The most anticipated showdown of Donald Trump’s hush money trial began Monday as Michael Cohen — the former president’s ex-fixer and lawyer —- took the stand to detail his close relationship with Trump, and how he craved his validation by consistently updating Trump on his efforts to stifle Karen McDougal’s and Stormy Daniels’ stories.
Cohen detailed his day-to-day relationship with the former president during his employment between 2007 and 2018. Cohen described Trump as a “micro-manager” whom he spoke to “every single day, and multiple times a day,” either by phone or in person. He also told the jury that ahead of his 2016 campaign announcement, Trump had warned him to “be prepared, there’s going to be a lot of women coming forward.”
As Cohen worked to help suppress potentially damaging stories about Trump, he recounted providing regular updates to the former president to claim “credit” for his actions, and to receive directions on “what he wanted me to do.” Prosecutors hope Cohen’s testimony will show just how much Trump was in the know about every little detail, especially about matters “that worried him,” Cohen testified.
Cohen’s testimony will be pivotal for the prosecution’s case against Trump, who has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. The charges stem from an alleged scheme in which then-candidate Trump and his associates made hush-money payments to women, including $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, in order to aid his 2016 presidential election campaign. Prosecutors have accused the former president of unlawfully masking reimbursement payments to Cohen — who paid the money to Daniels out of his own pockets — as legal expenses.
While Cohen’s testimony promises to be some of the most impactful in the trial, he’s already been the subject of heavy discussion amongst prior witnesses, as prosecutors look to draw a connection between his actions and the former president’s intentions. Last month, former tabloid boss David Pecker described to the court how two months before Trump announced his 2016 campaign, he was summoned to Trump Tower for a meeting with Cohen and Trump. Pecker offered to aid Trump by acting as the “eyes and ears” of the campaign and helping kill negative stories that could impact Trump’s chances of winning.
Pecker testified that Cohen was his point of contact regarding coverage of the former president, and often told him “the boss” — shorthand for Trump — would be happy about decisions made by the pair. Pecker also detailed how in the weeks before the 2016 election, he refused to purchase Daniels’ story after failing to receive repayments for stories purchased from a doorman at Trump Tower, and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. “If you don’t, it’s going to be sold to another media outlet and the boss is going to be very very angry with you,” Pecker told Cohen. Once Pecker put his foot down, Cohen opened an LLC to wire the reimbursement payments for the other stories Pecker had purchased — and to route the $130,000 of his own funds he used to pay off Daniels
Trump has never denied making the hush-money payment. Rather, he claimed he never intentionally falsified business documents nor attempted to intentionally defraud American voters. Cohen’s testimony could offer prosecutors the legal case for why Trump is being tried on felony charges, and offer an incriminating inside view of the former president’s intentions. More importantly, prosecutors are looking for Cohen’s testimony to act as a buffer for any inevitable appeals the Trump legal team may file.
Trump and Cohen have long been overdue for a face-to-face clash in court. Following Trump’s indictment last year by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the former president sued Cohen for half a billion dollars, alleging that his former attorney had violated attorney-client privilege in his public discussions of the hush money payments, and his cooperation with prosecutors.
Trump has also spent plenty of time publicly bashing Cohen ahead of his testimony — despite the implementation of a court order barring him from attacking witnesses. Judge Juan Merchan has held Trump in contempt of the order 10 times since the start of the trial, including over various instances in which he attacked Cohen on social media and in his statements to reporters outside of the courtroom.
Despite complaining that the amount of security around the courthouse prevented his supporters from accessing the space, Trump’s entourage entered in full force on Monday. Attendees present in court included his son Eric Trump, his spokesperson Alina Habba, former advisor Boris Epshteyn, and electeds Nicole Malliotakis, Steve Marshall, J.D. Vance, Brenna Bird, and Tommy Tuberville. Notably absent for the fifth week in a row is Trump’s wife Melania, whom his defense has argued he cares for deeply and is the reason why Trump engaged in the hush-money payment in the first place.
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