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As Donald Trump's New York hush money criminal trial is about to enter its third week, Robert Samuel, who owns the niche company "Same Ole Line Dudes," is making cash getting people a front row seat.

According to a profile from Salon, Samuel started his company 12 years ago after he lost his job with AT&T. His new business allowed people to pay him to reserve a spot in line for new Apple iPhone releases — and it evolved from there.

“It grew from me doing it by myself, and then when I realized that there was a demand, I started pulling in the people closest to me, my friends and family,” Samuel said. “New York is this rich, fertile ground — things to see, things to do, things to buy, experience, taste.”

Line Dudes has held spaces for Brooklyn pizza, ramen burgers, rainbow bagels and cronut pastries, PlayStation games and sample sales at fashion houses, according to Salon.

And now the company is reserving spots for members of the public and journalists wanting to get a seat to Trump's trial.

Also read: 'Such low energy': Trump relentlessly mocked for once again falling asleep during trial

Samuel said his company had "built up a good rapport with media agencies. We're the go-to when they don't want their reporters standing in line.”

"Line Dudes has previous experience with high-profile trials in Manhattan — for example, the 2021 trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was ultimately convicted for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring. The company was also involved in last fall's trial of cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, and E. Jean Carroll’s two civil suits against Trump for sexual assault and defamation," Salon's report stated.

Trump's trials have been good business for Samuel since courtroom space is limited. His company charges $50 an hour for places in the Trump trial line, which is twice his regular rate.

“This is such a high-profile type of assignment," Samuel said. "You run the risk of, you know, coming in contact with protesters and supporters, so we charge a premium."

Read the full profile over at Salon.

In the wake of Judge Juan Merchan slapping him with a contempt of court ruling, Donald Trump took to Truth Social and slammed the ruling — and the ensuing $9,000 fine — as a ploy to take away his First Amendment right to free speech.

Merchan ruled earlier Tuesday that Trump violated a gag order in his New York hush money criminal trial in at least nine separate instances. As a result, Trump will be fined $1,000 for each violation and was forced to remove the offending posts that violated the gag order from his Truth Social page.

Minutes after those posts disappeared, a new one emerged.

"This Judge has taken away my Constitutional Right to FREE SPEECH. I am the only Presidential Candidate in History to be GAGGED. This whole 'Trial' is RIGGED, and by taking away my FREEDOM OF SPEECH, THIS HIGHLY CONFLICTED JUDGE IS RIGGING THE PRESIDENTIAL OF 2024 ELECTION. ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Also read: 'Flabbergasted' Secret Service agent sues right-wing media for linking him to Hunter Biden

Merchan warned Trump that he could be thrown in jail if he continues to violate his gag order.

The order imposed on Trump was fairly permissive and allowed him to criticize Merchan, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and the charges against him. Trump is however prohibited from disparaging potential witnesses, juror, court staff and their families.

Trump is facing 34 charges related to an alleged hush money payment to adult movie star Stormy Daniels, with whom he's accused of having a sexual relationship. Trump allegedly covered up the payments by falsifying business records.

He denies all the charges.

Trump and his lawyers argued that he did not violate the gag order because he was simply re-sharing criticisms of witness and his former lawyer Michael Cohen posted by other people and news outlets.

Trump has previously been issued sanctions for violating gag orders in his civil trials, which resulted in thousands of dollars in fines.

Almost immediately after the judge in his New York hush money criminal trial ruled that he was in contempt of court, Donald Trump's campaign sent out a fundraising email in an attempt to capitalize on the ruling.

“A Democrat judge JUST HELD ME IN CONTEMPT OF COURT!” the email sent out on Tuesday read, according to Politico.

“I was fined $9,000 for 9 gag order violations. THEY WANT TO SILENCE ME! They think they can BLEED ME DRY and SHUT ME UP, but I’ll NEVER stop fighting for YOU," read the email, which included a donation link.

Judge Juan Merchan determined that Trump violated a gag order in at least nine separate instances, fined him $1,000 for each instance and forced him to remove the offending posts from his Truth Social page. The posts had disappeared by 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Also read: Revealed: New report names Republicans funneling fortune into Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort

"The contempt ruling is a flashpoint for Trump, who has long used his legal troubles as motivation for fundraising," Politico reported.

"Ordering Trump to pay a fine for gag order violations is one of the more significant rulings against Trump since the trial began, and gives the former president fresh ammunition to rail against the legal system and his political opponents. It’s also a clear and simple message that can be more easily understood by supporters than appeals based on complex legal motions: They’re trying to silence me."

Fundraising groups linked to Trump send out multiple emails a day utilizing the theme that depicts Trump as being politically targeted by the legal system, referring to his hush money trial as a “sham Biden trial."

As Politico points out, while Trump is an experienced and successful fundraiser, his legal troubles have boosted his fundraising efforts to new levels.

In the wake of Donald Trump's recent meeting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, where the two reportedly made peace after trading barbs during the 2024 presidential campaign, sparking speculation that DeSantis could be chosen as Trump's running mate, a new report says that he isn't the only one trekking to Mar-a-Lago to curry favor from the former president.

Details about how Republican money is being spent, revealed by The Independent, shows who's working hard to gain Trump's ear.

"Kari Lake, the presumptive Republican nominee for Arizona’s open U.S. Senate seat, has spent an eye-opening $21,638.08 since the beginning of the 2024 cycle on catering services and facility rental services at Mar-a-Lago," The Independent's report stated.

Also read: 'Uhhhh': Trump short-circuits as local TV anchor pushes back on dubious claim

"That’s a lot of dinners and hotel rooms. A former news anchor, Lake has consistently repeated Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen. In 2022, she attempted to run for governor and lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs — but has refused to concede and instead filed legal challenges that have been rebuffed."

Also reaching out to Trump is Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, who spent $302.81 on a single meal at Mar-a-Lago this year. The campaign for Representative Greg Steube spent almost $1,200 at the Palm Beach resort. Florida GOP Rep. Brian Mast was a comparatively high spender, with his campaign shelling out $13,805.45 at Mar-a-Lago — but that was nothing compared to Ohio GOP Rep. Max Miller, whose campaign spent over $36,800 at the resort.

Other GOP lawmakers and failed candidates spent thousands at Mar-a-Lago as well.

Trump’s own presidential campaign spent a huge sum at Mar-a-Lago — a total of $193,349.69, while the Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee spent $412,412.61 at the resort, according to The Independent.

House Democratic leadership has announced they will block the attempt from some Republicans to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson — an effort spearheaded by right-wing lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene.

“We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Motion to Vacate the Chair. If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said in a statement, according to Politico.

“At this moment, upon completion of our national security work, the time has come to turn the page on this chapter of Pro-Putin Republican obstruction,” the leaders wrote.

According to a report from CNN, the Democratic leaders made their announcement after their caucus meeting ended on Tuesday. House Republicans have reportedly told CNN that the motion to vacate Johnson’s speakership is “dead.”

Also read: Trump's demand to stop hush money trial denied by appeals court

Greene has struggled to find allies in her push to oust Johnson after he put Ukraine funding to a vote.

“I oppose a motion to vacate at the current time,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).

"I think that's pretty much not gonna happen. We're at too much of a slim majority," added Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL).

"I don't support what he's doing; he went back on his word to us," she said of Johnson. "However, I'm not going to risk giving the gavel to a Democrat."

She did find allies in Paul Gosar (R-AZ ) and Thomas Massie (R-KY).

From NBC News: "Numerous conservative lawmakers who have blasted the recent Johnson-blessed spending bills and foreign aid package said as the House returned from a weeklong recess that they aren’t ready to support Greene’s push to remove Johnson.

"They cited a number of reasons: They worry it would disrupt GOP unity ahead of the election, they fear there isn’t a better replacement, they believe it’d fail due to a thinning majority, and some say the time isn't right."

If fundraising or other means of getting cash falters, Donald Trump is close to running out of funds to pay his legal bills as his New York hush money criminal trial continues, according to a new report.

Trump is racking up significant legal bills as the trial, where he's accused of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to adult movie star Stormy Daniels, enters into its second week. He's also facing three other indictments that could result in trials beginning this year.

Newsweek reported that Trump has been paying his lawyers using the Save America PAC, which has doled out more than $62 million for legal fees since January 2023. At the end of March, the PAC had around $4 million in cash — after spending $5.4 million on legal bills in the previous month.

Also read: Judge slaps Trump with $9K in fines — and warns 'jail may be a necessary punishment'

Speaking to Newsweek, University of Nottingham political science professor Todd Landman said that while "it is not clear that he will run out of money," Trump will be paying "substantial legal fees" in the coming weeks.

"Trump is managing four legal cases at present, each of which incurs legal fees for preparation of his defense, filing motions, and in the case of the Manhattan trial, representing him at trial four days a week," he said.

"The Manhattan trial is expected to run for five to six weeks in total, which continues this week, where there will be more witnesses for the prosecution and a separate hearing on whether he has violated his gag order," Landman continued. The judge ruled Tuesday that violations had occurred, but has another meeting scheduled to look into extra accusations.

"He has retained multiple lawyers to defend him, which means that he will have to pay substantial legal fees. It is not clear that he will run out of money, as he has been successful in securing a number of large donations from supporters," Landman said.

"However, there are legal constraints on using some of his political organizations and thus [he] needs to keep campaign finance separate from personal legal defense spending. On top of his legal fees, he has outstanding civil judgments against him pending appeal."

Funneling so much cash to legal fees could also drastically effect Trump's campaign, said another University of Nottingham professor, Christopher Phelps.

"The key question is whether he can do so while also running an effective ground operation in the battleground states, which requires a lot of advertising and personnel," he said.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has executed search warrants on Google and X and obtained hundreds of files related to the state's probe into the effort to subvert the 2020 election, according to a new report. Among them, a message from one Republican writer requesting he be spared from Trump's "conspiracy theories."

The search warrants came after CNN uncovered secret social media accounts belonging to pro-Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro.

Prosecutors now have access to Chesebro's email and private direct messages on X, formerly known as Twitter, according to CNN. Nine months ago, the state's fake electors were charged with forgery and other crimes for signing certificates that falsely claimed former President Donald Trump won the state in the 2020 election.

Trump is reportedly an unindicted co-conspirator in the case.

"Michigan is among a number of states to investigate fake electors schemes," the report states. "Just last week, Arizona prosecutors filed criminal charges against the pro-Trump electors there and allies of the former president who were involved in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election."

Also read: 'Stunning rise': Trump Media's stock value shoots up after weeks of crashing

"According to the new documents provided to Michigan prosecutors, which were obtained by CNN, Chesebro fruitlessly tried to bring several controversial pro-Trump figures to Washington, DC, to watch his 'fake electors' strategy unfold on January 6, 2021," CNN's report added.

The search warrants were executed in March, according to CNN, shortly after the news network reported Chesebro had concealed some of his social media accounts from prosecutors during his cooperation session last year.

"Chesebro has not been charged in Michigan, and he has pleaded guilty in Georgia’s election interference probe," CNN reported.

According to the messages, Chesebro reached out to Wisconsin conservative writer James Wigderson, who rejected his rigged election narrative. According to the documents reviewed by CNN, Chesebro was trying to "gin up coverage" questioning Wisconsin's election results.

“You can spare me this stuff. Thanks. Trump lost,” Wigderson reportedly told Chesebro. “I really don’t have time for conspiracy theories. Thanks for understanding.”

A famed British photographer — whose subjects include Russian president Vladimir Putin and American presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump — shared this weekend disturbing words uttered by the last, according to a new report.

Speaking with CNN's Christiane Amanpour this weekend, Platon described an exchange he had with Trump before he took the White House.

The lead-up to the famed photographer's session with Putin was "a whole process of intimidation when you come into contact with power," Platon said.

"I was told that [the photoshoot] would be in the halls of the Kremlin,” Platon said, adding that he was instead "led into a forest outside Moscow at gunpoint by a former KGB operative."

Platon described the encounter as intimidating.

“You have no idea what’s going on, and I got to the most scary building I’ve ever seen; it was his private residence, his dacha, in the middle of the forest," Platon said. "Snipers everywhere. I’m led into the building at gunpoint."

Also read: 'I'd be furious': Experts say Cohen is 'compromising' Trump case with nightly livestreams

But out of all the world leaders he's photographed, it was Trump who surprised him the most.

“I remember saying to him, ‘Donny, let’s just be human,'” Platon recalls of a portrait session with Trump.

"We’ve all followed your career, no one can doubt it’s an extraordinary career path you’ve had," Platon said he told Trump. "But there’s always something about you, there’s always an air of tension and controversy about things you say and do in public, and I’m sure it’s intentional on your part. But it feels to me as if you’re in the middle of an emotional storm. I can’t live with that anxiety all the time. As a fellow human being, I’d like to know how you weather the storm.”

It was at that point that Trump looked at Platon and said, "I am the storm."

“I had those words ringing out in my brain,” Platon told Amanpour. “Through the election campaign, through his presidency, through his post-presidency, and now we’re in another cycle again. I keep thinking to myself, ‘There’s only one person who can navigate perfectly through the storm,’ and that’s the creator of the storm.”

Former Trump lawyer and current witness in the former president's New York hush money trial, Michael Cohen, is discussing details of the trial in nightly livestreams on TikTok, where he appears to be earning money through viewer donations.

Cohen's social media activities don't seem to fall afoul of any court restrictions, but experts tell ABC News that the livestreams aren't doing anything to help his credibility.

"I'd be furious," said former Georgia prosecutor Chris Timmons. "As a prosecutor, the last thing you want your witness to do is to be talking about the case in a forum other than the courtroom."

Defense attorney Jeremy Saland agreed, saying Cohen's actions will only help Trump.

"I have no doubt that Team Trump is scrutinizing and listening and watching whatever they can, and they are rightfully going to weaponize it in a court of law to tear down his credibility," Saland said.

Also read: 'Stunning rise': Trump Media's stock value shoots up after weeks of crashing

"If I'm the prosecution, I'm on the phone right now saying, 'Stop what you are doing — right now,'" he added. "I can't make you, but you need to stop for your own sake because it's going to get worse for you in that courtroom. And you are compromising the case."

When asked by ABC News about the livestreams, Cohen said he's "not the defendant in this criminal matter and am not the subject of Judge Merchan's gag order. Donald is."

"Nevertheless, I elected, out of respect to the court and the prosecutors, to cease commenting on Trump and this matter; which I have done," Cohen added.

Cohen made a similar pledge in a Wednesday post to X, where he said he would stop using the platform to comment about Trump and the trial.

"See you in a month (or more)," Cohen wrote.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 charges accusing him of falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement of a hush money payment that Cohen made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to hide an affair she and Trump allegedly had before the 2016 election.

A group of adrenaline junkies in the Republican conference are making their colleagues nervous, since anyone sidelined by a mishap could destroy the GOP's razor-thin 217-212 majority in the House.

"That math means every member sidelined by a weekend-warrior mishap is a possible legislative crisis," writes The Wall Street Journal's Katy Stech Ferek.

As they hold the House with one of the smallest majorities in U.S. history, Republicans could be thrown into a "legislative crisis" should one of them become sidelined, making each member's attendance critical.

It took two tries to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, due to GOP absences. More exits could in theory cost Republicans control of the chamber to Democrats before the next elections," Ferek writes, adding that Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) recently joked to House Speaker Mike Johnson that members should avoid dangerous activities while on break.

Also read: OAN apologizes to Michael Cohen for false sex allegations in embarrassing retraction

“No bungee jumping, no swimming with sharks, no skydiving,” Malliotakis told Johnson.

Lawmakers speaking to The Journal say that Johnson hasn't pressured them to tamp down extreme hobbies. In a statement, Johnson's office said he's “always encouraging all members to honor the full duration of their terms in order to be as effective as possible in advancing our conservative priorities.”

But many GOP "daredevils" are heeding that advice, namely members who are planning a tribute to mark D-Day’s 80th anniversary by jumping out of WWII-era planes with parachutes onto the beaches of Normandy.

"Even routine sports can pack a punch, as seen when Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), 68 years old, was wheeled into a recent House vote with his foot in a boot, courtesy of a pickleball mishap. His spokesman said it 'will not impede his ability to dutifully serve and represent his constituents,'" Ferek's report stated.

A former mill town, Littleton, New Hampshire, is feuding over a series of LGBTQ-themed murals that were installed last August by a non--profit group seeking to "beautify" run-down properties — murals that a right-wing state senator says has hidden "demonic" messages.

Republican State Senator Carrie Gendreau, who is vocally anti-LGBTQ, said in a statement that the murals that went up are "not good," The New York Post reported.

“I would encourage anyone to research what that really means,” she said, referring to the symbolism in the murals. “I don’t want that to be in our town.”

One mural, according to Gendreau, had “demonic hidden messages” and “demonic symbolism."

“I am very concerned about what is basically creeping into our community,” she said, adding that homosexuality is an "abomination."

Also read: Former U.S. attorney: Judge will take Trump to the 'woodshed' over gag order

As a result, people called for any art that appears in the town to be strictly managed.

During the same Aug. 28 board meeting where Gendreau made her comments, Town Manager Jim Gleason, whose late son was gay, quit in anger over Gendreau comments.

“My son is not an abomination,” Gleason said to an outburst of applause.

Mural artist Meg Reinhold expressed disappointment that such anger would erupt over her work.

“If a viewer looks at these works and sees demons and darkness, what does that tell us about how they view the world?” Reinhold said.

“While I am disappointed that attempts are being made to silence artistic expression in public spaces I am fortified in my conviction that I want to continue making meaningful public art,” Reinhold wrote in a previous post to Instagram. “I will fight wholeheartedly against censorship, and will double down when that censorship targets the LGBTQ+ community.”

Gendreau said she approaches the issue of the paintings “from a biblical perspective."

President Joe Biden's announcement Friday that he's willing to debate Donald Trump spurred Fox News host Emily Compagno to claim he'd orchestrate a “Nancy Kerrigan situation” to stop the debate from going forward, video shows.

Compagno made the comparison during a segment on the Fox News show "Outnumbered," drawing comparisons to the notorious attack on the Olympic figure skater orchestrated by competitor Tonya Harding's ex-husband and bodyguard.

“It will probably be a Nancy Kerrigan situation,” she said. “Where right as Trump’s walking out, they like snip the mic. ‘Oh no! We tried! We showed up! There was a flat tire!’”

Compagno went on to say that she was “sure” someone would “sabotage” the debate.

Fellow panelists on the conservative network also said that, barring sabotage, Trump would be very likely win a debate against Biden.

“President Trump would wipe the floor with Joe Biden," Fox Business Network anchor Dagen McDowell said. "And that’s an insult to mops."

Also read: 'Not sending their brightest': Trump lawyer mocked for calling Manhattan a state

During an interview with broadcaster Howard Stern this Friday, Biden said he will debate Trump before the 2024 election.

“I am, somewhere. I don’t know when,” Biden said when asked by Stern if he plans to debate Trump. “I’m happy to debate him.”

According to CNN, it’s the "first time Biden has said explicitly he would debate Trump in this election cycle. Previously, he has equivocated, saying it would depend on the former president’s behavior. Some of Biden’s aides have questioned whether Trump would abide by established rules in any potential debate, and before Friday his campaign hadn’t set out any specific debate plan."

The segment spurred a raised eyebrow from Daily Beast reporter Justin Baragona, who quipped Trump better beware.

"It appears the Secret Service needs to be on the lookout for mysterious men wielding collapsible batons looking to kneecap Trump as he ambles to the podium this fall," Baragona joked, "at least according to one Fox News star."

Watch the video below or click here.

A top Maine Democrat says her party will take action if Nebraska Republicans move to change their electoral college rules to help Donald Trump.

House majority leader Maureen Terry said Friday that if Nebraska’s Republican governor signs legislation that allows for a winner-take-all election in the state in 2024, the Democratic-controlled Legislature would “be compelled to act in order to restore fairness," Politico reported.

Maine and Nebraska awards some of their electoral votes according to which candidate wins individual congressional districts, which would seemingly allow Trump to win one Electoral College vote from Maine and Joe Biden winning one from Nebraska.

The Nebraska GOP now wants to block any chances for President Joe Biden to earn an electoral college vote by winning the state’s Omaha-district. While a bill for such a change remains stagnant in the Legislature, a new push from Trump supporters to push the bill through is resurrecting its potential.

Also read: Trump lawyers are taking shifts to keep him awake in courtroom: legal analysts

“I am steadfast in my commitment to get winner-take-all over the finish line, thereby honoring our constitutional founding, unifying our state and ending the three-decade-old mistake of allocating Nebraska’s electoral votes differently than all but one other state,” Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has said.

If the legislation is successful, it would block Biden’s simplest path to reelection -- "holding the three 'Blue Wall' states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, while also winning Nebraska’s 2nd District, a blue-trending seat based in Omaha," Politico's report stated.

“Voters in Maine and voters in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District value their independence, but they also value fairness and playing by the rules,” Terry said. “If Nebraska’s Republican governor and Republican-controlled Legislature were to change their electoral system this late in the cycle in order to unfairly award Donald Trump an additional electoral vote, I think the Maine Legislature would be compelled to act in order to restore fairness to our country’s electoral system.”

The House Republican rebels campaigning to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson from his role have seemingly dialed back their criticisms of the speaker after Donald Trump threw his support behind him.

Johnson's speakership quickly came under threat after Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene filed a motion to boot him, and won the backing of Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ). The lawmakers cite Johnson's $95 billion foreign aid plan which included money for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific but nothing for the U.S. border as their reason for opposing him.

But earlier this week, Donald Trump came to Johnson's defense, saying that the speaker is doing his best considering the current political environment.

Also read: Investors admit shorting Truth Social stock to crash Trump's dream of cashing in

"It’s not like he can go and do whatever he wants to do," Trump told radio host John Fredericks on Monday.

"I think he’s a very good person. You know, he stood very strongly with me on NATO when I said NATO has to pay up. It’s a tough situation when you have what, I think, is a very good man. I think he’s trying very hard. And again, we’ve got to have a big election."

Now, according to Fox News, the 'rebel' lawmakers are keeping quiet in regards to their opposition to Johnson, with all three lawmakers refusing to comment on Trump's conciliatory words. Gosar's office told Fox News "no comment" when contacted.

As Fox points out, Greene and Gosar have been consistent allies to Trump and have even functioned as surrogates for him on the campaign trail. Massie, however, hasn't been shy when it comes to voicing criticism of the former president and publicly supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Fox News' report went on to say that a "majority of House Republican lawmakers have already signaled that they don't have the appetite for another period of upheaval like what followed McCarthy's ouster."