Donald Trump trial live updates: Ex-president returns to court for Day 11 after delivering pizza to firefighters and getting a hero’s welcome

They’ve ticked off Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and seen Hamilton on Broadway.

Now the visitors from Australia are headed for the public gallery of the Donald Trump trial at Manhattan Criminal Court.

‘We woke up this morning and said we have to be in “the room where it happens,’ said Marney, breaking into the hit song from Hamilton, quickly followed by a fit of giggles.

Across the street is the Manhattan court where Donald Trump is on trial.

He has denied 34 counts of falsifying business records.

But a seemingly mundane case about ledgers and checks has become the hottest ticket in town, enlivened already by the testimony of America’s tabloid king and a celebrity lawyer who has won payouts from Charlie Sheen.

Donald Trump celebrated the end of Day 10 of the hush money trial by handing out pizzas to members of the FDNY.

The former president drove to the firehouse in Midtown Manhattan to greet the cheering firefighters and hand them slices of pie.

The presumptive Republican nominee for president has made similar stops during breaks from court to keep his campaign going.

Last week he visited a construction site to meet union workers.

Earlier in the trial he went to a bodega in Harlem which was the scene of a shooting that rocked Manhattan.

Donald Trump’s day in criminal court began with Judge Juan Merchan addressing the ex-president directly where he said he wants to clear up any ‘misunderstanding’ regarding the gag order.

Judge Merchan said Trump had an ‘absolute right’ to testify at trial and an ‘absolute right’ not to.

The gag order bars the ex-president from commenting on the jury, witnesses and court staff. It does not apply to Trump testifying or commenting on the judge.

Judge Merchan told Trump that testifying was his ‘constitutional right’ and one that ‘you haven’t been denied in any way.’

The gag order does not stop Trump ‘testifying in any way’, the court heard.

Judge Merchan said the gag order ‘does not prohibit you from taking the stand and does not minimize what you can say from the witness stand.’

The order only applies to extrajudicial statements Trump makes, meaning those outside the court, the judge said.

Judge Merchan told Trump that if he had any ‘lingering doubts’ he should speak to his lawyers.

Trump nodded his head in apparent agreement.

Trump walked into court wearing a navy blue suit and a light blue tie.

He quietly said ‘hello’ to Anderson Cooper, who was sitting by the aisle on the right side of the court.

Donald Trump addressed the U.S. adding 175,000 jobs last month, a slowdown in hiring.

‘These people are destroying our country,’ Trump claimed.

‘They’re really, really low, really bad, our economy’s bad,’ Trump stated of the jobs numbers.

He claimed it would only get worse.

Despite Trump’s statement, economists have been expecting this slowdown for months even as hiring in February and March were hotter than expected.

The jobs number according to economists is not the sign of a bad economy as layoffs remain low.

The ex-president also complained that there are 10 states he would rather be in right now instead of criminal court.

He claimed he was supposed to be in Georgia today, Ohio tomorrow and then in Florida ‘doing – campaigning, essentially campaigning.’

In response to a question about what he would do to address jobs, Trump said ‘drill baby drill.’

Trump also was asked about testifying after claiming he was not allowed just yesterday.

‘No, it won’t stop me from testifying. The gag order is not for testifying,’ Trump said. The ex-president said the gag order prevents him from talking about people who say things about him, and he’s not allowed to respond.

The former president is in his motorcade in Manhattan and heading downtown.

He gave his trademark wave to the waiting crowds as he crossed the sidewalk in his midtown residence.

There has been a parade of media personalities – including top network anchors – during the trial.

Friday’s is veteran CNN host Anderson Cooper.

Donald Trump on Thursday addressed reports that he may have been sleeping during his trial as reporters noted he closed his eyes for long periods of time.

During the lunch break he posted:

Contrary to the FAKE NEWS MEDIA, I don’t fall asleep during the Crooked D.A.’s Witch Hunt, especially not today. I simply close my beautiful blue eyes, sometimes, listen intensely, and take it ALL in!!!

Trump’s posts on his Truth Social profile became a subject of discussion in court today, when his lawyer questioned the judge whether he could post information from news articles about the case.

Judge Merchan dismissed the request.

‘I’m not going to give advance rulings,’ he said, adding that there was ‘no ambiguity’ in the order.

‘If in doubt, steer clear,’ he advised.

On an extraordinary 10th day of Donald Trump’s blockbuster hush money trial there were revelations galore.

Trump sat stoically at the defendant’s table as witness Keith Davidson was quizzed by prosecutors and the former president’s attorneys.

Davidson is a lawyer who represented Stormy Daniels, the porn star who claims to have had an affair with Trump and received a $130,000 payment to buy her silence.

His testimony revealed a barrage of information. Here are the key takeaways: