Kamala Harris, Donald Trump shake hands again at 9/11 anniversary ceremony

(NEW YORK) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court Friday to federal charges related to an alleged conspiracy with Turkish nationals that landed him lavish gifts in exchange for beneficial treatment.

“I am not guilty your honor,” Adams told the judge.

The one-time police captain listened as Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker informed Adams of his rights. Asked if he understood those rights, Adams replied, “Yes, I do, your honor.”

Federal prosecutors accused Adams of accepting more than $100,000 in improper benefits over nearly a decade, many of which came in the form of flight upgrades and stays in luxury hotels, none of which were publicly divulged as required.

The indictment also alleged Adams and a staffer knowingly worked with Turkish nationals to send foreign money to straw donors for his mayoral campaign, and used that money to rake in over $10 million from New York City’s matching funds program.

Adams, 64, who is the first sitting New York City mayor to be criminally charged, has denied the allegations and vowed to fight the charges, despite rising calls for him to step down. Longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler, whose district covers central Manhattan, was the latest New York official to call for Adams to step down Friday.

Adams was released on his own recognizance and ordered to have no contact with witnesses or anyone named in the indictment. He is allowed to have contact with staff members or relatives who may have knowledge of the fact pattern as long as they do not discuss the case.

The mayor did not make any statements after the arraignment, but gave a thumbs up to the media. His attorney, Alex Spiro, told reporters after the hearing that it was “not a real case.”

He claimed prosecutors did not have any evidence against his client, and laid blame on an unidentified staff member mentioned in the indictment who allegedly dealt with the Turkish nationals. Spiro claimed the staffer lied to prosecutors.

“There are no emails or text messages or corroboration that the mayor had anything to do with these allegations,” Spiro said.

Adams will return to court next week for an initial conference before the district judge who will oversee the case.

“We will be filing a motion to dismiss on Wednesday,” Spiro said.

Prior to his arraignment, Adams was fingerprinted and photographed and basic pedigree information was taken during processing.

The 57-page indictment had several details about Adams’ alleged corruption that dated back to his time as Brooklyn borough president.

The indictment included several text messages from an unidentified Adams staff member and several unidentified Turkish business persons and an unidentified Turkish government official, who provided gifts such as first-class flights and stays at luxurious hotels in Turkey and other locations.

The indictment also claimed a Turkish government official tried to open a new high-rise building in Manhattan in 2021 that would house Turkey’s consulate and pushed Adams to speed up the construction permits. Despite warnings from New York City fire safety professionals, Adams pressured the fire department to open the building and solicited more travel gifts, according to prosecutors.

The indictment followed a nearly yearlong investigation that included probes into Adams’ closest allies. Federal agents have searched and seized electronics from several officials, including former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, who resigned shortly after the search, and deputy mayors Phil Banks and Sheena Wright.

No other New York City official has been charged in connection with Adams’ allegations. The investigation is ongoing.

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(WASHINGTON) — Arlington National Cemetery has confirmed to ABC News that during former President Donald Trump’s visit on Monday, an “incident” related to photos being taken at the site occurred, leading to a report being filed.

When contacted by ABC News on Tuesday night, a representative for the Arlington National Cemetery released a statement that confirmed an “incident” but didn’t provide specifics.

“Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign. Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants. We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed,” the statement read.

Trump campaign’s communications director, Steven Cheung, posted on X what he said was proof of the team’s approval to have an official photographer and videographer outside the main press pool.

“Only former President Trump may have an official photographer and/or videographer outside of the main media pool,” a screengrab of what appears to be an access guideline posted by Cheung reads. However, it should be noted that campaign officials — not professionals — were also taking photos and videos of the day’s events.

Cheung also claimed on Tuesday night after the news broke that, “There was no physical altercation as described [by some reports], and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made” in a statement to ABC News.

Trump campaign staffers posted multiple pictures and videos of Trump visiting Arlington Cemetery, including from what appears to be Section 60, using the moment to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris’ absence. Trump was at the cemetery on the third anniversary of the attack at Abbey Gate during the withdrawal from Afghanistan to pay tribute to the 13 U.S. Service members killed in the incident.

In one video posted by Trump campaign’s senior adviser Chris LaCivita, Trump can be seen laying flowers on the grave of Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, who died in the attack. LaCivita wrote in the post that Trump was speaking on the phone with Knauss’ family, who couldn’t make it to the ceremony on Monday.

Multiple other Trump campaign staffers posted photos from there, and some of the images were then shared by the Trump campaign on their official X account.

Prior to the event, the cemetery had been explicit in its rule that no Trump activity could be filmed during his visit to Section 60.

Monday’s press pool note read: “The family visit to Section 60 following the wreath laying is private and at their explicit request, there will be NO coverage at that location. Your POOL will wait inside the press van during this visit. POOL will then be taken to an unknown location for an OTR stop to round out the morning.”

In a statement to ABC News, LaCivita, a combat-wounded Marine, stressed that Trump “was there on the invitation of the Abbey Gate Gold Star Families to honor their loved ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country,” calling the individual who attempted to block Trump campaign officials “despicable.”

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(WASHINGTON) — Melania Trump, the wife of former President Donald Trump, is criticizing restrictions on reproductive rights, including limits on abortion, in her new memoir, Melania, according to a new report.

“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes,” Melania Trump writes in her upcoming book, according to a report Wednesday from the Guardian.

In a position at odds with much of the Republican party, Melania Trump reportedly argues that the decision to terminate a pregnancy should be a decision left between a woman and her doctor, calling it “the common-sense approach.”

“It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the government,” she reportedly writes in the memoir set for release next week.

“Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body. I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life,” she reportedly says in the pages of Melania.

Purported excerpts of Melania Trump’s forthcoming book were published by the Guardian Wednesday but not independently verified by ABC News. A spokesperson for Melania Trump and the Trump campaign have not responded to requests from ABC News.

Melania Trump also addresses late-term abortions, according to the excerpts.

“It is important to note that historically, most abortions conducted during the later stages of pregnancy were the result of severe fetal abnormalities that probably would have led to the death or stillbirth of the child. Perhaps even the death of the mother. These cases were extremely rare and typically occurred after several consultations between the woman and her doctor. As a community, we should embrace these common-sense standards. Again, timing matters,” she reportedly writes.

Those comments offer a stark contrast to narratives Donald Trump has pushed around the issue, falsely claiming that Democrats support abortion “after birth.” Infanticide is illegal in all 50 states.

According to the report, Melania Trump then goes on to further ask for compassion for women who decide to terminate a pregnancy, detailing the hardships that surround making the decision and stressing the importance of “knowledge, security, and solace” for the next generation.

“When confronted with an unexpected pregnancy, young women frequently experience feelings of isolation and significant stress. I, like most Americans, am in favor of the requirement that juveniles obtain parental consent before undergoing an abortion. I realize this may not always be possible. Our next generation must be provided with knowledge, security, safety, and solace, and the cultural stigma associated with abortion must be lifted,” the former first lady reportedly writes.

Melania Trump’s reported comments come as husband Donald Trump has, at times, stumbled when answering complex questions on the campaign trail about his position on abortion rights and what reproductive care he would or wouldn’t protect. After being instrumental in the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, the former president has advocated for certain abortion exceptions and has said he wouldn’t sign a federal abortion ban.

During campaign rallies, Trump has touted his abortion policy, calling himself “the most pro-life President in American history.” He has also celebrated his appointment of three U.S. Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe vs. Wade.

As Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz sparred over Trump’s policies on reproductive rights at Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate, the former president reiterated his position that the decision on abortion is where people wanted it — with the states, writing on his social media platform that he would not support a federal abortion ban “under any circumstances, and would, in fact, veto it.”

Abortion remains a top issue for voters — especially women — in the upcoming election. Both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are working to connect with voters on the topic in what’s expected to be a close contest in November.

According to the Guardian, Melania Trump, an immigrant herself, also addresses immigration in her book. But she writes that she likes to keep “occasional political disagreements” private.

Donald Trump recently promoted his wife’s book at his rally in Uniondale, New York, though he suggested he hadn’t actually read it.

“First Lady, people love our first lady out there. Go out and get her book,” Trump said to cheers. “She just wrote a book. I hope she said good things about … She just wrote a book called ‘Melania.’ Go out and buy it. It’s great. And if she says bad things about me, I’ll call you all up, and I’ll say, don’t buy it.”

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