That or If

The most common conjunction in reported speech is that. You can say, “My aunt says she’s outside,” or “My aunt says that she’s outside.”

Use if when you’re reporting a yes-no question. For example:

Direct speech: “Are you coming with us?”

Indirect speech: She asked if she was coming with them.

Verb Tense Changes

Change the reporting verb into its past form if the statement is irrelevant now. Remember that some of these words are irregular verbs, meaning they don’t follow the typical -d or -ed pattern. For example:

Direct speech: I dislike fried chicken.

Reported speech: She said she disliked fried chicken.

Note how the main verb in the reported statement is also in the past tense verb form.

Use the simple present tense in your indirect speech if the initial words remain relevant at the time of reporting. This verb tense also works if the report is something someone would repeat. For example:

Slater says they’re opening a restaurant soon.
Maya says she likes dogs.

This rule proves that the choice of verb tense is not a black-and-white question. The reporter needs to analyze the context of the action.

Move the tense backward when the reporting verb is in the past tense. That means:

Present simple becomes past simple.
Present perfect becomes past perfect.
Present continuous becomes past continuous.
Past simple becomes past perfect.
Past continuous becomes past perfect continuous.

Here are some examples:

The singer has left the building. (present perfect)

He said that the singers had left the building. (past perfect)

Her sister gave her new shows. (past simple)
She said that her sister had given her new shoes. (past perfect)

If the original speaker is discussing the future, change the tense of the reporting verb into the past form. There’ll also be a change in the auxiliary verbs.

Will or shall becomes would.
Will be becomes would be.
Will have been becomes would have been.
Will have becomes would have.

For example:

Direct speech: “I will be there in a moment.”

Indirect speech: She said that she would be there in a moment.

Do not change the verb tenses in indirect speech when the sentence has a time clause. This rule applies when the introductory verb is in the future, present, and present perfect. Here are other conditions where you must not change the tense:

If the sentence is a fact or generally true.
If the sentence’s verb is in the unreal past (using second or third conditional).
If the original speaker reports something right away.
Do not change had better, would, used to, could, might, etc.

Changes in Place and Time Reference

Changing the place and time adverb when using indirect speech is essential. For example, now becomes then and today becomes that day. Here are more transformations in adverbs of time and places.

This – that.
These – those.
Now – then.
Here – there.
Tomorrow – the next/following day.
Two weeks ago – two weeks before.
Yesterday – the day before.

Here are some examples.

Direct speech: “I am baking cookies now.”

Indirect speech: He said he was baking cookies then.

Direct speech: “Myra went here yesterday.”

Indirect speech: She said Myra went there the day before.

Direct speech: “I will go to the market tomorrow.”

Indirect speech: She said she would go to the market the next day.

Using Modals

Grammarist Article Graphic V3 2022 10 25T162624.255

If the direct speech contains a modal verb, make sure to change them accordingly.

Will becomes would
Can becomes could
Shall becomes should or would.
Direct speech: “Will you come to the ball with me?”

Indirect speech: He asked if he would come to the ball with me.

Direct speech: “Gina can inspect the room tomorrow because she’s free.”

Indirect speech: He said Gina could inspect the room the next day because she’s free.

However, sometimes, the modal verb should does not change grammatically. For example:

Direct speech: “He should go to the park.”

Indirect speech: She said that he should go to the park.

Imperative Sentences

To change an imperative sentence into a reported indirect sentence, use to for imperative and not to for negative sentences. Never use the word that in your indirect speech. Another rule is to remove the word please . Instead, say request or say. For example:

“Please don’t interrupt the event,” said the host.

The host requested them not to interrupt the event.

Jonah told her, “Be careful.”
Jonah ordered her to be careful.

Reported Questions

When reporting a direct question, I would use verbs like inquire, wonder, ask, etc. Remember that we don’t use a question mark or exclamation mark for reports of questions. Below is an example I made of how to change question forms.

Incorrect: He asked me where I live?

Correct: He asked me where I live.

Here’s another example. The first sentence uses direct speech in a present simple question form, while the second is the reported speech.

Where do you live?

She asked me where I live.

Wrapping Up Reported Speech

My guide has shown you an explanation of reported statements in English. Do you have a better grasp on how to use it now?

Reported speech refers to something that someone else said. It contains a subject, reporting verb, and a reported cause.

Don’t forget my rules for using reported speech. Practice the correct verb tense, modal verbs, time expressions, and place references.

Grammarist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.

Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Reported speech: indirect speech

Indirect speech focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech , the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Indirect speech: reporting statements

Indirect reports of statements consist of a reporting clause and a that -clause. We often omit that , especially in informal situations:

The pilot commented that the weather had been extremely bad as the plane came in to land. (The pilot’s words were: ‘The weather was extremely bad as the plane came in to land.’ )

I told my wife I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday. ( that -clause without that ) (or I told my wife that I didn’t want a party on my 50th birthday .)

Indirect speech: reporting questions

Reporting yes-no questions and alternative questions.

Indirect reports of yes-no questions and questions with or consist of a reporting clause and a reported clause introduced by if or whether . If is more common than whether . The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She asked if [S] [V] I was Scottish. (original yes-no question: ‘Are you Scottish?’ )

The waiter asked whether [S] we [V] wanted a table near the window. (original yes-no question: ‘Do you want a table near the window? )

He asked me if [S] [V] I had come by train or by bus. (original alternative question: ‘Did you come by train or by bus?’ )

Questions: yes-no questions ( Are you feeling cold? )

Reporting wh -questions

Indirect reports of wh -questions consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a wh -word ( who, what, when, where, why, how ). We don’t use a question mark:

He asked me what I wanted.

Not: He asked me what I wanted?

The reported clause is in statement form (subject + verb), not question form:

She wanted to know who [S] we [V] had invited to the party.

Not: … who had we invited …

Who , whom and what

In indirect questions with who, whom and what , the wh- word may be the subject or the object of the reported clause:

I asked them who came to meet them at the airport. ( who is the subject of came ; original question: ‘Who came to meet you at the airport?’ )

He wondered what the repairs would cost. ( what is the object of cost ; original question: ‘What will the repairs cost?’ )

She asked us what [S] we [V] were doing . (original question: ‘What are you doing?’ )

Not: She asked us what were we doing?

When , where , why and how

We also use statement word order (subject + verb) with when , where, why and how :

I asked her when [S] it [V] had happened (original question: ‘When did it happen?’ ).

Not: I asked her when had it happened?

I asked her where [S] the bus station [V] was . (original question: ‘Where is the bus station?’ )

Not: I asked her where was the bus station?

The teacher asked them how [S] they [V] wanted to do the activity . (original question: ‘How do you want to do the activity?’ )

Not: The teacher asked them how did they want to do the activity?

Questions: wh- questions

Indirect speech: reporting commands

Indirect reports of commands consist of a reporting clause, and a reported clause beginning with a to -infinitive:

The General ordered the troops to advance . (original command: ‘Advance!’ )

The chairperson told him to sit down and to stop interrupting . (original command: ‘Sit down and stop interrupting!’ )

We also use a to -infinitive clause in indirect reports with other verbs that mean wanting or getting people to do something, for example, advise, encourage, warn :

They advised me to wait till the following day. (original statement: ‘You should wait till the following day.’ )

The guard warned us not to enter the area. (original statement: ‘You must not enter the area.’ )

Verbs followed by a to -infinitive

Indirect speech: present simple reporting verb

We can use the reporting verb in the present simple in indirect speech if the original words are still true or relevant at the time of reporting, or if the report is of something someone often says or repeats:

Sheila says they’re closing the motorway tomorrow for repairs.

Henry tells me he’s thinking of getting married next year.

Rupert says dogs shouldn’t be allowed on the beach. (Rupert probably often repeats this statement.)

Newspaper headlines

We often use the present simple in newspaper headlines. It makes the reported speech more dramatic:

JUDGE TELLS REPORTER TO LEAVE COURTROOM

PRIME MINISTER SAYS FAMILIES ARE TOP PRIORITY IN TAX REFORM

Present simple ( I work )

Reported speech

Reported speech: direct speech

Indirect speech: past continuous reporting verb

In indirect speech, we can use the past continuous form of the reporting verb (usually say or tell ). This happens mostly in conversation, when the speaker wants to focus on the content of the report, usually because it is interesting news or important information, or because it is a new topic in the conversation:

Rory was telling me the big cinema in James Street is going to close down. Is that true?

Alex was saying that book sales have gone up a lot this year thanks to the Internet.

‘Backshift’ refers to the changes we make to the original verbs in indirect speech because time has passed between the moment of speaking and the time of the report.

In these examples, the present ( am ) has become the past ( was ), the future ( will ) has become the future-in-the-past ( would ) and the past ( happened ) has become the past perfect ( had happened ). The tenses have ‘shifted’ or ‘moved back’ in time.

The past perfect does not shift back; it stays the same:

Modal verbs

Some, but not all, modal verbs ‘shift back’ in time and change in indirect speech.

We can use a perfect form with have + - ed form after modal verbs, especially where the report looks back to a hypothetical event in the past:

He said the noise might have been the postman delivering letters. (original statement: ‘The noise might be the postman delivering letters.’ )

He said he would have helped us if we’d needed a volunteer. (original statement: ‘I’ll help you if you need a volunteer’ or ‘I’d help you if you needed a volunteer.’ )

Used to and ought to do not change in indirect speech:

She said she used to live in Oxford. (original statement: ‘I used to live in Oxford.’ )

The guard warned us that we ought to leave immediately. (original statement: ‘You ought to leave immediately.’ )

No backshift

We don’t need to change the tense in indirect speech if what a person said is still true or relevant or has not happened yet. This often happens when someone talks about the future, or when someone uses the present simple, present continuous or present perfect in their original words:

He told me his brother works for an Italian company. (It is still true that his brother works for an Italian company.)

She said she ’s getting married next year. (For the speakers, the time at the moment of speaking is ‘this year’.)

He said he ’s finished painting the door. (He probably said it just a short time ago.)

She promised she ’ll help us. (The promise applies to the future.)

Indirect speech: changes to pronouns

Changes to personal pronouns in indirect reports depend on whether the person reporting the speech and the person(s) who said the original words are the same or different.

Indirect speech: changes to adverbs and demonstratives

We often change demonstratives ( this, that ) and adverbs of time and place ( now, here, today , etc.) because indirect speech happens at a later time than the original speech, and perhaps in a different place.

Typical changes to demonstratives, adverbs and adverbial expressions

Indirect speech: typical errors.

The word order in indirect reports of wh- questions is the same as statement word order (subject + verb), not question word order:

She always asks me where [S] [V] I am going .

Not: She always asks me where am I going .

We don’t use a question mark when reporting wh- questions:

I asked him what he was doing.

Not: I asked him what he was doing?

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B1-B2 grammar

Reported speech

Daisy has just had an interview for a summer job.

Instructions

As you watch the video, look at the examples of reported speech. They are in red in the subtitles. Then read the conversation below to learn more. Finally, do the grammar exercises to check you understand, and can use, reported speech correctly.

Sophie: Mmm, it’s so nice to be chilling out at home after all that running around.

Ollie: Oh, yeah, travelling to glamorous places for a living must be such a drag!

Ollie: Mum, you can be so childish sometimes. Hey, I wonder how Daisy’s getting on in her job interview.

Sophie: Oh, yes, she said she was having it at four o’clock, so it’ll have finished by now. That’ll be her ... yes. Hi, love. How did it go?

Daisy: Well, good I think, but I don’t really know. They said they’d phone later and let me know.

Sophie: What kind of thing did they ask you?

Daisy: They asked if I had any experience with people, so I told them about helping at the school fair and visiting old people at the home, that sort of stuff. But I think they meant work experience.

Sophie: I’m sure what you said was impressive. They can’t expect you to have had much work experience at your age.

Daisy: And then they asked me what acting I had done, so I told them that I’d had a main part in the school play, and I showed them a bit of the video, so that was cool.

Sophie: Great!

Daisy: Oh, and they also asked if I spoke any foreign languages.

Sophie: Languages?

Daisy: Yeah, because I might have to talk to tourists, you know.

Sophie: Oh, right, of course.

Daisy: So that was it really. They showed me the costume I’ll be wearing if I get the job. Sending it over ...

Ollie: Hey, sis, I heard that Brad Pitt started out as a giant chicken too! This could be your big break!

Daisy: Ha, ha, very funny.

Sophie: Take no notice, darling. I’m sure you’ll be a marvellous chicken.

We use reported speech when we want to tell someone what someone said. We usually use a reporting verb (e.g. say, tell, ask, etc.) and then change the tense of what was actually said in direct speech.

So, direct speech is what someone actually says? Like 'I want to know about reported speech'?

Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb.

He said he wanted to know about reported speech.

I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted .

Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could ; will changes to would ; etc.

She said she was having the interview at four o’clock. (Direct speech: ' I’m having the interview at four o’clock.') They said they’d phone later and let me know. (Direct speech: ' We’ll phone later and let you know.')

OK, in that last example, you changed you to me too.

Yes, apart from changing the tense of the verb, you also have to think about changing other things, like pronouns and adverbs of time and place.

'We went yesterday.' > She said they had been the day before. 'I’ll come tomorrow.' > He said he’d come the next day.

I see, but what if you’re reporting something on the same day, like 'We went yesterday'?

Well, then you would leave the time reference as 'yesterday'. You have to use your common sense. For example, if someone is saying something which is true now or always, you wouldn’t change the tense.

'Dogs can’t eat chocolate.' > She said that dogs can’t eat chocolate. 'My hair grows really slowly.' > He told me that his hair grows really slowly.

What about reporting questions?

We often use ask + if/whether , then change the tenses as with statements. In reported questions we don’t use question forms after the reporting verb.

'Do you have any experience working with people?' They asked if I had any experience working with people. 'What acting have you done?' They asked me what acting I had done .

Is there anything else I need to know about reported speech?

One thing that sometimes causes problems is imperative sentences.

You mean like 'Sit down, please' or 'Don’t go!'?

Exactly. Sentences that start with a verb in direct speech need a to + infinitive in reported speech.

She told him to be good. (Direct speech: 'Be good!') He told them not to forget. (Direct speech: 'Please don’t forget.')

OK. Can I also say 'He asked me to sit down'?

Yes. You could say 'He told me to …' or 'He asked me to …' depending on how it was said.

OK, I see. Are there any more reporting verbs?

Yes, there are lots of other reporting verbs like promise , remind , warn , advise , recommend , encourage which you can choose, depending on the situation. But say , tell and ask are the most common.

Great. I understand! My teacher said reported speech was difficult.

And I told you not to worry!

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Reported speech – Simple Past – Sentences – Exercise

Task no. 2333.

Finish the sentences using Reported speech. Always change the tense, although it is sometimes not necessary.

Layla, "They landed on a little island." Layla said (that)

Layla said (that) they had landed on a little island .

Do you need help?

Reported speech

Emma, "The train left at eight." Emma said (that) .
Sophia, "Dan forgot his keys." Sophia said (that) .
Alexander, "I had a meeting at four." Alexander remarked (that) .
Jackson and Leo, "We visited Aunt Elisabeth." Jackson and Leo said (that) .
Mum, "William repaired the printer." Mum remarked (that) .
Toby, "Jeff didn't like the food in the restaurant." Toby mentioned (that) .
Hannah, "I walked to the museum." Hannah told me (that) .
Nick, "She went home late." Nick said (that) .
Alisha, "Lucas lost my money." Alisha told me (that) .
Dad, "Emily didn't eat potatoes as a child." Dad told me (that) .
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Grammar Exercises
Reported Speech

English EFL

Reported speech

Tense changes in reported speech

Indirect speech (reported speech) focuses more on the content of what someone said rather than their exact words. In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command.

Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I am tired." = She said that she was tired.

You do not need to change the tense if the reporting verb is in the present, or if the original statement was about something that is still true (but this is only for things which are general facts, and even then usually we like to change the tense) , e.g.

He says he has missed the train but he'll catch the next one.
We explained that it is very difficult to find our house.
Direct speech: The sky is blue.
Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

These modal verbs do not change in reported speech: might, could, would, should, ought to :

We explained, "It could be difficult to find our house." = We explained that it could be difficult to find our house.
She said, "I might bring a friend to the party." = She said that she might bring a friend to the party.

Course Curriculum

Direct and indirect speech 15 mins
Tense changes in reported speech 20 mins
Changing time and place in reported speech 20 mins
Reported questions 20 mins
Reporting verbs 20 mins
Reporting orders and requests 15 mins
Reporting hopes, intentions and promises 20 mins

What is Reported Speech and how to use it? with Examples

Reported speech and indirect speech are two terms that refer to the same concept, which is the act of expressing what someone else has said. Reported speech is different from direct speech because it does not use the speaker's exact words. Instead, the reporting verb is used to introduce the reported speech, and the tense and pronouns are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. There are two main types of reported speech: statements and questions. 1. Reported Statements: In reported statements, the reporting verb is usually "said." The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and any pronouns referring to the speaker or listener are changed to reflect the shift in perspective. For example, "I am going to the store," becomes "He said that he was going to the store." 2. Reported Questions: In reported questions, the reporting verb is usually "asked." The tense in the reported speech changes from the present simple to the past simple, and the word order changes from a question to a statement. For example, "What time is it?" becomes "She asked what time it was." It's important to note that the tense shift in reported speech depends on the context and the time of the reported speech. Here are a few more examples: ● Direct speech: "I will call you later." Reported speech: He said that he would call me later. ● Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework. ● Direct speech: "I love pizza." Reported speech: They said that they loved pizza.

When do we use reported speech?

Reported speech is used to report what someone else has said, thought, or written. It is often used in situations where you want to relate what someone else has said without quoting them directly. Reported speech can be used in a variety of contexts, such as in news reports, academic writing, and everyday conversation. Some common situations where reported speech is used include: News reports: Journalists often use reported speech to quote what someone said in an interview or press conference. Business and professional communication: In professional settings, reported speech can be used to summarize what was discussed in a meeting or to report feedback from a customer. Conversational English: In everyday conversations, reported speech is used to relate what someone else said. For example, "She told me that she was running late." Narration: In written narratives or storytelling, reported speech can be used to convey what a character said or thought.

How to make reported speech?

1. Change the pronouns and adverbs of time and place: In reported speech, you need to change the pronouns, adverbs of time and place to reflect the new speaker or point of view. Here's an example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the store now," she said. Reported speech: She said she was going to the store then. In this example, the pronoun "I" is changed to "she" and the adverb "now" is changed to "then." 2. Change the tense: In reported speech, you usually need to change the tense of the verb to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here's an example: Direct speech: "I will meet you at the park tomorrow," he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day. In this example, the present tense "will" is changed to the past tense "would." 3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as "say," "tell," "ask," or "inquire" depending on the context of the speech. Here's an example: Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked if I had finished my homework. In this example, the reporting verb "asked" is changed to "said" and "did" is changed to "had." Overall, when making reported speech, it's important to pay attention to the verb tense and the changes in pronouns, adverbs, and reporting verbs to convey the original speaker's message accurately.

How do I change the pronouns and adverbs in reported speech?

1. Changing Pronouns: In reported speech, the pronouns in the original statement must be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. Generally, the first person pronouns (I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours) are changed according to the subject of the reporting verb, while the second and third person pronouns (you, your, yours, he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they, them, their, theirs) are changed according to the object of the reporting verb. For example: Direct speech: "I love chocolate." Reported speech: She said she loved chocolate. Direct speech: "You should study harder." Reported speech: He advised me to study harder. Direct speech: "She is reading a book." Reported speech: They noticed that she was reading a book. 2. Changing Adverbs: In reported speech, the adverbs and adverbial phrases that indicate time or place may need to be changed to reflect the perspective of the new speaker. For example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the cinema tonight." Reported speech: She said she was going to the cinema that night. Direct speech: "He is here." Reported speech: She said he was there. Note that the adverb "now" usually changes to "then" or is omitted altogether in reported speech, depending on the context. It's important to keep in mind that the changes made to pronouns and adverbs in reported speech depend on the context and the perspective of the new speaker. With practice, you can become more comfortable with making these changes in reported speech.

How do I change the tense in reported speech?

In reported speech, the tense of the reported verb usually changes to reflect the change from direct to indirect speech. Here are some guidelines on how to change the tense in reported speech: Present simple in direct speech changes to past simple in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I like pizza." Reported speech: She said she liked pizza. Present continuous in direct speech changes to past continuous in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I am studying for my exam." Reported speech: He said he was studying for his exam. Present perfect in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I have finished my work." Reported speech: She said she had finished her work. Past simple in direct speech changes to past perfect in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I visited my grandparents last weekend." Reported speech: She said she had visited her grandparents the previous weekend. Will in direct speech changes to would in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I will help you with your project." Reported speech: He said he would help me with my project. Can in direct speech changes to could in reported speech. For example: Direct speech: "I can speak French." Reported speech: She said she could speak French. Remember that the tense changes in reported speech depend on the tense of the verb in the direct speech, and the tense you use in reported speech should match the time frame of the new speaker's perspective. With practice, you can become more comfortable with changing the tense in reported speech.

Do I always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech?

No, you do not always need to use a reporting verb in reported speech. However, using a reporting verb can help to clarify who is speaking and add more context to the reported speech. In some cases, the reported speech can be introduced by phrases such as "I heard that" or "It seems that" without using a reporting verb. For example: Direct speech: "I'm going to the cinema tonight." Reported speech with a reporting verb: She said she was going to the cinema tonight. Reported speech without a reporting verb: It seems that she's going to the cinema tonight. However, it's important to note that using a reporting verb can help to make the reported speech more formal and accurate. When using reported speech in academic writing or journalism, it's generally recommended to use a reporting verb to make the reporting more clear and credible. Some common reporting verbs include say, tell, explain, ask, suggest, and advise. For example: Direct speech: "I think we should invest in renewable energy." Reported speech with a reporting verb: She suggested that they invest in renewable energy. Overall, while using a reporting verb is not always required, it can be helpful to make the reported speech more clear and accurate.

How to use reported speech to report questions and commands?

1. Reporting Questions: When reporting questions, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "asked" or "wondered" followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here's an example: Direct speech: "What time is the meeting?" Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was. Note that the question mark is not used in reported speech. 2. Reporting Commands: When reporting commands, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "ordered" or "told" followed by the person, to + infinitive, and any additional information. Here's an example: Direct speech: "Clean your room!" Reported speech: She ordered me to clean my room. Note that the exclamation mark is not used in reported speech. In both cases, the tense of the reported verb should be changed accordingly. For example, present simple changes to past simple, and future changes to conditional. Here are some examples: Direct speech: "Will you go to the party with me?" Reported speech: She asked if I would go to the party with her. Direct speech: "Please bring me a glass of water." Reported speech: She requested that I bring her a glass of water. Remember that when using reported speech to report questions and commands, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately.

How to make questions in reported speech?

To make questions in reported speech, you need to use an introductory phrase such as "asked" or "wondered" followed by the question word (if applicable), subject, and verb. You also need to change the word order to make it a statement. Here are the steps to make questions in reported speech: Identify the reporting verb: The first step is to identify the reporting verb in the sentence. Common reporting verbs used to report questions include "asked," "inquired," "wondered," and "wanted to know." Change the tense and pronouns: Next, you need to change the tense and pronouns in the sentence to reflect the shift from direct to reported speech. The tense of the verb is usually shifted back one tense (e.g. from present simple to past simple) in reported speech. The pronouns should also be changed as necessary to reflect the shift in perspective from the original speaker to the reporting speaker. Use an appropriate question word: If the original question contained a question word (e.g. who, what, where, when, why, how), you should use the same question word in the reported question. If the original question did not contain a question word, you can use "if" or "whether" to introduce the reported question. Change the word order: In reported speech, the word order of the question changes from the inverted form to a normal statement form. The subject usually comes before the verb, unless the original question started with a question word. Here are some examples of reported questions: Direct speech: "What time is the meeting?" Reported speech: She asked what time the meeting was. Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" Reported speech: He wanted to know if I had finished my homework. Direct speech: "Where are you going?" Reported speech: She wondered where I was going. Remember that when making questions in reported speech, the introductory phrases and verb tenses are important to convey the intended meaning accurately. Here you can find more examples of direct and indirect questions

What is the difference between reported speech an indirect speech?

In reported or indirect speech, you are retelling or reporting what someone said using your own words. The tense of the reported speech is usually shifted back one tense from the tense used in the original statement. For example, if someone said, "I am going to the store," in reported speech you would say, "He/she said that he/she was going to the store." The main difference between reported speech and indirect speech is that reported speech usually refers to spoken language, while indirect speech can refer to both spoken and written language. Additionally, indirect speech is a broader term that includes reported speech as well as other ways of expressing what someone else has said, such as paraphrasing or summarizing.

Examples of direct speech to reported

1. Direct speech: "I am hungry," she said. Reported speech: She said she was hungry. 2. Direct speech: "Can you pass the salt, please?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked her to pass the salt. 3. Direct speech: "I will meet you at the cinema," he said. Reported speech: He said he would meet her at the cinema. 4. Direct speech: "I have been working on this project for hours," she said. Reported speech: She said she had been working on the project for hours. 5. Direct speech: "What time does the train leave?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked what time the train left. 6. Direct speech: "I love playing the piano," she said. Reported speech: She said she loved playing the piano. 7. Direct speech: "I am going to the grocery store," he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to the grocery store. 8. Direct speech: "Did you finish your homework?" the teacher asked. Reported speech: The teacher asked if he had finished his homework. 9. Direct speech: "I want to go to the beach," she said. Reported speech: She said she wanted to go to the beach. 10. Direct speech: "Do you need help with that?" he asked. Reported speech: He asked if she needed help with that. 11. Direct speech: "I can't come to the party," he said. Reported speech: He said he couldn't come to the party. 12. Direct speech: "Please don't leave me," she said. Reported speech: She begged him not to leave her. 13. Direct speech: "I have never been to London before," he said. Reported speech: He said he had never been to London before. 14. Direct speech: "Where did you put my phone?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked where she had put her phone. 15. Direct speech: "I'm sorry for being late," he said. Reported speech: He apologized for being late. 16. Direct speech: "I need some help with this math problem," she said. Reported speech: She said she needed some help with the math problem. 17. Direct speech: "I am going to study abroad next year," he said. Reported speech: He said he was going to study abroad the following year. 18. Direct speech: "Can you give me a ride to the airport?" she asked. Reported speech: She asked him to give her a ride to the airport. 19. Direct speech: "I don't know how to fix this," he said. Reported speech: He said he didn't know how to fix it. 20. Direct speech: "I hate it when it rains," she said. Reported speech: She said she hated it when it rained.

What is Direct and Indirect Speech?

Direct and indirect speech are two different ways of reporting spoken or written language. Let's delve into the details and provide some examples. Click here to read more

Fluent English Grammar

Created by Fluent English Grammar

English Grammar
Reported Speech

Reported Speech - Definition, Rules and Usage with Examples

Reported speech or indirect speech is the form of speech used to convey what was said by someone at some point of time. This article will help you with all that you need to know about reported speech, its meaning, definition, how and when to use them along with examples. Furthermore, try out the practice questions given to check how far you have understood the topic.

Definition of reported speech, rules to be followed when using reported speech, table 1 – change of pronouns, table 2 – change of adverbs of place and adverbs of time, table 3 – change of tense, table 4 – change of modal verbs, tips to practise reported speech, examples of reported speech, check your understanding of reported speech, frequently asked questions on reported speech in english, what is reported speech.

Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message.

Now, take a look at the following dictionary definitions for a clearer idea of what it is.

Reported speech, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a report of what somebody has said that does not use their exact words.” The Collins Dictionary defines reported speech as “speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person’s actual words.” According to the Cambridge Dictionary, reported speech is defined as “the act of reporting something that was said, but not using exactly the same words.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines reported speech as “the words that you use to report what someone else has said.”

Reported speech is a little different from direct speech . As it has been discussed already, reported speech is used to tell what someone said and does not use the exact words of the speaker. Take a look at the following rules so that you can make use of reported speech effectively.

The first thing you have to keep in mind is that you need not use any quotation marks as you are not using the exact words of the speaker.
You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech.
You can use verbs like said, asked, requested, ordered, complained, exclaimed, screamed, told, etc. If you are just reporting a declarative sentence , you can use verbs like told, said, etc. followed by ‘that’ and end the sentence with a full stop . When you are reporting interrogative sentences, you can use the verbs – enquired, inquired, asked, etc. and remove the question mark . In case you are reporting imperative sentences , you can use verbs like requested, commanded, pleaded, ordered, etc. If you are reporting exclamatory sentences , you can use the verb exclaimed and remove the exclamation mark . Remember that the structure of the sentences also changes accordingly.
Furthermore, keep in mind that the sentence structure , tense , pronouns , modal verbs , some specific adverbs of place and adverbs of time change when a sentence is transformed into indirect/reported speech.

Transforming Direct Speech into Reported Speech

As discussed earlier, when transforming a sentence from direct speech into reported speech, you will have to change the pronouns, tense and adverbs of time and place used by the speaker. Let us look at the following tables to see how they work.

Here are some tips you can follow to become a pro in using reported speech.

Select a play, a drama or a short story with dialogues and try transforming the sentences in direct speech into reported speech.
Write about an incident or speak about a day in your life using reported speech.
Develop a story by following prompts or on your own using reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written. Check them out.

Santana said that she would be auditioning for the lead role in Funny Girl.
Blaine requested us to help him with the algebraic equations.
Karishma asked me if I knew where her car keys were.
The judges announced that the Warblers were the winners of the annual acapella competition.
Binsha assured that she would reach Bangalore by 8 p.m.
Kumar said that he had gone to the doctor the previous day.
Lakshmi asked Teena if she would accompany her to the railway station.
Jibin told me that he would help me out after lunch.
The police ordered everyone to leave from the bus stop immediately.
Rahul said that he was drawing a caricature.

Transform the following sentences into reported speech by making the necessary changes.

1. Rachel said, “I have an interview tomorrow.”

2. Mahesh said, “What is he doing?”

3. Sherly said, “My daughter is playing the lead role in the skit.”

4. Dinesh said, “It is a wonderful movie!”

5. Suresh said, “My son is getting married next month.”

6. Preetha said, “Can you please help me with the invitations?”

7. Anna said, “I look forward to meeting you.”

8. The teacher said, “Make sure you complete the homework before tomorrow.”

9. Sylvester said, “I am not going to cry anymore.”

10. Jade said, “My sister is moving to Los Angeles.”

Now, find out if you have answered all of them correctly.

1. Rachel said that she had an interview the next day.

2. Mahesh asked what he was doing.

3. Sherly said that her daughter was playing the lead role in the skit.

4. Dinesh exclaimed that it was a wonderful movie.

5. Suresh said that his son was getting married the following month.

6. Preetha asked if I could help her with the invitations.

7. Anna said that she looked forward to meeting me.

8. The teacher told us to make sure we completed the homework before the next day.

9. Sylvester said that he was not going to cry anymore.

10. Jade said that his sister was moving to Los Angeles.

What is reported speech?

What is the definition of reported speech.

What is the formula of reported speech?

You can use the following formula to construct a sentence in the reported speech. Subject said that (report whatever the speaker said)

Give some examples of reported speech.

Given below are a few examples to show you how reported speech can be written.

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Narration Change in Past Tense

Back to: Direct and Indirect Speech (Narration)

Examples of narration change in simple past, past continuous, past perfect, past perfect continuous are given below –

Table of Contents

Direct and Indirect Speech Simple Past Tense Examples

If reported verb is in Past Tense, reported speech will change from Past Indefinite Tense to Past Perfect Tense .

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech in Past Continuous Tense

If reported verb is in Past Tense, reported speech will change from Past Continuous Tense to Past Perfect Continuous Tense .

Direct and Indirect Speech Past Perfect Tense Examples

If reported verb is in Past Tense & reported speech is in Past Perfect Tense , it will not change. e.g.

Direct and Indirect Speech Past Perfect Continuous Tense Examples

If reported verb is in Past Tense & reported speech is in Past Perfect Continuous Tense , it will not change. e.g.

Backshift in Reported Speech

In simple terms, the structure of reported speech is:

reporting clause [+ conjunction] + reported clause

We sometimes change the tense of the reported clause by moving it back one tense. For example, present simple goes back one tense to past simple . We call this change " backshift ".

When do we use backshift?

We use backshift when it is logical to use backshift. So, for example, if two minutes ago John said "I am hungry" and I am now telling his sister, I might NOT use backshift (because John is still hungry):

John just said that he is hungry.

But if yesterday John said "I am hungry" and I am now telling his sister, I would likely use backshift:

Yesterday, John said that he was hungry. [We hope that John has eaten since yesterday ;-) ]

So we use backshift SOMETIMES but not always. And WHEN we use backshift, here's how it works with these common tenses and modals:

We NEVER use backshift when the original words are:

past perfect
If a situation is still true , backshift is optional .
For a general truth there is no need for backshift.

Look at the following examples. See if you can understand when and why they use backshift:

* if still true, change is optional (sometimes a matter of emphasis) ** never changes

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Reported Speech Tense Chart

’Grave situation’: S.F. jails in crisis, officials say, at tense City Hall hearing

S an Francisco’s jail system is in crisis, officials said Tuesday, as the sheriff’s office grapples with a surge in prisoners amid severe understaffing, and a rash of attacks on deputies.

During a tense public hearing Tuesday, some supervisors questioned whether the conditions in the jails contributed to recent incidents in which prisoners allegedly attacked deputies and whether the jump in prisoners was due to Mayor London Breed’s aggressive arrests of drug users and dealers in the Tenderloin.

San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, representatives from the public defender’s office, the inspector general and the union representing sheriff’s deputies spoke about the problems in the city’s jails, though they didn’t always agree on the cause of the problems and how to address them.

The hearing comes after what officials have described as a rash of attacks on jail staff by incarcerated people in the past five months, as well as an increase in violent prisoner-on-prisoner incidents.

Officials from the sheriff’s deputies union said there were 170 reported fights among people held in county jails in 2022, rising to about 240 last year. They said attacks on deputies jumped from 120 in 2022 to 220 in 2023.

In April, 92 deputies signed a letter to warn Miyamoto of increasingly dangerous conditions at the jails caused by what they described as a “critical” level of understaffing. Deputies said in the letter that jail officials “have created an unsafe environment, one in which fights, drug use, assaults on staff and blatant disregard for rules and deputies’ orders have increased.”

Supervisor Hillary Ronen excoriated the mayor’s office Tuesday about the recent crackdown on drug dealing and use, saying that the crisis at the jails was an obvious outcome from the law enforcement push.

“This is an incredibly grave situation that was entirely foreseeable,” Ronen said in an impassioned speech. “What was the plan? Sheriff’s deputies’ lives are on the line.”

She said Breed regularly sends out press releases touting the number of people she’s arrested in the drug crackdown, but what isn’t said is that arrested dealers and users “are going to an overcrowded jail where they’re going to spend time in lockdown and beat the crap out of our city employees.”

Ronen said the hearing proved that the mayor’s “war on drugs 2.0” has made the jail more dangerous for prisoners and deputies.

But Supervisor Rafael Mandelman praised the mayor’s crackdown on people using and dealing drugs openly in San Francisco’s streets, saying it helped “take back some of our sidewalks.”

He said “the notion that this is a war on drugs 2.0 is… patently ridiculous.” He argued that the jail was failing in its primary job of becoming a place for rehabilitation and added that he wants to see more hiring and treatment programs for prisoners.

Miyamoto and union representatives for the deputies said that recent prisoners booked into the city’s jails recently have behavioral and mental health issues related to drug use, which have caused unsafe situations.

In April, the sheriff locked down the jail for several days while deputies called for assistance from the National Guard. In late April eight county prisoners were charged in connection to the rash of attacks on deputies.

Several of those suspects had been in custody for three years or more, many of them awaiting trial on serious charges such as murder and attempted murders, according to the District Attorney’s office. Others involved were booked on lesser charges as recently as this year for offenses such as burglary and violating parole.

The rise in incidents has coincided with a rise in the jail population and a decrease in the number of deputies assigned to each of the city’s jails related to a crackdown on public drug use and sales championed by Breed.

The average jail population on any given day in 2024 at all city jails is about 1,122, a 36% increase from last year, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Meanwhile the number of sheriff’s deputies has been steadily decreasing. In 2020, there were 843 deputies but as of March 2024, there were only 725 deputies — the lowest number since 2017.

The jail annex is now being used to address the rising prisoner population as the remaining jails have reached capacity, while other jail facilities must lockdown or scale back services and programs — like outdoor time for prisoners — due to a lack of staffing, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies also have to work mandatory overtime amounting to dozens of hours a month, which the sheriff’s office said is harming deputies’ mental and physical health.

Miyamoto told supervisors at the hearing that he wants to see more investment in hiring deputies as well as increasing funding to hire behavioral health professionals to deal with the “new prisoner population” which, in contrast to previous years, is dealing much more with substance use and mental health issues.

“I know we have a crisis right now and I believe we’re capable of dealing with it,” Miyamoto said.

To deal with an influx in drug users to the city’s jail, Miyamoto said he had envisioned a system where new prisoners go to a non-jail-based treatment program, or hub, to provide them with treatment. But he did not say why that idea was not implemented and the mayor’s representative at the hearing also did not say why it was not part of the strategy.

Ken Lomba, president of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriff’s Association, called the sheriff’s proposal “very odd.”

“Look at his solutions,” he told the Chronicle. “Nothing about increasing staffing, nothing about needing more funds for recruiting, nothing about outsourcing more background investigators, nothing about more recreation for the incarcerated, and nothing about sunshine for the incarcerated.”

Yolanda Huang, an attorney representing prisoners suing the city over poor conditions at the jail, said the lockdowns, related to a staff shortage and an increase in prisoners, is part of a “structural problem that Miyamoto has not bothered to fix and now it’s out of control.”

She added the poor mental health facing prisoners “is due to excessive lockdowns, which results in de facto solitary confinement for many prisoners.”

“What is happening now is just a progression from bad management and unexplainable management choices,” Huang said. “Now San Francisco is reaping the rewards of its shortcuts.”

Reach Aldo Toledo: [email protected]

Sheriff Paul Miyamoto spoke at the hearing about the problems in the city’s jails. He’s shown in a file photo from June 8, 2023.

Local Politics

Charlie Kirk’s UW visit ends on tense note between fans and protesters

A tense standoff took place at the University of Washington Tuesday night between pro-Palestinian encampment protesters and fans of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk after the conservative activist held an event on campus as part of his “Live Free Tour.”

Leading up to the event, people on both sides of the political spectrum feared the possibility of violence.

The UW Muslim Student Association called for support before the event, saying they expected Kirk’s event to draw a “large number of right-wing agitators,” pointing to an hourslong attack last week on an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Barricades were set up in advance of the event and police officers were present throughout the day.

Protesters camped at UW have been calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and for the university to “materially divest from Israel” and end its century-old relationship with Boeing , among other actions.

Little confrontation happened for much of the day, and violence appeared contained to a few brief scuffles.

“Our priority was to ensure the safety of all students, faculty, staff and visitors to our campus during what we anticipated could be a tense evening, and we took steps to maintain distance between opposing groups,” UW spokesperson Victor Balta said in an email Tuesday evening. “We have received some reports of altercations and are continuing to monitor and work toward a peaceful conclusion to the night.”

Earlier in the afternoon, Kirk held his typical “Debate Me” format near the Husky Union Building Tuesday afternoon, as a crowd of about 200 students and community members gathered to watch. A group of protesters nearby attempted to disrupt the event, shouting chants.

Supporters of the Popular University for Gaza liberated zone formed in the Liberal Arts Quadrangle, where well over 100 tents are set up, encouraged its members not to engage with Kirk. On the lawn, students chanted, but the encampment remained calm. One academic building was spray-painted with the words “How many dead in Gaza.”

The Northwest reacts to the Israel-Hamas war

Hundreds of WA students walk off campuses to protest U.S. aid to Israel
Oregon university pauses gifts, grants from Boeing over connections to Israel
46 Sea-Tac Airport protesters charged with misdemeanors after pro-Palestinian demonstration
Student murals ‘cover up’ hate on vandalized Seattle synagogue wall (December 2023)
Seattle-area Jews feel on edge amid sharp rise in antisemitism (November 2023)

In the evening, hundreds of people lined up outside the Husky Union Building to attend Kirk’s event, while a group of protesters gathered at the University of Washington light rail station, leading Sound Transit to temporarily shut it down.

While the event was underway, the group at the light rail station marched to the encampment. People dressed in all black wielding shields of cutup trash cans formed a barricade around the Quad to protect the encampment against possible counterprotesters.

Religious speakers made an appearance, as well, with their own signs and megaphones, adding to the noise.

Before 9 p.m., as Kirk’s event let out, attendees made their way to the wall of protesters, where a standoff ensued. Chants of “Free Palestine!” competed with chants of “USA!” Small confrontations took place. Green lasers were shined into the trees and people threw eggs.

Around 9:30, counterprotesters dispersed while protesters lingered, the sound of their chants filling the space: “We will not stop, we will not rest.”

Highlights: Michael Cohen testifies in Trump hush money trial

Former President Donald Trump, and lawyer Todd Blanche.

What to know about the trial today

Star witness Michael Cohen resumed his testimony today about making a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her story about an alleged affair with Donald Trump .
Trump lawyer Todd Blanche began cross-examination after lunch. He is expected to paint Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer , as a perjurer and convicted felon; Cohen pleaded guilty to several crimes in 2018, including tax fraud and lying to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and several potential vice presidential contenders for Trump appeared in court today.
Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement to Cohen for the payment he made to Daniels. Trump has denied the charges.

'Stupid porn trials': Republican senator says she won't be joining Trump in court

Sahil Kapur

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said today she will not go to Manhattan for Trump's hush money trial, like several other Republican lawmakers have done over the past week.

“Don’t we have something to do around here other than watch stupid porn trials?” said Murkowski, a notable Trump critic.

Judge admonished Trump lawyer after first cross-examination question

Ginger Gibson Senior Washington Editor

Reporting from Washington, D.C.

Moments after Todd Blanche's first question to Cohen, the prosecution objected and Judge Juan Merchan called the lawyers to his bench.

“Mr. Cohen, my name is Todd Blanche,” Blanche had said to Cohen and then added, “You went on TikTok and called me a ‘crying little s---.’”

Merchan started the meeting, known as a sidebar that is recorded by the court reporter and included in the transcript but not audible to the rest of the courtroom, by asking Blanche, “Why are you making this about yourself?”

Blanche tried to argue he was attempting to show Cohen was biased.

“It doesn’t matter if he has bias towards you; it doesn’t matter," Merchan said. "The issue is whether he has bias towards the defendant."

He added, "Just don’t make it about yourself."

Trump: 'I think it was a very, very good day'

Rebecca Shabad is in Washington, D.C.

Speaking to cameras outside the courtroom after the trial wrapped for the day, Trump expressed deep frustration again about the judge's gag order, saying, "I think it's totally unconstitutional."

A state appeals court earlier in the day declined to take up his continued effort to fight the gag order, saying it had been properly administered. Trump has been found in violation 10 times.

"This should never happen to another candidate or another person," Trump said. "Today I think we had a very good day in court. ... I think it was a very, very good day."

Trump said the trial is going well and it's not affecting the presidential election because he said he's still leading in the polls.

"Can you believe I've been here for five weeks instead of campaigning?" Trump said. "They want to keep me in here as long as possible."

He reiterated that this is "all election interference by Biden" and he also attacked special counsel Jack Smith, calling him "deranged."

Confusion abounds

Reporting from Manhattan Criminal Court

"I’m sorry, I am confused by your questions,” Cohen just said to Blanche, following questions about having to turn over his phones to the government in January 2023.

Cohen is not the only one.

Because Blanche keeps jumping from topic to topic, the time periods at issue keep changing too, and Cohen, like many reporters and members of the public, is having trouble identifying which years Blanche is referring to and when.

Blanche brings up former Manhattan assistant DA

Daniel Arkin

Blanche asked Cohen to confirm whether he recalled someone in the Manhattan district attorney's office named Mark Pomerantz. Cohen said yes. But before Blanche could proceed with a line of questioning about Pomerantz, Hoffinger objected and approached Merchan for a bench conference. Blanche then seemed to drop the subject of Pomerantz.

Pomerantz is a former Manhattan assistant DA who resigned in 2022. He once led the DA office's investigation of Trump's finances.

Sprawling cross-examination aims to paint Cohen as untrustworthy

Laura Jarrett

Kyla Guilfoil

Today's highly anticipated cross-examination has been challenging to follow, even for close observers of the case.

Questioning of Cohen has jumped around between lies, casting Cohen as jilted, as motivated to provide dirt to Trump to get out of prison early, and his podcast attacks. It's all an effort to say he can't be trusted, but it's a sprawling effort.

Trump defense attorney makes Cohen listen to his own podcast

Adam Edelman

Gary Grumbach

Trump attorney Todd Blanche directed Cohen to put on headphones and listen to portions of his “Mea Culpa” podcast.

“I believe you have headphones right to your right ... and I would like to play a portion of the 'Mea Culpa' podcast from Oct. 23,” Blanche said.

Cohen had difficulty adjusting the headphones, but eventually got them on, adjusted the volume and began listening. The jury and others in the courtroom were not able to hear the clip.

“Did you hear that?” Blanche asked. “I heard that, yes,” Cohen replied.

The unusual exchange prompted a bench meeting called by the prosecution.

Cohen indicates he likely said he was screwed over by the system

Blanche asked Cohen if he said he was screwed over by the system. Cohen said he doesn't know if that was the language he used, but added that it sounds correct.

The question seemed to be invoking the kind of arguments Trump has made — that he's being targeted by the system.

Court is back in session after short break

The jurors are filing in.

Cross-examination meanders into dead ends

At times, the questions from Trump's lawyer Blanche have appeared to wind up, but with little delivery.

For example, Blanche just asked Cohen if Anthony Scaramucci visited him in prison. Scaramucci was a very short-lived White House aide. This was the first time he was mentioned during the trial.

But Blanche didn't take it anywhere.

If the defense was preparing to call a roster of witnesses, one might speculate that he was setting up a question for later in the trial. But Blanche has already said it's possible the defense doesn't call any witnesses at all — and Cohen is the last prosecution witness. So why leave that one reference hanging there? We may never know.

Blanche tries to get Cohen to concede he lied during Mueller probe

Blanche aggressively pushed Cohen to admit under oath that he lied during conversations with investigators involved in Robert Mueller's probe of Trump's links to Russia.

Blanche pressed Cohen to say that he "lied to them" about the Trump Organization's proposal to build a Trump-branded skyscraper in Moscow. Cohen replied: "Yes, the information I gave was not accurate."

Trump's lawyer kept pressing: "Was it a lie?"

"I don't know if I would characterize it as a lie," Cohen replied. "It was inaccurate."

Blanche did not relent: "Was it a lie?"

Cohen: "It wasn’t a lie. It wasn’t truthful. If you want to call it a lie, we can call it a lie. I believe the information I gave them is inaccurate."

Blanche: "But you are not testifying it’s a lie?"

Cohen: "Sure, I’ll say it’s a lie."

Cohen says he was told to no longer talk to Trump — but he was allowed to talk to Trump's kids

Following Cohen’s testimony in the Russia investigation, there was a “separation” from Trump, Cohen explained, under questioning from Blanche, but Cohen disputed that he could no longer communicate with Trump’s children.

“You told Hope Hicks you missed him,” Blanche said, prompting Cohen to say, “Yes, I did.”

“There was an ongoing investigation going on and there was a separation?” asked Blanche. Cohen replied, “Yes, there was a separation.”

“You were told to stay away and not communicate with him and his family?” Blanche said.

“I was told not to speak to President Trump but not his family,” Cohen clarified. “Not that I couldn’t see his kids, I just didn’t.”

Cohen testified he lied — but don't call him a liar

Cohen has testified for hours at this point — repeatedly admitting to have lied in a variety of forms and forums.

But on cross-examination, he is resistant to being called a liar.

“If you want to call it a lie, you can,” Cohen says, after first saying the information he gave to the special counsel’s office about the Trump Moscow project was “inaccurate.”

“Sure. I’ll say it was a lie,” Cohen concedes.

The Cohen who distinguished between lies and inaccuracies is reminiscent of a Michael Cohen we have seen many times before — and who has generally been absent from this trial.

Trump lawyer's cross-examination seems to be all over the place

Jillian Frankel

Trump attorney Todd Blanche asked Cohen if he has said that his life was turned upside down since the release of the Steele dossier and that he'd never been to Prague.

Cohen said he's never been to Prague.

Blanche said to Cohen that he's never aided the Russians in hacking anything. Cohen said he never did.

Cohen continues to keep his cool

Blanche keeps trying to impeach Cohen with other people’s records of Cohen’s purported statements, as with notes taken by the DA’s office or media articles relying on anonymous, quoted sources.

Cohen has distanced himself successfully from most of these statements — and yet, Blanche is doing it again, focusing on notes from one of Cohen’s meetings with the special counsel’s office.

Blanche hasn't left a mark so far

We are now an hour into Cohen’s cross, and Blanche has meandered from Cohen’s stubborn media appearances to his wealth to his “obsession” with Trump but without much depth — or dents.

Cohen says he was 'knee-deep into the cult of Donald Trump' in 2015

Under questioning from Blanche, Cohen admitted that he had previously “admired” Trump “tremendously.”

“You were actually obsessed with President Trump, weren’t you?” Blanche asked.

“I don’t know if I would characterize the word obsessed. I admired him tremendously,” Cohen replied.

Asked by Blanche whether he meant his 2015 comments that Trump was a good person who wanted “to make this country great again,” Cohen replied, “Yes.”

“At the time you weren’t lying,” Blanche asked.

“At the time, I was knee-deep into the cult of Donald Trump, yes,” Cohen replied.

Cohen says 'Art of the Deal' was an 'excellent' book

Blanche is hammering on the fact that Cohen used to admire Trump, his employer for many years.

Blanche went further, bringing up one of the former president's most famous books: "You read 'Art of the Deal' twice and called it a masterpiece?"

Cohen's reply: "It was an excellent book."

Trump lawyer tries to establish Cohen is and was wealthy before entering Trump's orbit

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche is trying to establish that Cohen is and was wealthy well before he entered Trump’s orbit.

Cohen purchased his apartment in Trump World Tower, where his parents and in-laws also live, for $5 million and purchased it around 2000. Cohen said he still lives in the building and rents his apartment out for $15,000 a month.

Cohen also confirmed that in addition to his work as a lawyer, he made millions in taxi medallions.

Blanche admits his first exhibit to the jury

After showing a series of exhibits only to Cohen, Judge Merchan and the legal parties, Blanche has admitted his first exhibit to the jury.

The exhibit is a picture of a T-shirt which Cohen sells that depicts Trump behind bars.

Blanche pins Cohen on whether he wants to see Trump convicted

Blanche is trying to pin Cohen to say whether he wants to see Trump convicted.

“Have you regularly commented on your podcasts that you want President Trump convicted in this case?” Blanche asked.

“Yes, probably,” Cohen replied.

“I would like to see accountability,” Cohen added after being asked whether he had “any doubt.” “It’s not for me, it’s for the jury and this case,” Cohen said.

Blanche then retorted, “I’m just asking you to say yes or no. Do you want to see President Trump convicted in this case?”

“Sure,” Cohen said.

Trump lawyer presses Cohen about his media engagements

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche asked Cohen on how many occasions over the last year had he been told not to speak to the media.

Cohen said he can't recall. Asked if it's true that he hasn't followed those requests, Cohen said that's correct and he's responding to criticism of him.

Blanche then asked if he's responded during the course of this case on TV several dozen times. Cohen said he doesn't know about several dozen, but stated that he has gone on TV.

Blanche asked if Cohen has done hundreds of episodes of his podcast. Cohen said yes, four podcasts a week all year. Asked if it's fair to say he's done hundreds of episodes since Trump was charged in the case, Cohen said he doesn't know about hundreds.

Blanche then did the math: If there are 16 a month for 10 months, that's 160. Cohen said then it would be 160. But then Blanche and Cohen agreed that it's probably more than 200 because the investigation didn't start just a year ago.

In response to Blanche, Cohen said he's spoken about Trump in every episode: "I would say he's mentioned in every one, yes."

Cohen stays calm while Blanche starts to raise his voice

Cohen is staying calm while Blanche questions him on whether he was the one who leaked to CNN that the district attorney's office already had the information from Cohen's phones in 2021.

Blanche is seemingly starting to get frustrated, raising his voice slightly as he expresses incredulity that Cohen has a clear recollection of calls with Trump in 2016 but has no memory of making a promise to the district attorney's office in March 2023.

Nonetheless, Cohen is continuing to hold his ground, even as Blanche presses him to remember conversations in which the district attorney’s office told him he was “unwittingly helping” Trump by going on TV. Cohen said he does not recall those conversations.

Blanche presses Cohen on DA's attempts to have him stop talking about case

Vaughn Hillyard

Blanche is pressing Cohen on how the district attorney has tried to get Cohen to stop talking to the media.

“Over the past several years, back to 2021, the government has repeatedly asked you to stop talking publicly about this case?” Blanche said.

“They might have, yes,” Cohen replied.

During the exchange the eyes of the jurors are intently going from Blanche and then to Cohen and then back to Blanche.

“Prosecutors from the Manhattan DA have repeatedly asked you to stop talking,” Blanche said.

“Yes,” Cohen replied.

Blanche is showing Cohen a lot of exhibits, but the jury can't see them

As Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, continues with his cross-examination of Cohen, he is utilizing several exhibits to prompt Cohen's testimony.

While Blanche seems set on incorporating several exhibits into his technique, he is also keeping them out of the jury's sight. The exhibits are purely for use in Cohen's testimony, as well as for the judge and the legal parties. If they're entered as evidence, only then can the jury see them.

Blanche is still looking for a rhythm

The pace of this cross — and how dependent it is on Blanche’s trying to refresh Cohen's recollection with notes of prior meetings — is unusual. There is no rhythm yet.

Blanche continues to press Cohen on Trump insults

Blanche grilled Cohen on some of the incendiary language the ex-fixer has used to describe his former boss.

Trump's lawyer asked Cohen to confirm whether he once called the former president a "dictator douchebag."

Cohen replied: "Sounds like something I said."

Blanche went further, asking Cohen if he recalled saying Trump should go back to "where he belongs, in a f---ing cage, like a f---ing animal."

Cohen replied: "I recall saying that."

Trump lawyer questions Cohen about his recent comments

The prosecution began their questioning of Cohen by going back to the early 2000s. The defense began by going back weeks.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche asked Cohen about recent statements he's made about the trial, including on TikTok.

“Do you recall saying on TikTok, on April 23, that from everything that you heard from people today, David Pecker is corroborating everything you’ve been saying for six years?" Blanche asked.

“Yes, somebody called me, told me, that Mr. Pecker had corroborated what I’ve been saying for a long time,” Cohen said.

Blanche starts by focusing on name-calling

Blanche began his cross-examination of Cohen with an unusual, expletive-laden introduction.

“Mr. Cohen, my name is Todd Blanche,” Blanche said. But, he added, “you went on TikTok and called me a ‘crying little s---.’”

“Sounds like something I would say,” Cohen said.

The prosecution immediately objected, which the judge agreed with and asked that the question be stricken.

Two jurors looked at each other and grinned.

The cross-examination of Michael Cohen is underway

Todd Blanche has started asking questions.

Blanche has been waiting for this moment

Trump attorney Todd Blanche has been preparing to cross-examine Michael Cohen for months, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Blanche's cross-examination of Trump's former fixer is beginning now.

Court back in session

The court is back in session after a lunch break. The defense team is expected to begin the cross-examination of Cohen.

Defense may call no witnesses

During a morning sidebar, Trump attorney Blanche said that he could not commit to calling any witnesses. He said the defense has one expert witness who couldn’t be available until Monday — but that his testimony is contingent on a decision about how the instructions to the jury will be written.

He said he didn’t know whether Trump would testify and that the defense has decided not to call Alan Garten.

Michael Cohen will be final prosecution witness

During a morning sidebar, prosecutor Steinglass said Cohen will be the final witness called by the prosecution.

He said the prosecution had indicated that they would call a witness after Cohen, a publisher, but decided against it.

In conversation with Trump's attorney Blanche, they said they anticipate the prosecution could rest by the end of Thursday.

Cohen on working for Trump: 'I violated my moral compass'

Susan Hoffinger's last question to Cohen for the prosecution was if he has regrets about his past work and association with Trump.

“I regret doing things for him that I should not have," Cohen said. "Lying, bullying people to effectuate the goal. I don’t regret working for the Trump Organization; as I expressed before, some very interesting and great times. But to keep a loyalty and to do the things he asked me to do, I violated my moral compass and I suffered the penalty, as has my family.”

The court then recessed for lunch.

Courtroom sketch of Michael Cohen in court

Cohen says he wrote a book in prison to 'pass the time'

Cohen testified that his job now is in the world of “media and entertainment” and that he has a podcast, "Mea Culpa," where he discusses “news of the day” and Trump.

He admits making money from "Mea Culpa" and another podcast published through the media arm of the liberal political action committee MeidasTouch. Cohen has also written two books — one of which, "Disloyal," he penned in prison "to pass the time."

"Time management is very important when you are in prison," Cohen said. "It helps the time go by quicker."

Cohen outlines financial, professional consequences of guilty plea

Cohen testified that he no longer holds a law license because of his felony conviction and has had to sell taxi medallions in New York and Chicago, where felons are not authorized to hold the medallions.

He has also had to sell all other real property beyond his apartment and a “secondary apartment.”

Cohen glances at jury while detailing his supervised release

Cohen testified that even now, five years after he surrendered to prison, he continues to be on supervised release.

“Even today I’m still on supervised release,” Cohen said, keeping his head maintained in the direction of Hoffinger but giving a quick glance with his eyes over to the jury box after making the statement.

Cohen confirms that he asked for a reduction in his sentence

Cohen testified that he applied for a reduction in his sentence and asked the Manhattan district attorney's office for help on that front.

In 2021, Hoffinger said, "was your understanding that our office said we might provide you with such a letter if prosecutors would consider reducing your sentence?"

"Yes, ma'am," Cohen replied.

Cohen says he returned to prison after he refused to sign an agreement to not write a tell-all book

Summer Concepcion

Cohen said he went to the federal courthouse at 500 Pearl St. thinking he just had to fill out some paperwork and would be out of there in an hour.

But several hours later, his attorney came out holding his belt and jacket. Cohen was taken back into custody at the Federal Correctional Facility in Otisville because he would not sign an agreement that says he could not write a tell-all book.

Cohen recounts going to prison

Cohen testified about going to prison, detailing how he served 13 months in a federal correctional facility in Otisville, New York.

Cohen said he pleaded guilty to separate charges in August and November of 2018 before surrendering to jail on May 6, 2019. He testified that he was sentenced to 36 months in jail, followed by 36 months of supervised release based upon over $1.3 million in taxes he had not paid from 2012 to 2016.

Cohen testified that he was allowed to leave after 13 months in prison and serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement.

'Angst and anxiety': Cohen describes reaction to Trump tweets after guilty plea

The day after Cohen pleaded guilty to federal crimes, Trump took to Twitter. Cohen interpreted two tweets as addressed to him, illustrations that “I am no longer important to the fold,” he testified.

“If anyone is looking for a good lawyer," Trump wrote in one post, "I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!”

In another tweet, Trump wrote: “I feel very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family. 'Justice' took a 12 year old tax case, among other things, applied tremendous pressure on him and, unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to 'break' — make up stories in order to get a 'deal.' Such respect for a brave man!”

Manafort, a former Trump campaign aide, was convicted on charges related to tax evasion and sentenced to prison, until Trump pardoned him in the final days of his administration.

Hoffinger asked Cohen what it was like to see these tweets from the president of the United States the day after pleading guilty. Cohen's response: "It caused a lot of angst and anxiety."

Cohen recounts pleading guilty to charges: 'Worst day of my life'

Cohen testified about how he had pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.

Asked if they were related to Trump, Cohen said they weren't.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked what that day was like for him, pleading guilty to all of those crimes.

"Worst day of my life," Cohen said.

Trump allies come to his defense after attending today's court proceedings

Lindsey Pipia

In remarks outside of the courthouse, several Trump allies who attended today’s court proceedings expressed their support of the former president and echoed Trump's criticism of the trial and people connected to it — which he has been barred from expressing himself because of a gag order.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., denied that Trump committed any wrongdoing and echoed his attacks on Judge Merchan and his daughter, who has worked for a digital advertising and fundraising firm that often works with Democratic politicians.

“This is a travesty of justice. This is a misuse of the justice system,” Donalds said.

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., slammed the hush money case as a “sham indictment” against Trump, claiming that the trial is part of efforts by Democrats to keep him off of the campaign trail and arguing that Cohen’s testimony has “no credibility, no integrity.”

Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential primary candidate who endorsed Trump after dropping out of the race, similarly blasted the trial as “politicized persecution” and accused Democrats of unlawfully seeking to influence the election by impeding on Trump’s ability to campaign in the months leading up to the November election.

“It is one of the most depressing places I have been in my life, but it is fitting because the only thing more depressing than the environment of that courtroom is what’s actually happening in there,” Ramaswamy said. “It’s straight out of a Kafka novel.”

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who also challenged Trump in the Republican presidential primary but later endorsed him, ripped the trial as a “circus.”

“Everything that these gentlemen said here today about the trial is absolutely true,” Burgum said. “But it is sad that we’re here today and not out talking to American people about the issues that matter to them the most.”

They did not take questions after the conclusion of their statements. But when asked by NBC News if they'd support Trump if he was found guilty, Ramaswamy said, "Yes."

Cohen says under oath that Trump directed him to pay off Daniels

Hoffinger asked Cohen to state why he paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels. Cohen's reply: "To ensure that the story would not come out, would not affect Mr. Trump's chances of becoming president of the United States."

The prosecutor then asked the ex-fixer to state at whose direction he paid Daniels. "Trump's," he replied.

These questions are at the heart of the state's case against Trump.

Cohen says conversations about family, loyalty prompted him to turn on Trump

Cohen is describing how after the raid he didn’t know what the Southern District “was looking at.”

Asked to describe conversations with his family from that period, Cohen said that they were about “what to do.”

“We’re in this unique situation. Never experienced. And my family, my wife, my daughter, my son, all said to me, 'Why are you holding on to this loyalty? What are you doing? We’re supposed to be your first loyalty,'” Cohen recalled.

Asked what he decided to do after those conversations, Cohen said, “That it was about time to listen to them.”

That's why he decided to plead guilty to a “number of federal crimes,” he said.

Cohen said he “made a decision based on conversation with my family, I would not lie for President Trump any longer.”

Prosecution tries to get ahead of the defense. But is it confusing the jury?

For many reporters in the audience, characters like Bob Costello are familiar, and how he figures into the story makes sense. But is the jury following this detour right now?

Costello's testimony has nothing to do with falsification of business records. Instead, the prosecution's examination right now is meant to pre-empt certain defense lines of questioning that we've heard before about Cohen's mindset at the time and his credibility.

But that means that the first time the jury is hearing about all this will be from the prosecution instead of the defense. So, Cohen gets to tell the story on his own terms, but to what end? Will the jury get confused and lose the story in the process?

Prosecution shows emails between criminal defense lawyer Robert Costello and Cohen

In an email dated April 19, 2018, criminal defense lawyer Robert Costello told Cohen that Giuliani had just been named to Trump’s legal team and that the relationship could be very useful to Cohen.

Two days later, Costello emailed again and conveyed that Giuliani thanked him “for opening this back channel of communication and asked me to keep in touch.”

Cohen understood the back channel would be Costello to Giuliani, Giuliani to Trump.

Cohen said he didn't trust Robert Costello, who was close with Giuliani

Cohen said he was pressured to hire Robert Costello to represent him after the raid.

Asked if Costello told him about his ties to Rudy Giuliani, Cohen said, “As close as you can imagine … and that would be a relationship that would be very beneficial to you going forward with this matter.”

“Mr. Giuliani at the time had a very close relationship and was spending a tremendous amount of time with Mr. Trump,” Cohen testified.

Cohen said Costello told him it would be a great way to have a back channel to the president. Cohen, however, expressed that he didn’t trust Costello and wasn’t sure he was going to hire him. “There was something really sketchy and wrong about him,” he said, adding that Costello came with a retainer agreement.

Cohen said he didn’t tell Costello the truth about Stormy Daniels and Trump. Cohen said he was concerned when Costello mentioned his close relationship with Giuliani and that anything he told him would be relayed to Giuliani.

Cohen said he was worried “anything that I said would get back to him.”

A note on Trump calling his supporters 'surrogates' and the gag order against him

In a post on X , Joyce Alene Vance, who served as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, noted that the gag order against Trump prohibits him from “making comments about jurors/witnesses and also from causing others to make them.”

Her post was in response to Trump’s remarks this morning outside of the courtroom, in which he referred to Republican lawmakers who accompanied him to court today as his “surrogates.”

“I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully. They come from all over ... and they think this is the biggest scam they’ve ever seen,” Trump said.

Eric and Lara Trump now in courtroom

Eric and Lara Trump are now in the front row of the courtroom, seated next to Alina Habba.

Lara Trump is now the head of the RNC.

Lara Trump, center, and Eric Trump arrive at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024.

Johnson defends Trump while attending the criminal hush money trial

House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke outside the courthouse.

Court is back in session

Trump and the lawyers on both sides of the case are back in their seats.

Court breaks for short recess

We'll be back in about 15 minutes.

After raid, Trump told Cohen: 'Don't worry, I'm the president.'

Cohen testified that after the raid, he called Trump and “left him message for him to call me to let him know what was taking place.”

“He said to me, ''Don’t worry. I’m the president of the United States. There’s nothing here. Everything’s going to be OK. Stay tough. You’re going to be OK,'” Cohen testified.

Asked whether he’d spoken directly with Trump since that time, Cohen said, “No.”

Asked whether he felt that call was “important,” Cohen replied: “Very. I wanted some reassurance that Mr. Trump had my back. Especially as this dealt with issues that related to him.”

“I felt reassured because I had the president of the United States protecting me. It’s his Justice Department, should go nowhere,” Cohen said, adding that he would stay loyal to Trump.

Cohen says he was 'despondent' after FBI raid

Cohen is telling the jury about April 2018 raids on his New York City apartment, law office and a hotel where he was staying.

He was booked at the Loews Regency hotel in Manhattan at the time because his apartment had been flooded and construction was being done. He heard a knock on the door at 7 a.m. one day, looked through the peephole and "saw lots of people."

FBI agents asked Cohen to step into the hallway. The agents had a search warrant that gave them the right to seize Cohen's two cellphones, electronic devices, records, tax books and other documents that the fixer had at the hotel, his law office and his apartment.

Hoffinger asked Cohen to describe how he felt at the time of the raids. "How to describe your life being turned upside down," he replied. "Concerned. Despondent. Angry."

Cohen was then asked whether he was frightened. "Yes, ma'am," he said.

Cohen says it was at Trump's direction to get a temporary restraining order against Stormy Daniels

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen if he learned Stormy Daniels was going to go public about her sexual encounter as a result of him saying it was his money, and if that's why he got a temporary restraining order against her.

Cohen said that was correct and confirmed it was at Trump's direction to work with Larry Rosen, as well as with Eric Trump, to get a restraining order.

Cohen said he obtained the temporary restraining order and filed it in California and tried to serve it to Keith Davidson, Daniels' lawyer, because he didn't have her address. However, Cohen said, Davidson was no longer representing Daniels and provided the name of a second lawyer, who also said he was not representing her.

Ultimately, Cohen learned Michael Avenatti would be representing Daniels — who sued them to prevent enforcement of the NDA.

Cohen speaks directly to jury in rare moment

Cohen is now speaking directly to the jury while answering about the FBI raid — something he has rarely done during his testimony under Susan Hoffinger's examination.

Cohen reinforces David Pecker's testimony about him and Trump telling Pecker not to worry

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker's testimony earlier in the trial revealed that Cohen had told Pecker that he should not worry about The Wall Street Journal asking about AMI's payoff to Karen McDougal. But now, Cohen is revalidating that testimony himself.

Pecker had said Cohen told him then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions was in Trump's pocket. Now, Cohen is putting a new gloss on that conversation, telling the prosecution that he spoke to Trump before talking to Pecker and implying that Trump had him convey that Pecker should not worry.

Cohen testified that he had told Pecker that after conversations with Trump, he would assist Pecker with the matter and they "had this thing under control."

Mike Johnson and allies show up for Trump

Matthew Nighswander

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, House Speaker Mike Johnson, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., listen as former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters

From left, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, House Speaker Mike Johnson, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., listen as former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters today.

Trump's eyes are closed as Cohen continues testimony

Trump's eyes are closed and his head is tilted to the right as Cohen answers questions about how he scrambled to react to The Wall Street Journal's reporting on the Daniels story. Meanwhile, the former president's surrogates in the front row appear to be wide awake and following along with the testimony.

The jurors, for their part, seem interested. Several jurors have been taking intense notes during this exchange.

The risks of reading a limiting instruction

Merchan is instructing the jury that the FEC conducted an investigation, and that the letter and testimony about that investigation were admitted to give context and to help it assess Cohen’s credibility, but they may not be considered in determining Trump’s guilt or innocence.

Anytime a judge reads a limiting instruction, there’s a concern that it draws the jury’s attention to the evidence it just heard even more — thereby defeating its purpose. Telling the jury to use certain evidence for one purpose but not another is always challenging, but especially when the evidence in question is damning.

Cohen's buzzwords today: 'To protect Mr. Trump' and 'to stay on message'

At least five times during today's testimony, Cohen has responded to questions about his actions, and why he did them, with the same reply.

“In order to protect Mr. Trump."

At least twice, he has replied with, “To stay on message."

Cohen intended for statement about Daniels payment to be 'misleading'

Cohen also acknowledged that the 2016 statement about using his own personal funds to facilitate the payment to Stormy Daniels and not being reimbursed by two major Trump entities was “misleading.”

“Was that statement false or misleading?” prosecutors asked, referring to the statement that claimed that neither the Trump campaign nor the Trump Organization was a party to the transaction.

“Misleading,” Cohen said.

“While crafting the statement, we elected to state neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction. That’s a true statement,” he said. “But it’s misleading.”

“It was neither the Trump organization or the Trump campaign, it was Donald J. Trump himself.”

“Did you intend for it to be misleading?” Hoffinger asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “In order to protect Mr. Trump, to stay on message, to demonstrate continued loyalty.”

“Did he approve the substance of the statement?” Hoffinger asked.

“He did,” Cohen said.

Cohen says Stormy Daniels' statement is false 'because I helped him craft it'

Cohen said he continued to press Keith Davidson for another statement from Stormy Daniels denying her affair with Trump amid increased media attention around the story, despite knowing it was false.

Asked how he knew the statement was false, Cohen said “because I helped him craft it.”

Pressed on how he knows Daniels was paid hush money, Cohen similarly commented “because I’m the one who paid it.”

Prosecutor shows Cohen texts pressuring Stormy Daniels' lawyer to have her deny Trump affair

The DA's office entered into evidence texts between Stormy Daniels’ lawyer Keith Davidson and Michael Cohen in which Cohen told Davidson to call him.

Davidson indicated that Stormy Daniels was supposed to fly to Los Angeles the next day.

"Can you call me please?" Cohen said. "Please call me."

"Anything?"

"Still trying," Davidson wrote back.

Cohen then wrote, "This is no good."

"The wise men all believe the story is dying and don't think it's smart for her to do any interviews," Cohen said. "Let her do her thing but no interviews."

"100%," Davidson texted back.

Cohen on why he lied to Congress: 'In order to protect Mr. Trump'

Cohen also admitted to lying during his fall 2017 testimony before Congress about the Russia investigation.

Cohen had been subpoenaed for testimony before the House and Senate Intelligence committees’ investigations regarding a Trump Tower Moscow deal.

Asked whether he lied during his testimony, Cohen, who was still personal counsel to Trump at that time, replied affirmatively.

“I did,” he said.

“They dealt with the Trump Tower Moscow real estate project. Specifically the number of times that I claimed to have spoke to Mr. Trump,” Cohen explained. “I said I only spoke to President Trump about the project three times when I had really spoken about it 10 times,” he continued.

Asked why he said then that his communications with Trump stopped earlier than they had, Cohen said, “Because I was staying on Trump’s message, and there was no Russia, Russia, Russia, and that was what was preferred.”

Asked whether he continued to lie about Trump’s involvement in the Stormy Daniels payoff and pressure Keith Davidson to lie about the payoffs to Karen McDougal, Cohen replied, “yes.”

Asked why, Cohen said, “In order to protect Mr. Trump.”

New York appeals court rejects Trump's gag order appeal

Dan Mangan, CNBC

A New York appeals court has rejected Trump's appeal of the gag orders that were imposed in this case, according to a legal filing.

He's already been found in violation of the order 10 times.

Trump has repeatedly insisted the order is unconstitutional.

Cohen says he made $4 million based on his title under Trump

The prosecution pushed Cohen on whether having the title “personal attorney to the president” helped Cohen attract other clients, to which Cohen said he had earned about $4 million from new clients.

Because of the title and his work with Trump, he obtained five consulting or advisory clients, but he did not do legal work.

Cohen earned about $4 million from those clients; he also had an agreement with Squire Patton Boggs, a major law firm, which wanted him on its letterhead because of his title and contacts.

Cohen further testified that he formed an “of counsel” agreement with them; he received $500,000 initially, and after that his pay depended on what he brought in. During this time, Cohen continued to lie for Trump, he said, “out of loyalty and to protect him.”

Speaker Johnson calls hush money trial 'politically motivated' and 'election interference'

Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who is in attendance for today’s court proceedings, slammed the hush money trial as a “travesty of justice" and “politically motivated,” and said that Trump’s required attendance is an intentional effort by Democrats to keep him off the campaign trail.

Johnson, without evidence, echoed Trump’s accusations that Democrats are unjustly influencing the hush money case. He referred to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as a “partisan Democrat,” Judge Juan Merchan as a “Biden donor judge” and accused Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger of receiving thousands of dollars in payments from the Democratic National Committee.

Johnson also slammed Cohen, saying that he is a man who is clearly on "a mission for personal revenge” and that “no one should believe a word he says today.” He also criticized Merchan's “ridiculous and unprecedented” gag order on Trump.

“The judicial system in our country has been weaponized against President Trump,” Johnson said. “The system is using all the tools at its disposal right now to punish one president and provide cover for another.”

“These are politically motivated trials and they are a disgrace,” he added. It is election interference and they show how desperate the opposition that President Trump has and how desperate they truly are.”

Johnson did not respond to any shouted questions after making his statement.

As Trump's personal counsel, Cohen sought to 'lie for' and 'protect' him

Cohen said that during the 15 months he was personal counsel to Trump, his goal was to protect and lie for him.

“Did you continue to try to protect him?” prosecutor Hoffinger asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Cohen replied

“Did you continue to lie for him?” Hoffinger asked.

"Why did you do that?” Hoffinger asked.

“Out of loyalty and in order to protect him,” Cohen said.

Cohen describes 'minimal work' he did for Trump in 2017

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Cohen whether he did any work as Trump's personal attorney in 2017. Cohen said he did "minimal work" on the Summer Zervos matter — a reference to a former contestant on "The Apprentice" who accused Trump of sexual assault, which he denied — on which Cohen was working with lawyer Mark Kasowitz.

Cohen said he hand-delivered documents to Trump in the Oval Office that Kasowitz asked him to bring. And then for Melania Trump, he reviewed an agreement that Madame Tussauds sent to her to create her likeness, but Cohen said it was “not enough work to have me send an invoice.”

Cohen, confirming fake invoices, appears subdued

Cohen is subdued and polite as he reads the invoices and confirms under oath that each one contains false statements. He continues to provide a simple answer: "Yes, ma'am."

A copy of a check stub paid to Cohen that was admitted into evidence.

Cohen's testimony is legally important for the prosecution

Cohen's testimony today is slow-going but legally important. The jury has already seen his invoices and checks but now the prosecution has him directly confirming each of the alleged false statements on the record.

It's anticipated that Trump's defense will argue that the statements weren't false because Cohen was acting as his lawyer at the time.

The jury is showing no emotion to this evidence and testimony.

Cohen admits he created false invoices

Cohen is now recounting how, when he was asked by Jeff McConney for invoices, he actually “didn’t have a copy of the document made with Weisselberg.”

“It would’ve been on a retainer agreement, but there was none,” Cohen told prosecutors.

As a result, Cohen explained, he “created a document and called it an invoice” requesting “payment for services rendered for the months of January and February” from Weisselberg.

He continued to send such documents as monthly invoices.

Asked by prosecutors about whether services had actually been rendered, Cohen replied, “No, ma’am.”

Asked whether “for services rendered” was a “truthful statement,” Cohen repeated, “No, ma’am.”

The true purpose, Cohen explained: “The reimbursement of hush money.”

Cohen said “yes” when asked whether the invoice was a “false record” and whether “each invoice made the same false representation.”

Cohen describes visiting Trump at White House in February 2017

Cohen said that he visited the White House on Feb. 8, 2017, and had a conversation with Trump in the Oval Office.

“I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was OK. He asked me if I needed money. And I said, 'All good,'" he testified.

“He said I could get a check ... I said, 'No I’m OK,'" Cohen continued. “And he said, 'OK, make sure you deal with Allen,'" referring to then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.

Cohen said Trump told him there would be a check for January and February.

Trump allies taking advantage of cellphones while press is limited

Trump's nonlegal staff and allies are taking advantage of the fact that they are allowed to use cellphones in the courthouse and courtroom — even where members of the press are not allowed to use theirs.

During this morning's hallway press conference, a member of Trump's team raised a smartphone with a lavender case, turned it sideways and appeared to take video of the assembled crowd.

This is the latest example of how Trump team members are deploying cellphones to their advantage inside the courthouse.

Michael Cohen has taken the stand

Trump's former "fixer" walked by the former president's surrogates and made his way to the witness stand.

Trump was chatting with his lawyer Todd Blanche as Cohen entered and appeared to avoid making eye contact.

Trump again denies wrongdoing and says trial is an 'election interference' effort

Moments before entering the courtroom, Trump continued to deny wrongdoing in the hush money case and accused New York-based prosecutors of corruption without evidence.

After criticizing President Joe Biden’s expected announcement of increasing tariffs on numerous Chinese goods, including electric vehicles, Trump, holding papers, read aloud quotes from several conservative legal analysts who argue that the hush money trial is an effort to hurt his presidential campaign.

He slammed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the hush money case against him, for what he described as “making a mockery” of the legal system. He called Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the civil fraud trial against him, a “crooked judge.” He also argued that Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the hush money trial, shouldn’t be allowed in the case and called on him to “rule in favor of a directed verdict immediately.”

“There is an insufficient amount of evidence,” he said. “No crime has been shown. No crime has been committed.”

"There's never been anything like this in the history of our country," he added. "It's a scam. It's election interference at a level that's never taken place before."

Prosecutors and Todd Blanche are having a bench meeting to start the day

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche is the only representative of the defense at the bench meeting. All prosecutors are at the bench.

Trump says 'signing a NDA is not a crime'

On his way into the courtroom, Trump said in hallway that “signing a NDA is not a crime."

It’s not an outright acknowledgment that he knowingly was party to a nondisclosure agreement. But it’s an unusual thing to state as someone who has previously publicly claimed that he wasn’t aware that he was party to the Stormy Daniels NDA.

Trump has entered the courtroom

The former president, wearing a blue suit and a yellow tie, sat down at the defense table alongside Todd Blanche, one of his attorneys.

Former President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom with his attorneys

Michael Cohen returns to witness stand for second day of testimony in Trump hush money trial

Dareh Gregorian

Trump’s longtime lawyer Michael Cohen is due back on the witness stand today for testimony that’s expected to delve into payments he said he received from the former president in return for hush money paid to adult film actor Stormy Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 campaign.

Prosecutors allege that Trump falsified business records relating to those payments by classifying them as legal services pursuant to a retainer agreement. Cohen testified yesterday in New York City that no such retainer agreement existed.

Cohen is a pivotal witness in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump. He told the jury during his first full day on the stand that Trump directly authorized him to pay Daniels the $130,000 and that Trump was involved in efforts to quash two other salacious stories that he feared could have damaged his candidacy.

“I was following his directions,” Cohen testified.

Read the full story here.

‘The benefit of Mr. Trump’: Longtime fixer Michael Cohen testifies in hush money trial. What you missed on Day 16.

Katherine Doyle

Trump’s longtime fixer and lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified yesterday that he was acting at Trump’s behest when he made hush money payments to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

For weeks in Manhattan criminal court, Trump’s defense attorneys have sought to puncture Cohen’s credibility with the jury, and even witnesses have painted him as hot-headed, self-interested and untrustworthy.

“I didn’t know Michael to be an especially charitable person or selfless person,” Hope Hicks, Trump’s former communications aide, said when she was on the stand. Cohen’s former banker said he was assigned to him because of his “ability to handle individuals who are challenging.”

But on the stand for the first time, Cohen presented himself as coolheaded and recalled how he had worked at Trump’s behest to suppress stories that posed a threat.

Could we see any surprises? Today may be the day

The thing about anything involving Trump is there are few surprises — at least for the people who diligently follow his every move and the journalists who chronicle them.

The allegations at the heart of the trial are well known: Michael Cohen already pleaded guilty to paying the hush money and provided ample details when he entered the plea.

For many of the jurors in the courtroom, many of these details may be new. Most said they didn't follow this story closely.

And throughout the trial, there have been small things that were unknown to even those who closely follow Trump — like that Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal's phone numbers were saved in his phone.

But the cross-examination of Cohen offers the most probable chance that the courtroom and the public at large could learn something genuinely unknown before.

Trump's lawyers are going to do everything they can to try to discredit Cohen; expect them to throw the kitchen sink at him. His longtime relationship with Trump may mean that the former president knows more dirt on Cohen than was previously public — the kind of ammunition that his lawyers could use on cross-examination.

There is a risk that anything Trump shared with his lawyers could also implicate him, but it's the ground that is more likely to produce surprises in the courtroom.

Audio secretly recorded by Michael Cohen reveals Trump in 2016 discussing a payment to Karen McDougal before he was elected president.

Michael Cohen to testify about his interactions with Trump after he became president

As Trump counterprograms the trial today with help from Mike Johnson and friends, the direct examination is about to delve into the post-inauguration period in 2017, which is the most important time period for the charged crimes.

Cohen gave lots of testimony yesterday about Trump’s alleged intentional and knowing participation in the payments to Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult film actor Stormy Daniels with the primary goal of promoting his electoral chances. And his involvement in those payments themselves suggest a motive to cover them up with false business records.

But as for direct evidence that he falsified business records or caused others to do so? The closest Cohen has come to that was in describing a January 2017 Trump Tower meeting he had with Trump and Weisselberg in which Trump expressly agreed to pay Cohen $420k in 12 installments, beginning in February 2017, for “legal services rendered.”

We can expect to hear more today about how Trump allegedly completed or orchestrated false paperwork about the repayment scheme, including through a Feb. 8, 2017, Oval Office meeting between Cohen and Trump. But beyond that, there might not be much else in terms of direct evidence.

In other words, the proof of Trump’s knowledge and intent with respect to the business records could — in contrast to the mounds of direct evidence of Trump’s participation in the alleged conspiracy — be largely circumstantial. That evidence includes former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg’s direction to others, given his closeness to Trump and how often he communicated with Trump to control “every penny” that went in and out of Trump’s coffers; former Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney’s notes following his meeting with Trump; the fact that the checks were not sent to the White House directly but were sent to Trump's bodyguard Keith Schiller and White House aide John McEntee before they gave them to another White House aide, Madeleine Westerhout, for Trump’s signature; and Westerhout’s testimony that Trump reviewed checks before signing them.

Vivek Ramaswamy says he'll offer commentary

Isabelle Schmeler

Former Trump GOP primary rival Vivek Ramaswamy said he's on the way to the courthouse in a post on X. He added that he'll be writing more about the trial today.

"Great to see President Trump in good spirits this morning," he wrote. "Headed to NYC courtroom now. Let’s see what’s going on down there, will share my thoughts over the day."

Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum followed Trump when he left for the courthouse.

Potential vice presidential contenders for Trump to appear in court today

Several prominent Republicans have appeared with Trump in the courtroom to show their support. In addition to House Speaker Mike Johnson, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who both ran against Trump in the GOP primary , will join the former president in court today, Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said.

Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Tim Scott, R-S.C., appeared in the courtroom with Trump yesterday. Ramaswamy, Burgum, Vance and Scott are considered potential vice presidential contenders for Trump.

Another potential running mate, Rep. Byron Donalds, and Rep. Cory Mills, both Republicans from Florida, also will be in court today, Miller said.

Trump has departed for the courthouse

Matt Johnson

The former president has left Trump Tower for the courthouse downtown, where his lawyers could begin cross-examination of his one-time fixer, Michael Cohen.

House Speaker Mike Johnson to appear in court in a show of support for Trump

Ryan Nobles

House Speaker Mike Johnson will appear this morning with Trump in the Manhattan courthouse where his hush money trial is taking place, a source familiar with the Louisiana Republican’s schedule confirms to NBC News. A number of prominent GOP elected officials have traveled to New York to show solidarity with the former president during the trial.

Johnson recently survived a threat to his speakership from Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. Trump provided Johnson cover during the effort, which ultimately failed.

Punchbowl News was the first to report Johnson's court appearance.

Vivek Ramaswamy expected to be in court

Katherine Koretski

Zoë Richards

Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump's one-time GOP primary competitor and now a contender to be his running mate, will join the former president in court today, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Ramaswamy and Trump coordinated today's plans directly, according to the source, who said Ramaswamy is expected to ride in the car with Trump and stay at court with the former president for the whole day.

Another VP contender, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, was in the courtroom yesterday.

With Trump under a gag order, allies step up attacks on his hush money trial

Jonathan Allen

Trump risks a trip to jail if he attacks witnesses in his New York hush money trial. But his allies aren’t covered by the gag order he has repeatedly violated , and they’re increasingly launching the broadsides that he can’t.

Yesterday, as former Trump “fixer” Michael Cohen testified that Trump was directly involved in a scheme to kill negative stories about him during the 2016 election, Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., ripped into Cohen.

“He’s a convicted felon,” Tuberville said of Cohen at a news conference outside the courthouse in Manhattan. “I mean, this guy is giving an acting scene.”

Vance, who is in contention to be picked as Trump’s running mate, also wrote in a sarcasm-laden tweetstorm on X .

What to expect at trial today

Cohen , the prosecution's star witness, is expected to continue his testimony after taking the stand for the first time yesterday.

Trump's attorneys could begin cross-examining him as early as today.

Here's what you missed at trial yesterday

Cohen took the stand for the first time in the trial to testify about a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election in exchange for her silence about her alleged affair with Trump.

Cohen said that he told Trump that he would “front the money” to Daniels, and Trump was "appreciative , " telling him that he would get the money back.

He also described how in his opinion it would have been "catastrophic" if Daniels' story got out before the election, especially since it would've been on the heels of the "Access Hollywood" tape.

Campaign Updates: Trump rallies, J.D. Vance auditions for V.P. and news from the Sunday shows.

Share full article

Chris Cameron

In the days since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged serious past health problems — including memory loss and mental fogginess — after a parasitic worm ate part of his brain , the candidate and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, have tried to make light of the issue. On Sunday Shanahan said on social media that she had “purchased the domains for brainworm.ai and brainworm.com.”

Neil Vigdor

George Clooney and Julia Roberts will headline a fund-raiser for President Biden in June in Los Angeles — joined by Barack Obama — according to a Biden campaign official. The star-studded event, reported earlier by NBC News , is another attempt by the president’s campaign to widen its cash advantage over Donald J. Trump, who has used one of his fund-raising committees to pay his legal bills.

Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, repeatedly invoked the U.S. nuclear bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, which killed hundreds of thousands of people, to defend Israel’s brutal campaign in Gaza and criticize the push by some on the left to restrict offensive weapons transfers to the Jewish state in light of the soaring civilian death toll and dire humanitarian crisis.

“When we were faced with destruction as a nation after Pearl Harbor, fighting the Germans and the Japanese, we decided to end the war by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear weapons. "That was the right decision,” Mr. Graham said. “Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war they can’t afford to lose and work with them to minimize casualties.”

Senator Rick Scott, Republican of Florida, said on Fox News Sunday that Israel “has no choice but to destroy Rafah” and criticized President Biden for withholding bomb shipments to the Jewish state. Replying to the news anchor’s question on a New York Times article that discussed how President Reagan pressed Israel to stop the Israeli attack on Lebanon in 1982, Mr. Scott avoided giving a clear-cut answer. “We have to live in reality,” Mr. Scott said.

Senator Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware and one of President Biden’s closest allies in the Senate, defended the president’s move to pause certain weapon transfers to Israel and warned that without allowing civilians to evacuate Rafah before an invasion of the Hamas stronghold. He said of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that his “His legacy could instead be achieving regional security and peace for Israel.”

J.D. Vance Says He Would Accept the Election Results, With a Caveat

Senator J.D. Vance, the Ohio Republican who is a contender to be former President Donald J. Trump’s running mate, hedged on Sunday when he was asked whether he would accept the results of the November election.

“If we have a free and fair election, I will accept the results,” Mr. Vance told CNN’s Dana Bash during an appearance on the show “ State of the Union .”

Mr. Vance, 39, whom the Trump campaign has enlisted as a surrogate, signaled that Republicans were preparing for the prospect of election disputes.

“We have to be willing, as Democrats did in 2000, as Democrats have done in the past, and certainly as Republicans did in 2020, is if you think they were problems, you have to be willing to pursue those problems and try to prosecute your case,” he said.

Mr. Vance is expected to join Mr. Trump on Wednesday in Cincinnati at a fund-raiser, a possible audition to be Mr. Trump’s running mate. He also attended a recent event at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s club in Florida, with several other vice-presidential contenders and Republican donors.

Mr. Vance has appeared eager to demonstrate his loyalty to Mr. Trump, telling ABC News in February that if he had been vice president on Jan. 6, 2021, he would have allowed Congress to consider fraudulent slates of pro-Trump electors before certifying the election.

Mike Pence, who was vice president at the time, rebuffed Mr. Trump’s calls to disrupt the transfer of power after Joseph R. Biden Jr. won the presidency.

During Mr. Vance’s interview with CNN on Sunday, he also defended Mr. Trump’s recent comments that “any Jewish person” who had voted for Mr. Biden “ should be ashamed of themselves .”

“We have to remember, Donald Trump is very direct here,” Mr. Vance said. “And he hasn’t singled out Jewish Americans. He singled out a lot of people for voting for Joe Biden.”

Mr. Vance has not always been an unflagging acolyte of the former president .

Before the 2016 election, Mr. Vance, a venture capitalist and the author of “ Hillbilly Elegy ,” his best-selling memoir, called Mr. Trump a “ cultural heroin ” and a demagogue who was “ leading the white working class to a very dark place.”

But his candidacy for the Senate in 2022 garnered the backing of one of the most influential figures in the “Make America Great Again” world: the former president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who vouched for Mr. Vance on social media during a crowded Republican primary. It would open a door to an endorsement from the former president himself.

Michael Gold

Trump, bashing migrants, likens them to Hannibal Lecter, movie cannibal.

In an extended riff at his rally on Saturday in New Jersey, former President Donald J. Trump returned to a reference that has become a staple of his stump speech, comparing migrants to Hannibal Lecter, the fictional serial killer and cannibal from “The Silence of the Lambs,” as he aims to stoke anger and fear over migration in advance of the election.

“Has anyone ever seen ‘The Silence of the Lambs’? The late, great Hannibal Lecter. He’s a wonderful man,” Mr. Trump said in Wildwood, N.J. “He often times would have a friend for dinner. Remember the last scene? ‘Excuse me, I’m about to have a friend for dinner,’ as this poor doctor walked by. ‘I’m about to have a friend for dinner.’ But Hannibal Lecter. Congratulations. The late, great Hannibal Lecter.”

He continued: “We have people that have been released into our country that we don’t want in our country, and they’re coming in totally unchecked, totally unvetted. And we can’t let this happen. They’re destroying our country, and we’re sitting back and we better damn well win this election, because if we don’t, our country is going to be doomed. It’s going to be doomed.”

Mr. Trump, beginning with his announcement for the presidency in 2015, has frequently claimed that those crossing the border are violent criminals or mentally ill people who have been sent to the United States by other countries. There is no evidence to back his assertion, and border authorities have said that most migrants who cross the border are vulnerable families fleeing poverty and violence.

But that has not kept Mr. Trump from saying that migrants come from “mental institutions” or “insane asylums,” and comparing them to the fictional psychopath.

Mr. Trump, who often veers into asides during his stump speech, then returned immediately to decrying the migrant crisis and criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of it.

Throughout his campaign this year, Mr. Trump has frequently brought up Hannibal Lecter, once calling him “legendary” and another time referring to him as a nice fellow. In Wildwood, he spoke on the 1991 movie longer than he generally does.

Hannibal Lecter, a fictional psychopath who paired human organs with fava beans and an Italian red, was played memorably by Anthony Hopkins, winning an Oscar for his performance.

It is not clear what Mr. Trump meant by “late, great,” given that neither the character — nor the actor who played the role — have died, in person, film or the books the character originated from.

“The Silence of the Lambs” is one of several references that Mr. Trump frequently invokes during his rallies.

Another favorite is the gangster Al Capone, to whom Mr. Trump often compares himself.

“I’ve been indicted more than the great Alphonse Capone. Scarface,” Mr. Trump said incredulously on Saturday. “Al Capone was so mean that if you went to dinner with him and he didn’t like you, you’d be dead the next morning. And I got indicted more than him.”

Reporting from Wildwood, N.J.

Away from the confines of a courtroom, Trump rallies beachside at the Jersey Shore.

After a long and often tense week in his criminal trial in Manhattan, former President Donald J. Trump on Saturday took part in a time-honored ritual enjoyed by countless New Yorkers in need of a break: He went to the shore.

Sandwiched between the boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean, Mr. Trump stood in front of tens of thousands of people at a rally on the beach in Wildwood, N.J., where he largely repeated the same criticisms of President Biden that have characterized his stump speech in recent months.

Fresh from court, Mr. Trump insisted that his case in Manhattan, on charges that he falsified business records related to a hush-money payment, was a “Biden show trial,” even though there is no evidence to suggest that Mr. Biden has been involved in the case.

Mr. Trump railed against pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, vowed to crack down on immigration and repeated his false claims that Democrats stole the 2020 election from him.

But if Mr. Trump’s speech largely consisted of what has become his standard fare, the setting stood out. Though New Jersey has voted for Democratic presidential candidates in every election since 1992, and Mr. Trump lost the state by double-digit margins in both 2016 and 2020, he insisted that he could win there in November.

“We’re expanding the electoral map, because we are going to officially play in the state of New Jersey,” Mr. Trump said to a packed crowd on the beach. “We’re going to win the state of New Jersey.”

Mr. Trump, who once owned casinos in Atlantic City, N.J., and who often spends summers at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., has been publicly bullish on his chances in New Jersey for months. Political experts, and even some of his advisers, are skeptical.

Still, parts of the state are deeply conservative, including the area around Wildwood, a boardwalk town on the southern end of the Jersey Shore and a beach destination popular with working-class families. Many visitors come from Pennsylvania, a battleground state that backed Mr. Trump in 2016 but swung to Mr. Biden in 2020.

Mr. Trump’s rally, held shortly before the start of the summer season, brought hordes of people to the boardwalk, where many of the vendors who usually hawk an array of novelty items filled the front of their stores with Trump-related T-shirts and hats. Supporters stretched out on blankets and dabbed on sunscreen hours ahead of Mr. Trump’s arrival.

Against the backdrop of classic Americana, Mr. Trump repeated his typical criticism that Mr. Biden’s economic policies were hurting the middle class. With an amusement park operating rides in the background, he insisted that only he could preserve the summer shore tradition.

“The choice for New Jersey and Pennsylvania is simple,” Mr. Trump said, telling supporters to vote for him if they wanted “lower costs, higher income and more weekends down at the shore.” (The area’s locals usually say “down the shore,” but judging by the cheers of the crowd, the point was well received.)

The rally was a stark contrast to the scene at the Manhattan courthouse, where proceedings are more sober and Mr. Trump’s comments are limited to remarks to reporters before he enters and leaves the courtroom.

At his rally, Mr. Trump largely built on statements he has made in those limited appearances. He once again criticized Mr. Biden for warning Israel that he would not supply the country with weapons if it launched a major ground offensive, and he made his most explicit approval yet of Israel’s military strategy.

“I support Israel’s right to win its war on terror,” he told the crowd. “Is that OK? I don’t know. I don’t know if that’s good or bad politically. I don’t care.”

The rally in New Jersey was only Mr. Trump’s third since his trial began last month. Last week, he held back-to-back events in Wisconsin and Michigan, two battleground states expected to be more critical than New Jersey in the November election.

Mr. Trump, who is bound by a gag order in the case that keeps him from commenting on witnesses and jurors, limited his criticism of the case on Saturday. The judge in the case has found him in contempt, fining him $10,000 for violating the order and warning of possible jail time.

Macron, von der Leyen press China's Xi on trade in Paris talks

Medium Text
Xi visits Europe for first time in five years
France, EU Commission, have toughened their stance on trade
Europe is not united on China, though
Xi in Paris Monday, in the Pyrenees Tuesday

Closing speeches by French and Chinese presidents at Franco-Chinese Business Council

'COLD WAR'

Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau, Tassilo Hummel, Geert de Clercq, Leigh Thomas, John Irish, Ingrid Melander, Dominique Patton, Mimosa Spencer and Gabriel Stargardter in Paris, Sudip Kar-Gupta in Brussels, Ryan Woo, Laurie Chen and Ethan Wang in Beijing; additional reporting by Andrew Gray in Brussels; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Stephen Coates, William Maclean, Nick Macfie and Tomasz Janowski

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Displaced Palestinians, who fled their house due to Israel's military offensive, sit outside their tent, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip

World Chevron

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken visits Ukraine

Blinken praises Ukrainian resilience as he tours Kyiv grain facility

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday praised the resilience of Ukraine's grain production in the face of Russian attacks as he toured a U.S.-supported transshipment facility on the outskirts of Kyiv.

A Swiss federal court on Wednesday found a former government minister from Gambia guilty of crimes against humanity under former dictator Yahya Jammeh, according to a Geneva non-governmental organisation providing support for the plaintiffs.

15th Singapore International Energy Week

The last two suspects sought by a U.N. tribunal over their alleged role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide died in 1998, the U.N. war crimes prosecutor tasked with finding them said on Wednesday.

IMAGES

Reported Speech: How To Use Reported Speech
Reported Speech Tenses Chart: How to convert tenses
Tense Changes When Using Reported Speech in English
Reported Speech: How To Use Reported Speech
How to Use Reported Speech in English
REPORTED SPEECH: Verb Tense Changes

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YDS, YÖKDİL, YDT, …
Reporting Verbs| Reported Speech 2 PUC English Grammar 2023|
Reported speech (Lesson 2)
practice class # 6 How to make question about past
Indirect Speech
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COMMENTS

Reported Speech
Watch my reported speech video: Here's how it works: We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence: Direct speech: I like ice cream. Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.
Reported Speech Tenses Chart: How to convert tenses
Below is a reported speech tense change chart with the rules for backshifting for each tense and for modal verbs. You will see reported speech does not go back a tense if it is already in the past perfect (there is no further back it can go), and some modal verbs also do not change. If you are tested on this, though, these are the changes you ...
Reported Speech: Rules, Examples, Exceptions
When we use reported speech, we often change the verb tense backwards in time. This can be called "backshift.". Here are some examples in different verb tenses: "I want to go home.". She said she wanted to go home. "I 'm reading a good book.". She said she was reading a good book. "I ate pasta for dinner last night.".
Reported Speech
Reported speech: She said she disliked fried chicken. Note how the main verb in the reported statement is also in the past tense verb form. Use the simple present tense in your indirect speech if the initial words remain relevant at the time of reporting. This verb tense also works if the report is something someone would repeat. For example:
Reported Speech: Important Grammar Rules and Examples • 7ESL
Pin. No Change in Verb Tenses in Reported Speech. There is no change in verb tenses in Indirect Speech when:. The introductory verb is in the Present, Present Perfect or Future.; If the reported sentence deals with a fact or general truth.; The reported sentence contains a time clause.; The verb of the sentence is in the unreal past (the second or the third conditional).
How to use Reported Speech
In reported speech we need to use the past tense form of the verb. In direct speech the present tense is used. As you can see, in the above sentence 'am' changes to 'was' when we use reported speech. changing to the past tense to make reported speech. Here are some of the important verb changes we use when making reported speech: am becomes was
Reported speech: indirect speech
Reported speech: indirect speech - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary
Everyday Grammar: Mastering Reported Speech
For reporting less immediate speech, choose the past tense. The reporting verb is often said , but it can also be told , or other verbs like ordered , stated , or reported , depending on the ...
Reported speech
Yes, and you report it with a reporting verb. He said he wanted to know about reported speech. I said, I want and you changed it to he wanted. Exactly. Verbs in the present simple change to the past simple; the present continuous changes to the past continuous; the present perfect changes to the past perfect; can changes to could; will changes ...
Reported speech
Hannah, "I walked to the museum." Hannah told me (that) . Nick, "She went home late." Nick said (that) . Alisha, "Lucas lost my money." Alisha told me (that) . Dad, "Emily didn't eat potatoes as a child." Dad told me (that) . Sentences in Reported speech in the Simple Past in English in an Online Exercise.
Tense changes in reported speech
In indirect speech, the structure of the reported clause depends on whether the speaker is reporting a statement, a question or a command. Normally, the tense in reported speech is one tense back in time from the tense in direct speech: She said, "I am tired." = She said that she was tired. Phrase in Direct Speech. Equivalent in Reported Speech.
What is Reported Speech and How to Use It? with Examples
Reported speech: He said he would meet me at the park the next day. In this example, the present tense "will" is changed to the past tense "would." 3. Change reporting verbs: In reported speech, you can use different reporting verbs such as "say," "tell," "ask," or "inquire" depending on the context of the speech.
Reported Speech
Reported speech is the form in which one can convey a message said by oneself or someone else, mostly in the past. It can also be said to be the third person view of what someone has said. In this form of speech, you need not use quotation marks as you are not quoting the exact words spoken by the speaker, but just conveying the message. Q2.
PDF Unit 12A Grammar: Reported Speech(1
Reported Speech. Greg: "I am cooking dinner Maya.". Maya: "Greg said he was cooking dinner.". So most often, the reported speech is going to be in the past tense, because the original statement, will now be in the past! *We will learn about reporting verbs in part 2 of this lesson, but for now we will just use said/told.
Reported Speech 3
Reported Speech 3 - Tenses in reported speech. When we use 'reported speech' we are reporting something said or thought in the past, which is why we usually use the past tense: Last night he told us that he was leaving for America next winter. When we want to report what many people say. Everyone says the decision to fire Martin was a bad ...
Indirect speech
What is indirect speech or reported speech? When we tell people what another person said or thought, we often use reported speech or indirect speech. To do that, we need to change verb tenses (present, past, etc.) and pronouns (I, you, my, your, etc.) if the time and speaker are different.For example, present tenses become past, I becomes he or she, and my becomes his or her, etc.
Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech in Past Tense
If reported verb is in Past Tense & reported speech is in Past Perfect Tense, it will not change. e.g. Direct Speech. Indirect Speech. Abhi said to Nidhi, "Had you paid the fee?". Abhi asked Nidhi if she had paid the fee. Mr Roy said, "I had bought a house.". Mr Roy said that he had bought a house.
Backshift in Reported Speech
In simple terms, the structure of reported speech is: reporting clause [+ conjunction] + reported clause. he was hungry. John's original words: "I am hungry." We sometimes change the tense of the reported clause by moving it back one tense. For example, present simple goes back one tense to past simple. We call this change " backshift ".
Reported Speech Tense Chart
Reported Speech Tense Chart. When we convert from direct speech to indirect speech, the tense of the sentence changes. See the chart below to understand direct to indirect speech tense shift. Greg said, "I am an English teacher." Greg said that he was an English teacher. Edward said, "I am watching the news."
Indirect Speech for All Tenses
Indirect Speech for all Tenses - Rules. The verb in the first part of the sentence (e.g., he said, she said) is called a reporting verb. The second part of the sentence, enclosed in inverted commas or quotation marks, is called a reported speech. For converting direct speech into indirect speech, the tense of the reported speech is changed.
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