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Donald Trump masks his rage as ‘hush money’ trial starts

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Joshua Chaffin in New York

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

The sight of a scowling Donald Trump sitting in a New York courtroom, flanked by lawyers, is by now so common that it no longer surprises.

Still, there was an added, unspoken tension when the former — and perhaps future — US president appeared in Manhattan criminal court on Monday morning. The charges he was facing — for his alleged role in making hush money payments to a former adult porn actor — are not civil, but criminal. Therefore, it is not just his reputation or his bank account that are at stake. This time, Trump is at risk of losing his freedom.

That might explain why he appeared more docile during opening arguments than he has in other recent civil trials concerning his business practices and defamation of a New York writer. Dressed in a white shirt and blue tie, Trump maintained his steely mien throughout an abbreviated two-and-a-half hour session. On one occasion, he shook his head when a government prosecutor told the court he had interfered with the 2016 election. For the most part, though, Trump was subdued.

Nor did he draw much of a crowd. His wife, Melania, and daughter, Ivanka, were nowhere to be seen. Instead, he had to settle for the moral support of Andrew Giuliani, the son of the former New York City mayor and his erstwhile lawyer Rudy.

Only a handful of partisans mingled on the heavily patrolled plaza outside the courthouse. A man in a Puerto Rico basketball jersey was conducting a circular argument with a Chinese woman who was waving a Trump flag at him and shouting: “American citizen!” Nearby, the pavement was still stained in the spot where a man espousing wild conspiracy theories set himself on fire on Friday.

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That gruesome event, beside a bank of television news cameras, contributed to the sense of a city going mad — be it the recent violence on the subways or anti-Israel protests at Columbia University that have prompted the administration to call in the police and cancel in-person classes .

As has become his courtroom practice, Trump saved his outrage for the hallway, where he fulminated before reporters about the injustice of it all.

“It’s a case as to book keeping, which is a very minor thing in terms of the law — in terms of all the violent crime that’s going on out there,” he said at one point, repeating an argument meant to puncture Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney. “This is what takes me off the campaign trail. Because I should be in Florida right now, I should be in Georgia right now, I should be in a lot of places campaigning, but I’m sitting here,” he added.

In a narrow sense, he may be correct. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to buy her silence on the eve of the 2016 election about a past liaison that he has denied.

In its particulars, however, the trial is sure to be about things far seedier than bookkeeping, as Matthew Colangelo, a lawyer for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, made clear in a roughly 30-minute opening argument.

Colangelo recited, in a bland tone, the now infamous comments Trump made in 2005 to a presenter for Access Hollywood , in which he boasted about his appeal to women and how he liked to “grab them by the pussy” — a line that has lost none of its cringe-inducing power since it was first aired eight years ago. In the tight contest against Hillary Clinton in 2016, tabloid news stories about other infidelities might have sunk Trump, Colangelo argued, saying: “We’ll never know.”

Trump looked stoic. In the days ahead, he may come face to face with Daniels and Karen McDougal, a former Playboy playmate who also claimed to have had an affair with Trump. Both are listed as potential government witnesses.

As the boss looked on, Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, used his own opening argument to try to humanise a larger-than-life figure who may be the most famous person on the planet. Trump, he told jurors, was not just the former president and a celebrity: “He’s also a man. He’s a husband. He’s a father,” and one, “cloaked in innocence”.

By contrast, Blanche tore into the man who is expected to be one of the government’s top witnesses: Michael Cohen, the former Trump attorney and fixer who made the payment to Daniels and then, according to previous testimony before Congress, sought reimbursement from his boss for “legal services”.

“He’s an admitted liar,” Blanche said, adding that Cohen was “obsessed with President Trump — even to this day”.

Given the short session, the prosecution spent only a few minutes with their first witness: David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer and Palm Beach bon vivant. Pecker has previously confessed to helping his friend Trump buy and bury unflattering stories in a practice known as “catch and kill”.

He brought slicked-back hair and unexpected jollity into the courtroom on Monday. He also imparted a bit of tabloid publishing wisdom, telling jurors: “Being in the publishing industry for 40 years, I realised early in my career that the only thing that was important was the cover of the magazine.”

It was something Trump, the master of self-promotion, could have told them.

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Trump’s lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close

NEW YORK (AP) — After prosecutors’ lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defense lawyers in Donald Trump’s criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of  the National Enquirer  and his efforts to  protect Trump from negative stories  during the 2016 election.

David Pecker returned to the witness stand for the fourth day as defense attorneys try to poke holes in his testimony after he described helping bury embarrassing stories that Trump feared could hurt his campaign.

It will cap a consequential week in the criminal cases the former president is facing as he vies to reclaim the White House in November.

At the same time jurors listened to testimony in Manhattan, the Supreme Court on Thursday  signaled it was likely to reject  Trump’s sweeping claims that he is immune from prosecution in his 2020 election interference case in Washington. But the conservative-majority high court seemed inclined to limit when former presidents could be prosecuted — a  ruling that could benefit Trump  by delaying that trial, potentially until after the November election.

In New York — the first of Trump’s  four criminal cases to go to trial  — the presumptive Republican presidential nominee  faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records  in connection with hush money payments meant to stifle negative stories from surfacing in the final days of the 2016 campaign.

Trump denies any wrongdoing. Before entering the courtroom Friday, he told reporters he believes Thursday’s proceedings went “very well” for the defense, adding that “the case should be over.”

Prosecutors allege that Trump sought to illegally influence the 2016 race through a tabloid industry practice that involves catching a potentially damaging story by buying the rights to it and then killing it through agreements that prevent the paid person from telling the story to anyone else.

Over several days on the witness stand, Pecker has described how he and the tabloid parlayed rumor-mongering into splashy stories that smeared Trump’s opponents and, just as crucially, leveraged his connections to suppress seamy stories about Trump.

The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trump’s company made to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen. He paid that sum on Trump’s behalf to keep  porn actor Stormy Daniels  from going public with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the encounter ever happened.

During the cross-examination that began Thursday, defense attorney Emil Bove grilled Pecker on his recollection of specific dates and meanings. He appeared to be laying further groundwork for the defense’s argument that any dealings Trump had Pecker were intended to protect himself, his reputation and his family — not his campaign.

Pecker recalled how an editor told him that Daniels’ representative was trying to sell her story and that the tabloid could acquire it for $120,000. Pecker said he put his foot down, noting that the tabloid was already $180,000 in the hole for Trump-related catch-and-kill transactions. But, Pecker said, he told Cohen to buy the story himself to prevent Daniels from going public with her claim.

“I said to Michael, ‘My suggestion to you is that you should buy the story, and you should take it off the market because if you don’t and it gets out, I believe the boss will be very angry with you.’”

Richer reported from Washington.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Taylor Swift shares big video hint the ‘Eras Tour' may be changing

“taylor swift, you have some explaining to do” wrote one fan., by amy eley | today • published april 25, 2024 • updated on april 25, 2024 at 9:10 pm.

Taylor Swift is taking fans behind the scenes of her “Eras Tour” with a series of clips, and Swifties now suspect there’s a hint as to changes coming to the world-renowned show.

Days after releasing her newest album,  “The Tortured Poets Department,”  Swift posted another YouTube Short video with her hit single “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone,” playing over videos of her and her dancers rehearsing for the tour. But there’s one moment in the montage that has fans doing what they do best: speculating.

Fans will recognize many of the scenes being practiced, such as Swift's iconic entrance from the ground, her performance of "Lavender Haze" in a coat surrounded by clouds, playing "Champagne Problems" seated at a moss-covered piano and more. But one clip, in which Swift stands in the middle of a stage with her dancers lined up behind her wearing top hats and holding canes, did not appear in the original "Eras Tour."

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“Since when do background dancers have a top hat and canes?!” one fan with the username armaisacat.1989  captioned a TikTok  of the scene, adding “Taylor Swift you have some explaining to do!!”

The “Eras Tour” is a three-hour, 15-minute concert in which Swift performs songs from all of her albums since her 2006 self-titled debut record. Many — including the TODAY.com staff — have speculated whether or not the pop star would integrate “Tortured Poets Department” as another era in the show.

All will be (hopefully) be revealed when the tour begins again in Paris on May 9.

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This is the second YouTube Short Swift has posted since the latest album release. On April 19, she shared  glimpses of her personal life , again set to the tune of “Fortnight.”

In that compilation, her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, makes appearances with the star. The videos are in collaboration with YouTube, encouraging users to post their own “14 snippets” of their lives set to the same song.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY :

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Could Trump Go to Prison? If He Does, the Secret Service Goes, Too

Officials have had preliminary discussions about how to protect the former president in the unlikely event that he is jailed for contempt during the trial.

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By William K. Rashbaum

The U.S. Secret Service is in the business of protecting the president, whether he’s inside the Oval Office or visiting a foreign war zone.

But protecting a former president in prison? The prospect is unprecedented. That would be the challenge if Donald J. Trump — whom the agency is required by law to protect around the clock — is convicted at his criminal trial in Manhattan and sentenced to serve time.

Even before the trial’s opening statements, the Secret Service was in some measure planning for the extraordinary possibility of a former president behind bars. Prosecutors had asked the judge in the case to remind Mr. Trump that attacks on witnesses and jurors could land him in jail even before a verdict is rendered.

(The judge, who held a hearing Tuesday morning to determine whether Mr. Trump should be held in contempt for violating a gag order, is far more likely to issue a warning or impose a fine before taking the extreme step of jailing the 77-year-old former president. It was not immediately clear when he would issue his ruling.)

Last week, as a result of the prosecution’s request, officials with federal, state and city agencies had an impromptu meeting about how to handle the situation, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

That behind-the-scenes conversation — involving officials from the Secret Service and other relevant law enforcement agencies — focused only on how to move and protect Mr. Trump if the judge were to order him briefly jailed for contempt in a courthouse holding cell, the people said.

The far more substantial challenge — how to safely incarcerate a former president if the jury convicts him and the judge sentences him to prison rather than home confinement or probation — has yet to be addressed directly, according to some of a dozen current and former city, state and federal officials interviewed for this article.

That’s at least in part because if Mr. Trump is ultimately convicted, a drawn-out and hard-fought series of appeals, possibly all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, is almost a certainty. That would most likely delay any sentence for months if not longer, said several of the people, who noted that a prison sentence was unlikely.

But the daunting challenge remains. And not just for Secret Service and prison officials, who would face the logistical nightmare of safely incarcerating Mr. Trump, who is also the presumptive Republican nominee for President.

“Obviously, it’s uncharted territory,” said Martin F. Horn, who has worked at the highest levels of New York’s and Pennsylvania’s state prison agencies and served as commissioner of New York City’s correction and probation departments. “Certainly no state prison system has had to deal with this before, and no federal prison has had to either.”

Steven Cheung, the communications director for Mr. Trump’s campaign, said the case against the former president was “so spurious and so weak” that other prosecutors had refused to bring it, and called it “an unprecedented partisan witch hunt.”

“That the Democrat fever dream of incarcerating the nominee of the Republican Party has reached this level exposes their Stalinist roots and displays their utter contempt for American democracy,” he said.

Protecting Mr. Trump in a prison environment would involve keeping him separate from other inmates, as well as screening his food and other personal items, officials said. If he were to be imprisoned, a detail of agents would work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, rotating in and out of the facility, several officials said. While firearms are obviously strictly prohibited in prisons, the agents would nonetheless be armed.

Former corrections officials said there were several New York state prisons and city jails that have been closed or partly closed, leaving wings or large sections of their facilities empty and available. One of those buildings could serve to incarcerate the former president and accommodate his Secret Service protective detail

Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman for the Secret Service in Washington, declined in a statement to discuss specific “protective operations.” But he said that federal law requires Secret Service agents to protect former presidents, adding that they use state-of-the-art technology, intelligence and tactics to do so.

Thomas J. Mailey, a spokesman for New York State’s prison agency, said his department couldn’t speculate about how it would treat someone who has not yet been sentenced, but that it has a system “to assess and provide for individuals’ medical, mental health and security needs.” Frank Dwyer, a spokesman for the New York City jails agency, said only that “the department would find appropriate housing” for the former president.

The trial in Manhattan, one of four criminal cases pending against Mr. Trump and possibly the only one that will go to a jury before the election, centers on accusations he falsified records to cover up a sex scandal involving a porn star. The former president is charged with 34 counts of felony falsifying business records. If convicted, the judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan, could sentence him to punishments ranging from probation to four years in state prison, though for a first-time offender of Mr. Trump’s age, such a term would be extreme.

If Mr. Trump is convicted, but elected president again, he could not pardon himself because the prosecution was brought by New York State.

Under normal circumstances, any sentence of one year or less, colloquially known as “city time,” would generally be served on New York City’s notorious Rikers Island, home to the Department of Correction’s seven jails. (That’s where Mr. Trump’s former chief financial officer, Allen H. Weisselberg, 76, is currently serving his second five-month sentence for crimes related to his work for his former boss.)

Any sentence of more than a year, known as state time, would generally be served in one of the 44 prisons run by New York State’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

The former president could also be sentenced to a term of probation, raising the bizarre possibility of the former commander in chief reporting regularly to a civil servant at the city’s Probation Department.

He would have to follow the probation officer’s instructions and answer questions about his work and personal life until the term of probation ended. He would also be barred from associating with disreputable people, and if he committed any additional crimes, he could be jailed immediately.

Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.

William K. Rashbaum is a Times reporter covering municipal and political corruption, the courts and broader law enforcement topics in New York. More about William K. Rashbaum

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

News and Analysis

Prosecutors accused Donald Trump of violating a gag order four additional times , saying that he continues to defy the judge’s directions  not to attack witnesses , prosecutors and jurors in his hush-money trial.

Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan is off to an ominous start for the former president, and it might not get any easier  in the days ahead. Here’s why.

The National Enquirer  was more than a friendly media outlet  for Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016. It was a powerful, national political weapon that was thrust into the service of a single candidate , in violation of campaign finance law.

More on Trump’s Legal Troubles

Key Inquiries: Trump faces several investigations  at both the state and the federal levels, into matters related to his business and political careers.

Case Tracker:  Keep track of the developments in the criminal cases  involving the former president.

What if Trump Is Convicted?: Could he go to prison ? And will any of the proceedings hinder Trump’s presidential campaign? Here is what we know , and what we don’t know .

Trump on Trial Newsletter: Sign up here  to get the latest news and analysis  on the cases in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

Trump hush money trial Day 7 recap: National Enquirer's David Pecker begins cross-examination

Editor's note: This page reflects the news from Donald Trump's criminal trial on Thursday, April 25. For the latest news from Trump's hush money trial , read our live trial updates file for Friday, April 26 .

NEW YORK — David Pecker , the former publisher of the National Enquirer, testified Thursday that his editor-in-chief believed porn star Stormy Daniels' allegation of an affair with Donald Trump.

In his testimony in Trump's New York criminal hush money trial about an alleged scheme to "catch and kill" stories that could embarrass Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election , Pecker also said Trump described Karen McDougal − a Playboy model who alleged an affair with Trump − as "a nice girl." Trump denies both affair allegations.

The former president faces 34 charges of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments made by his former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen .

After direct examination of Pecker concluded, Trump lawyer Emil Bove began cross-examining the magazine publisher.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Keep up with USA TODAY's live updates from inside and outside the Manhattan courtroom:

Judge and lawyers discussed Hope Hicks issue away from the jury

After excusing the jurors, but before ending proceedings, Judge Juan Merchan discussed a trial issue with lawyers that is tied to a question from Trump lawyer Emil Bove about whether Hope Hicks was at a 2015 meeting involving David Pecker. Hicks was Trump's presidential campaign communications director for the 2016 election, and later served in Trump's White House.

The judge said Bove misled the jury by asking Pecker if a document would refresh Pecker's recollection about the Hicks issue, and then presenting Pecker with a document that, according to the judge, didn't contain something to refresh Pecker's recollection. The judge clarified he wasn't accusing Bove of deliberately misleading the jury, but will still address the issue with jurors tomorrow.

– Aysha Bagchi

The Trump trial isn't televised, but you can read the transcripts and see the evidence

New York courts is publishing the transcripts of the proceedings and copies of the evidence shown to the jury.

Transcripts of proceedings aren't always available, but officials decided to make them available due to "unparalleled public interest." 

You can catch up on Monday and Tuesday's proceedings on the New York State Unified Court System's media website.

- Kinsey Crowley

Trump exits courtroom

Former President Donald Trump exited the courtroom at 4:30 p.m. ET, after proceedings ended for the day.

Judge releases jurors and Pecker for evening after discussions with lawyers

Judge Juan Merchan told jurors we will end proceedings for today, and has just released Pecker from the stand for the evening.

This is after many of the lawyers in the courtroom have been discussing legal issues privately with Merchan up at his bench, so proceedings aren't entirely wrapped up for the day.

The Trump trial isn't televised, but here's how you can read the transcripts

New York courts typically do not allow for cameras in the court room. But for Trump's hush money trial, transcripts will be published online daily.

New York courts is publishing the transcripts of the proceedings and copies of the evidence shown to the jury. Transcripts of proceedings aren't always available, but officials decided to make them available due to "unparalleled public interest." 

– Kinsey Crowley

David Pecker says Michael Cohen was always clear he was Donald Trump's personal lawyer, not campaign employee

Responding to a question from Trump lawyer Emil Bove, David Pecker confirmed Michael Cohen was always clear with Pecker that he wasn't working for Trump's campaign, but instead was Trump's personal lawyer.

This could be a key point the defense tries to make throughout the trial. Prosecutors have alleged Trump falsified business records concerning a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in order to unlawfully interfere in the 2016 presidential election. That alleged purpose is one of the key theories from prosecutors for why the charges are felonies.

The defense may try to prove the hush money was for another purpose, such as shielding Trump's family from potentially embarrassing stories.

Pecker asked about meetings with prosecutors

Pecker testified he has met with the prosecutors four or five times. The judge sustained an objection after Trump lawyer Emil Bove gave commentary, saying Pecker's estimate of four-to-five meetings sounds like a lot. Pecker also testified that prosecutors have always told him to tell the truth to the best of his ability.

Pecker describes Tiger Woods leverage attempt

Trump lawyer Emil Bove has been asking Pecker about a history of suppressing negative stories about celebrities. They discuss former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who came up earlier today. They also discuss Pecker buying a story about golf star Tiger Woods around 2007. Pecker bought the story not to run it, he said, but instead to get Woods to agree to appear on the cover of Men's Fitness and to also do an interview. The story material included Woods meeting a woman in a parking lot.

Jury appears attentive as witness testimony continues

The jurors have appeared very attentive throughout today's proceedings. Many of them are currently turning their heads back and forth in unison with Trump lawyer Emil Bove asking a question and David Pecker responding . Some are also taking notes.

Who is Emil Bove?

Emil Bove is one of Trump's criminal defense lawyers , along with Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles . Politico reported he joined the cohort in September 2023.

Bove is a former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

“Emil is an expert in white collar and CIPA-related litigation and his trial skills are among the best in the business,” Blanche said in a statement provided to Politico.

Trump lawyer Emil Bove asks Pecker about old relationship with Trump

Trump defense lawyer Emil Bove is cross-examining David Pecker. Pecker confirms he has known Trump for almost 40 years. Pecker confirms introducing Trump to John F. Kennedy Jr. at one point, as well as to George Pataki when Pataki was New York governor from 1995 to 2006.

'I still consider him a friend': Pecker direct examination ends

Asked if he has any bad feelings or ill will towards Trump, Pecker responded: "On the contrary." He added: "I felt that Donald Trump was my mentor, he helped me throughout my career."

Pecker told a story about Trump helping him after 9/11, when Pecker's office in Boca Raton, Florida was one of various magazine offices sent anthrax letters. One editor inhaled weaponized anthrax and died, and the FBI quarantined the building, leaving Pecker in a very difficult place both professionally and personally. Trump was "very helpful," Pecker said. Trump recommended a lawyer, and introduced Pecker to someone from the insurance company that covered the building.

"Even though we haven't spoken, ... I still consider him a friend," Pecker said.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass ended his direct examination of Pecker, allowing the defense to start cross-examining him.

Trump sent Pecker regards after last time they spoke

Pecker testified that he and Trump haven't spoken since January or February of 2019. Asked if Trump has tried to reach out since, Pecker replied: "Not directly." Pecker added that he has friends who go to Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, and "he [Trump] would send his regards," but Pecker hasn't responded.

"I felt that, with the investigation that was going on at the same time, I thought it would be inappropriate," Pecker said.

National Enquirer parent company agreed not to contest campaign violation, Pecker says

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass has been asking David Pecker about a conciliation agreement, which was separate from the non-prosecution agreement that American Media Inc. entered into with federal prosecutions. In the conciliation agreement, the company was agreeing not to contest that it committed a campaign violation, Pecker testified.

In non-prosecution agreement, Pecker disclosed catch-and-kill scheme

Pecker read aloud a statement made as part of the non-prosecution agreement between federal prosecutors and The National Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc. The company entered into the agreement to shield itself from prosecution on campaign finance violations. 

The statement describes a history Pecker has now testified to in court, including agreeing to help Trump's campaign efforts by catching potential negative stories before they hit the press. It also describes the $150,000 hush money to Karen McDougal.

Pecker describes signing non-prosecution agreement

Pecker said that as part of a September 2018 non-prosecution agreement that American Media Inc. entered into with federal prosecutors, Pecker reviewed a statement of facts having to do with things Pecker says the company did for Trump ahead of the 2016 election. The agreement required the company and its representatives to cooperate and give truthful testimony and information. In return, it would be protected from criminal prosecution for campaign finance violations.

As part of that agreement, the company made several admissions, Pecker confirmed.

Trump claimed Stormy Daniels owed him $24 million for Anderson Cooper interview: Pecker

Pecker testified that Trump called him and asked if he saw Stormy Daniels' interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper . Daniels did that interview after McDougal did an interview with Cooper.

Trump told Pecker there was an agreement with Daniels that she cannot mention his name or do anything like this, and each time she breaches the agreement it's a $1 million penalty, Pecker testified. Trump added that, based on the Cooper interview, Daniels owed Trump $24 million.

Trump was 'very aggravated,' 'very upset' after McDougal's Anderson Cooper interview

David Pecker said Trump called him and asked if he had seen an interview between CNN journalist Anderson Cooper and Karen McDougal . Pecker confirmed he had, and Trump said he thought there was an agreement that McDougal couldn't give interviews or be on television shows. Pecker said he amended it to allow her to speak to the press.

"Mr. Trump got very aggravated," Pecker testified. Trump couldn't understand why Pecker amended the agreement. Pecker told Trump McDougal was flooded with press requests for interviews, so he amended the agreement, even though he also paid her.

Trump was "very upset" and couldn't understand why Pecker amended the agreement, Pecker testified.

'I wanted her to remain within our family': Pecker lunch with McDougal

Pecker described having lunch with Karen McDougal . From his standpoint, the purpose was to make sure he and his company were compliant with their agreement with McDougal. Pecker said he wanted her to believe that because he wanted her not to speak to the press after the Wall Street Journal article that published soon before the 2016 election.

"I wanted her to remain within our family, I should say," Pecker testified.

Lawyers and judge discuss more evidence issues

The jury hasn't been called into the courtroom yet because the lawyers and judge have been discussing whether a thread of text messages going up through October 2016 can be admitted in the trial. The messages are between former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard and a source of Howard's.

Trump lawyer Emil Bove said the texts are too prejudicial against Trump. The texts haven't been shown to the audience. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said the texts relate to the "core conspiracy" regarding efforts to buy a story, and the jury can be instructed not to take every statement in the text chain as true.

Judge Merchan didn't issue a ruling. He said he wants time to look at the texts closely, and has now called for the jury.

Trump returns to courtroom ahead of late-afternoon testimony

Trump re-entered the courtroom at 2:11 p.m. ET as we prepare for more testimony from David Pecker after the lunch break.

Jury excused for court break

The jury was excused for a break in proceedings at 1:00 p.m. ET. David Pecker , who is wearing a dark suit, a pink shirt, and a red tie, left as well. The judge just declared we will re-start proceedings at 2:15 p.m. ET. Trump exited the courtroom at 1:02 p.m. ET.

Trump invited Pecker to inauguration

David Pecker said Trump invited him to Trump's presidential inauguration. He said he asked his wife and she didn't want to go, and he decided not to go either.

'I believe he would throw himself under a bus for you': Pecker on Cohen's loyalty to Trump

Former National Enquirer executive David Pecker testified he was conversing with former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen when Donald Trump came into the room and Cohen told Trump he had gone through old National Enquirer files. "We have nothing to be concerned about," Cohen told Trump, according to Pecker.

Pecker asked to walk back with Trump to Trump's office. During that walk, according to Pecker's testimony, Pecker told Trump that Cohen was very concerned about his bonus for the year and that Cohen has been very loyal and worked very hard. "I believe he would throw himself under a bus for you," Pecker allegedly told Trump.

Trump replied that he didn't know what Pecker was talking about – that Cohen had multiple apartments in Trump's buildings as well as taxi medallions. "Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it," Trump added, according to Pecker.

Pecker discusses Wall Street Journal scoop on payment to McDougal

Pecker is being questioned about The Wall Street Journal's story days before the 2016 presidential election of the hush money for former Playboy model and alleged Trump paramour Karen McDougal's story . 

Pecker said he authorized American Media Inc. to put out false statements in order to protect his company, himself, and Donald Trump.

The boss 'would be furious with me,' Cohen allegedly told Pecker

After Pecker refused to buy Stormy Daniels ' story, Cohen was upset and told Pecker the boss "would be furious with me," Pecker testified. Pecker still insisted he wouldn't go forward with purchasing it.

Pecker says he refused to buy Stormy Daniels' story

American Media Publisher David Pecker said on the witness stand that he refused to buy Stormy Daniels' story. He texted National Enquirer Editor Dylan Howard: "We can't pay 120k."

Pecker explained on the stand that he was not a bank and had already put out hush money to Dino Sajudin and Karen McDougal to help Trump. He also said he didn't want to be involved with a porn star.

"Perhaps I call Michael and advise him and he can take it from there, and handle," Howard responded to Pecker, according to text messages displayed to the jury.

'This story is true': Pecker gets message from Dylan Howard about Stormy Daniels

The jury has been shown text messages between former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard and David Pecker. A text from Howard said a woman wants $120,000. That woman was Stormy Daniels, Pecker testified.

According to the displayed text messages, Howard texted Pecker: "I know the denials were made in the past – but this story is true." Howard said the woman has offers from "Mail" and "GMA."

Is the Trump trial available on TV or live stream? 

No. New York typically does not allow for audio or visual coverage in the courtroom . 

However, official transcripts of each day's proceedings will be published on the New York State Unified Court System's press website by the end of the following business day, officials announced Monday. 

− Kinsey Crowley

David Pecker describes call about Stormy Daniels story in testimony

David Pecker has resumed his testimony. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked who Stormy Daniels is. Pecker says she is a porn star, and he received a call at one point communicating that Daniels was selling a story that she had a sexual relationship with Trump and the story could be acquired if the decision was made "right now."

Presidential pardon for 'electoral fraud'?: Judge tentatively keeps texts from jury

Outside the jury's presence, prosecution and defense lawyers have been discussing evidence the prosecution wants to admit of text messages between Dylan Howard and an unnamed relative of Howard's. Howard is unable to travel and come to the trial, according to earlier testimony from Pecker.

In one message, according to the prosecution, Howard texted: "At least if he wins, I'll be pardoned for electoral fraud." He also allegedly texted: "I get pardoned, so it's fine."

Judge Juan Merchan tentatively ruled the texts couldn't come in because Trump's defense team wouldn't be able to conduct cross-examination about them. Merchan cited the right under the Constitution for criminal defendants to be confronted with witnesses against them.

Judge Merchan addressing legal issues outside jury's presence

Judge Juan Merchan is addressing legal issues with lawyers before the jury returns to the courtroom. The attorneys are making arguments about whether certain trial evidence prepared by prosecutors is admissible. One piece of evidence is a record concerning releasing Dino Sajudin from an exclusivity agreement with American Media Inc., the parent company for The National Enquirer. , after the 2016 election. Sajudin told a story — denied by Trump and widely questioned following media investigations — about Trump fathering a child with a housekeeper.

Trump re-enters courtroom

Trump re-entered the courtroom at 11:22 a.m. ET, taking a look at reporters in the audience as he walked in between them to the defense table.

'The boss is going to be very angry': Cohen to Pecker

Before the judge declared a short break in proceedings, Pecker said he told Michael Cohen he didn't want to be reimbursed for money American Media Inc. put out to acquire the rights to Karen McDougal's story. Pecker said he told Cohen that after having a conversation with a lawyer, although Pecker didn't disclose the contents of that conversation.

"The boss is going to be very angry," Cohen allegedly told Pecker. "I can't believe it. I'm a lawyer. I'm your friend. I don't understand why you're so concerned," Cohen added, according to Pecker.

Court takes short break

The court is staking a short break. Trump exited the courtroom at 11:14 a.m. ET.

Unlawful election interference? Pecker says McDougal hush money wasn't reported

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked David Pecker whether the hush money to Karen McDougal was reported as a campaign finance contribution. Pecker said it wasn't.

Although only the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels is specifically tied to the records falsification charges Trump faces, this testimony could still be important. A key part of prosecutors' story is that the payment to Daniels violated federal campaign finance laws. That makes it unlawful interference in the 2016 election, and makes Trump's alleged records falsification a cover-up for that unlawful interference, they say.

For Trump to be convicted of a felony, prosecutors must show not only that he falsified business records, but also that he did so to commit or conceal another crime. The federal campaign finance tie-in is one theory prosecutors have advanced to prove Trump committed a felony.

Pecker says he never planned to publish McDougal story

David Pecker said he never planned to publish Karen McDougal's story despite American Media Inc., which Pecker headed at the time, buying the rights to it. He said his main reason for buying McDougal's story was to prevent it from influencing the 2016 presidential election.

Pecker says he believed Trump knew about McDougal hush money contract

Pecker testified that Michael Cohen knew about the hush money agreement to keep Karen McDougal quiet, and he believed Donald Trump also knew.

Pecker explaining contract with Karen McDougal

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is walking David Pecker through a contract with Karen McDougal, who was paid $150,000 to stay quiet about an alleged affair with Donald Trump. Trump denies they had an affair. McDougal would get a monthly column in two different magazines, in addition to the $150,000, Pecker explained.

Who is Stormy Daniels and what is her real name?

Stormy Daniels , born Stephanie Clifford, is an adult film star.

Daniels claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006, months after Melania Trump gave birth to Barron Trump. Michael Cohen paid her $130,000 to stay quiet about the alleged affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election

'The boss will take care of it'

Pecker testified about a discussion with Michael Cohen about who would ultimately pay the $150,000 hush money to Karen McDougal to keep her story of an affair with Trump quiet ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Cohen allegedly told Pecker not to worry, "the boss will take care of it." Pecker testified he understood that to mean he would be reimbursed either by the Trump Organization or Donald Trump.

Trump Media stock price

At open on April 25, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp shares rose to $37, up 3.73% from the previous close.

At close on Tuesday, Trump Media met the requirement to issue 36 million additional shares to Trump in an earnout bonus , worth $1.17 billion at the time.

'Karen is a nice girl,' Trump allegedly said about woman who claims they had affair

David Pecker is testifying about Karen McDougal's story of having an affair with Trump, and his communications with Trump and Michael Cohen about it. McDougal has claimed they had an affair that overlapped with Melania Trump's pregnancy. Trump denies the claim.

"I spoke to Michael. Karen is a nice girl," Trump said to Pecker during a phone call, Pecker testified. Pecker said that comment made him believe Trump knew who McDougal was. Trump asked what Pecker thought he should do, according to Pecker. Pecker recommended Trump buy McDougal's story and take it off the market.

Asked by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass why Pecker thought Trump should buy the story, Pecker testified he believed her story was true, and he thought it would have been very embarrassing for Trump personally as well as for Trump's campaign.

Prosecution argues Trump has violated gag order another four times

Judge Juan Merchan hasn't yet ruled on whether to hold Trump in criminal contempt for allegedly violating a gag order . But prosecutor Christopher Conroy said this morning, just before prosecution witness David Pecker re-took the stand, that Trump has again been violating the order.

Conroy pointed to multiple comments by Trump to the press, including calling potential key witness Michael Cohen a "convicted liar" who "did some pretty bad things, I guess."

Conroy said just this morning Trump commented on Pecker as well. "David's been very nice," Trump said, according to Conroy. "This is a message to Pecker: Be nice," Trump allegedly said. "It's a message to others. I have a platform and I can talk about you," and I can say things like this or the kind of things I said about Cohen, Trump allegedly added.

Judge Juan Merchan arrives in courtroom

Judge Juan Merchan entered the courtroom at 9:35 a.m. EST. As usual, after an attorney for each side introduced their legal team and Trump's lawyer introduced him, Merchan said a general "Good morning" as well as a specific "Good morning, Mr. Trump."

– Aysha Bagch

Trump arrives in courtroom for Day 7 of trial

Trump entered the courtroom at 9:29 a.m. EST. We are still waiting for Judge Merchan.

Prosecution team arrives in courtroom

The prosecution team entered the courtroom at about 9:17 a.m. ET. We're still waiting for former President Trump and his trial team, as well as for Judge Juan Merchan.

Could Supreme Court presidential immunity arguments impact Trump's New York case?

Early this month, Judge Juan Merchan rejected an argument from Trump to delay the New York criminal trial until after the Supreme Court rules on the scope of presidential immunity in Trump's federal election interference case. Merchan said Trump raised the immunity defense in his New York case too late .

If Trump is found guilty in the New York criminal trial, he could challenge Merchan's immunity ruling on appeal, and potentially point to a Supreme Court immunity ruling as a basis for re-trying the New York case.

Why isn't Trump at Supreme Court arguments?

New York trial Judge Juan Merchan rejected a request from former President Donald Trump's legal team last week to allow Trump to attend today's Supreme Court arguments over whether he is immune from prosecution in his federal election interference case. The high court is reviewing whether a former president can be prosecuted for official presidential acts.

"Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal," Merchan said. He added that he understood Trump's desire to be at those arguments, but wouldn't alter the criminal trial plans for them.

How old is Donald Trump?

Donald Trump is 77 years old. He will turn 78 on June 14, 2024.

Trump was 70 years old when he was inaugurated into office in 2017.

Joe Biden is 81 years old, the first octogenarian president. Biden and Trump have been the two oldest people elected president in U.S. history. 

-Kinsey Crowley

What is Trump on trial for?

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is prosecuting Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Trump allegedly covered up the purpose of checks to Michael Cohen in order to conceal unlawfully interfering in the 2016 presidential election through a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump has pleaded not guilty. He also denies Daniels' claim that the two of them had sex just months after Melania Trump gave birth to Barron Trump.

–  Aysha Bagchi

At close on April 24, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp shares rose to $35.67, up 9.52% from the previous close.

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First day of Trump's hush money trial kicks off with opening statements and a witness

Ximena Bustillo

Former President Donald Trump looks on at Manhattan criminal court Monday, during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs. Victor J. Blue/Pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Former President Donald Trump looks on at Manhattan criminal court Monday, during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs.

NEW YORK — Just before 10 a.m. Monday, a jury of 18 every-day New Yorkers filed into the Manhattan courtroom where former President Donald Trump sat at the defense table.

"Members of the jury, we are about to proceed with the outset of the trial of Donald J. Trump," pronounced Judge Juan Merchan.

As Merchan began instructing the jury on their critical role over the next few weeks, Trump, the defendant, sat flanked by his legal team, occasionally looking down and slightly shifting in his chair.

Trump faces 34 felony counts alleging that he falsified New York business records in order to conceal damaging information to influence the 2016 presidential election. Trump claims the trial itself is "election interference" because of how it is disrupting his 2024 bid for president. He has pleaded not guilty and instead argues that all he did was pay his lawyer.

Merchan told the jurors that the burden of proof will be on the prosecutors, who must prove that Trump is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Last week, 12 jurors and six alternates were selected to decide the fate of the former president. The trial has begun about a year after a grand jury originally delivered the indictment that set up this trial as the first against a sitting or former U.S. president .

Jurors also began to hear from the first witness: David Pecker, former CEO of American Media, the publishing company of the National Enquirer magazine.

Pecker, who was on the stand for less than a half hour before the first day wrapped at around lunchtime, testified to the editorial structure of his magazine and about the level of oversight he had on the stories. He also confirmed his phone numbers, which the prosecution suggested could be relevant later on.

Trump's Trials

Here's what you need to know about the first week of trump's hush money trial.

Testimony should continue on Tuesday. Other witnesses for the prosecution are expected are former Trump fixer Michael Cohen and Keith Davidson, a former lawyer for a Playboy model.

The prosecution delivers a lengthy detail of the alleged scheme

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo delivered the opening statement on behalf of the district attorney's team, detailing that this case is about "criminal conspiracy and coverup."

He laid out what has long been Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's argument: He alleges there was a conspiracy created in part by Trump to conceal information that he had an affair with an adult film star out of fear that if that information got out, it could hurt his 2016 presidential electoral prospects.

There were 34 "falsified" business records, Colangelo said, while detailing how the DA's office believes Trump coordinated with Cohen, his former fixer, and Pecker in August 2015. This resulted in Trump's oversight of various flattering stories about him, he said, and also of damaging information about his opponents.

Colangelo said that this deal made in August also resulted in a "catch and kill" scheme to find these potentially damaging stories as Election Day got closer and make sure they were never released.

He said Pecker found potentially damaging info and "killed it" by paying people off. First was Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, who was going to allege publicly she had an affair with Trump. Trump "desperately" did not want this made public, Colangelo told the jury. The former president has denied having an affair with McDougal.

What to know about week 1 of Trump's criminal trial, with jury selection complete

Three months before Election Day, a payment to McDougal was made, Colangelo said, with the help of Davidson, her lawyer. He also told the jury that they plan to play a recording of a phone call between Trump and Cohen about how to pay off Pecker and get the rights for the McDougal story.

Further laying out the timeline, Colangelo noted the Access Hollywood tape was released a month before the election.

"The campaign went into immediate damage control mode," Colangelo said, adding that Trump received word the next day that another woman was about to come forward with her own alleged sexual encounter with the GOP nominee — adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has also denied this encounter.

A story of infidelity with a porn star would have been damaging to the campaign, Colangelo said, and Trump wanted to "prevent American voters from learning about that information before Election Day."

Cohen created a shell company to send $130,000 payment to Daniels, made at Trump's direction and for his benefit and with the specific goal of preventing negative information that could have cost Trump the election, Colangelo argued.

"It was election fraud. We will never know and it doesn't matter if this made the difference for him in the election," Colangelo said. "You will see from social media posts, speeches at campaign rallies" that Trump was worried about how this could "hurt standing with voters and female voters in particular."

Colangelo foreshadowed that the jury will see text messages between the leadership of the National Enquirer questioning "what have we done?" They will also see how payments were calculated and disguised for tax purposes as well as evidence that "Trump is a frugal businessman ... but when it came to pay Cohen back, he didn't negotiate the price down. He doubled it, so he could disguise it as income," Colangelo said.

"There was no retainer agreement, it was instead what they thought was a clever way to pay Cohen back without being obvious about it," Colangelo said, detailing that Cohen submitted 11 "phony invoices" paid for by checks with "false entries" signed by Trump himself.

Colangelo also attempted to get ahead of potential criticism of testimony of Cohen, noting that the defense is likely to discredit him. "Cohen has made mistakes in the past," he said, adding that testimony also from Pecker and Davidson will corroborate what is said.

"Tune out the noise. Focus on the fact," he closed.

Defense sets up the argument: Trump did nothing illegal

Trump, who largely seemed to look straight ahead or down during the prosecution's opening, turned to look at the jury when his lawyer stood at the lectern.

"President Trump is innocent. Trump did not commit any crimes," said Todd Blanche. "He is also a man, a husband, a father, and just like me."

Off the bat, Blanche told the jury that the story just detailed by the prosecution was not true and at the end of the trial there will be "plenty of reasonable doubt."

Blanche argued that invoices, records and payments were made by the book in part because Cohen assumed the role of personal attorney when Trump entered the White House.

He also argued that Trump was simply fighting back against allegations that could hurt his family, reputation and brand.

"There is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy," he said.

Blanche also spent time trying to discredit some of the prosecution's witnesses, primarily Cohen, who has a history of perjury , and Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford, noting how she has received publicity, pointing to her recent documentary , and how Trump has won a defamation lawsuit against her .

"We are New Yorkers. It's why we are here," Blanche said, reminding the jury that they promised they would set aside personal thoughts of Trump from the past eight years. "And if you do that, there will be a very swift not-guilty verdict."

• 2016 election

Hush money isn't illegal, it's 'democracy,' Trump lawyer says in defiant trial opening statements

• Opening statements began in Donald Trump's hush-money trial on Monday. 
• Trump faces 34 felony counts for falsifying business records in the historic case.
• "This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a coverup," ADA Matthew Colangelo said.

Opening arguments in Donald Trump's historic criminal trial got underway on Monday with a prosecutor describing the case as being about a "criminal conspiracy," while a defense attorney for the former president likened hush-money payments to "democracy."

"This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a coverup," Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo told the 12-person Manhattan jury in the hush-money trial.

Prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office allege Trump illegally falsified business records by covering up a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The payment, handled by Trump's ex-personal attorney and former fixer Michael Cohen, was made to Daniels 11 days before the 2016 presidential election to buy her silence over a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, prosecutors allege.

Trump, who faces 34 felony counts for falsifying business records, has repeatedly denied having an affair with Daniels.

"He falsified those business records because he wanted to conceal his and others' criminal conduct," Colangelo said of Trump.

Trump was not watching Colangelo at the start of his opening statement. Rather, he was looking straight ahead from his seat at the defense table.

Interestingly, in describing the reason for the coverup of the $130,000 payment to Daniels, the prosecutor did not refer to an "alleged" sexual encounter with the adult film star whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

Instead, Colangelo said the hush money was paid to make sure voters "did not learn about a sexual encounter with the candidate."

During his opening statements, Colangelo told jurors about a similar scheme to silence ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal, who has said that she had a nearly year-long sexual relationship with Trump beginning in 2006. Trump has also denied having any affair with McDougal.

Colangelo also left out an "allegedly" to describe McDougal's claim of an extramarital affair with Trump.

Colangelo said her claim that she had an affair with Trump was found to be credible by editors with the National Enquirer. The prosecutor told the jury McDougal was paid $150,000 "to make sure that she didn't publicize her affair with Donald Trump before the 2016 election."

In contrast, Colangelo referred to the National Enquirer paying a Manhattan doorman $30,000 earlier in 2015 to "catch and kill" a story about "an alleged illegitimate child" of Trump that lived in the building.

This rumor proved untrue — the so-called illegitimate child was a fiction, prosecutors have said.

Colangelo pleaded with the jury to "use common sense" and warned them to avoid "any side shows" that may erupt.

"Focus on the testimony," Colangelo urged.

'President Trump is innocent,' Trump's lead attorney proclaimed

Meanwhile, Trump's lead attorney, Todd Blanche, declared, "President Trump is innocent" at the start of his opening statements.

"President Trump did not commit any crimes," Blanche said. "The Manhattan District Attorney's Office should never have brought this case."

Blanche described his high-profile client as "larger than life," but also "a man, a husband, a father, and he's a person, just like you and me."

Related stories

"You'll learn President Trump had nothing to do with any of those 34 pieces of paper except he signed the checks," Blanche told the jurors, adding, "In the White House. While he was running the country. That's not a crime."

There was a non-disclosure agreement, Blanche conceded. But there's nothing wrong with Cohen paying Daniels to protect Trump's brand and keep Daniels from embarrassing Trump's family, the defense lawyer said.

"I have a spoiler alert for you. It's called democracy," Blanche said of the hush-money payment.

"Michael Cohen paying Stormy Daniels — or Stephanie Clifford — in return for her agreeing not to publicly spread false claims, false claims against President Trump, is not illegal," Blanche said.

Blanche spent the bulk of his opening statement attacking Cohen and Daniels — two key witnesses for the prosecution — as opportunists who are obsessed with Trump and have built livelihoods around attacking him.

"He cheated on his taxes," Blanche said of Cohen, who in 2018 pleaded guilty to criminal charges, including bank fraud and tax evasion, in connection to the hush-money payment. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison. 

"He lied to banks, He lied about a side business he had, taxi medallions, in addition to other things," Blanche said. "And in 2018, as the people alluded to, he got caught."

Blanche ripped Cohen as a "convicted perjurer," and said Cohen on Sunday night posted on social media "that he wanted to see President Trump in an orange jumpsuit."

Michael Cohen: The 'facts will come out' at trial

Cohen told Business Insider on Monday in response to Blanche's remarks: "The facts will come out at the time of trial that contradicts Todd Blanche's mischaracterizations of me."

Blanche, in his opening statement, went on to say that any testimony from Daniels "does not matter."

"She has no idea what Michael Cohen wrote on those invoices," Blanche said of Daniels. "So her testimony, while salacious, does not matter."

Blanche added that Daniels "has made a livelihood out of these allegations."

"She's made hundreds of thousands of dollars," Blanche said without mentioning the "Make America Horny Again" strip club tour that the porn star embarked on after news of the hush-money scandal broke.

Meanwhile, Blanche said, Daniels owes Trump "somewhere around $600,000 " due to her legal losses to Trump.

Ahead of openings, Trump blasted the case as a political 'witch hunt'

Before Trump headed into the 15th-floor courtroom Monday morning to hear opening statements in the case, he ignored a shouted question from a reporter asking him where his wife Melania Trump was. Instead, Trump took the opportunity to bash the case against him as a political "witch hunt."

"I'm here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania and Georgia, and lots of other places campaigning, and it's very unfair," Trump told reporters in the courtroom hallway.

Prior to opening statements, Trump lost his bid to keep jurors from seeing the infamous Access Hollywood "grab 'em" transcript .

And much of Trump's prior court losses will be fair game for prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office on cross-examination should Trump take the stand.

Prosecutors can cross-examine Trump about his civil New York fraud trial and his E. Jean Carroll losses, but they can't ask Trump about the total monetary value of the judgments from these trials, which surpasses $500 million combined.

Additionally, prosecutors can also bring up that Trump twice violated his fraud-trial gag order and was fined $15,000 for doing so.

Finally, prosecutors can touch on a stipulation with the New York Attorney General's Office, in which the Trump Foundation was dissolved due to what the presiding judge, New York Supreme Justice Juan Merchan, on Monday called Trump's "self-dealing."

Before openings, there were a few juror wobbles. The day was shortened by half — until 12:30 p.m. — so that juror number 6, a software engineer, could make her 1 p.m. emergency dental appointment for a toothache.

And the day began with juror number 9, a speech therapist, being briefly questioned in private after she expressed concern about media attention.

"Juror number 9 is going to remain with us, so again that is not going to be an issue," the judge said after they conferred with her for a few minutes in the judge's robing room.

Watch: Trump dozes off at the start of his hush-money trial

• Main content

The Latest | Tabloid publisher in Trump hush money trial is challenged on past statements

NEW YORK — Defense lawyers in Donald Trump’s hush money trial dug Friday into assertions of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.

David Pecker returned to the witness stand for the fourth day as defense attorneys tried to poke holes in his testimony, which has described helping bury embarrassing stories Trump feared could hurt his campaign.

Pecker has painted a tawdry portrait of “catch and kill” tabloid schemes — catching a potentially damaging story by buying the rights to it and then killing it through agreements that prevent the paid person from telling the story to anyone else.

The cross-examination, which began Thursday, will cap a consequential week in the criminal cases the former president is facing as he vies to reclaim the White House in November.

The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trump’s company made to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen. He paid that sum on Trump’s behalf to keep porn actor Stormy Daniels from going public with her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied the encounter ever happened.

Prosecutors say Trump obscured the true nature of those payments and falsely recorded them as legal expenses. He has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

The case is the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president and the first of four prosecutions of Trump to reach a jury.

— Key moments from the Supreme Court arguments on Donald Trump’s immunity claims

— Trading Trump: Truth Social’s first month of trading has sent investors on a ride

— These people were charged with interfering in the 2020 election. Some are still in politics today

— Key players: Who’s who at Donald Trump ’s hush money criminal trial

— The hush money case is just one of Trump’s legal cases. See the others here

Here’s the latest:

PUBLISHER CHALLENGED ON PAST STATEMENTS

In the most confrontational moment so far Friday in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, defense lawyer Emil Bove said former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker’s testimony has been inconsistent with statements to federal prosecutors in 2018.

Pecker testified that Trump thanked him for his help handling potential stories involving former Playboy model Karen McDougal and Dino Sajudin, a Trump Tower doorman, during a White House visit on Jan. 6, 2017.

But according to notes cited by Bove in court, Pecker had previously told federal authorities that Trump did not express any gratitude to him or American Media during the meeting.

Pecker stuck Friday to the story he has given in court.

“I know what the truth is,” he said.

FORMER PLAYBOY MODEL'S WORK HIGHLIGHTED

A lawyer for Donald Trump in his hush money trial turned Friday to the 2016 deal the National Enquirer’s parent reached with former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

The $150,000 agreement gave American Media exclusive rights to McDougal’s account of any relationship with “any then-married man.” McDougal claims she and Trump had an affair. Trump denies it.

The contract also called for McDougal to do work for various American Media titles. Former Enquirer publisher David Pecker earlier testified the provision was really about keeping McDougal’s story from becoming public and influencing Trump’s chances at the presidency.

But under questioning Friday from Trump lawyer Emil Bove, Pecker added that American Media had pitched itself as a venue to help McDougal restart her career.

When American Media signed its agreement with her, “you believed it had a legitimate business purpose, correct?” Bove asked.

“I did,” Pecker said.

The company ended up running more than 65 stories in her name, he said.

McDougal’s story, and American Media’s deal with her, ultimately became public anyway, in a Wall Street Journal article four days before the 2016 election, after early and absentee voting had started.

PROSECUTORS OBJECT TO USE OF 'PRESIDENT' TRUMP

The insistence of Donald Trump’s defense in his hush money trial to refer to him as “President Trump,” even when describing events that took place before his election, is rankling prosecutors.

Trump’s lawyers said at the outset of the trial that they’d refer to their client as “president” out of respect for the office he held from 2017 to 2021.

But Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass suggested Friday that using the title is anachronistic and confusing when tacked onto questions and testimony that involve things that happened while he was campaigning in 2015 and 2016.

“Objection. He wasn’t President Trump in June of 2016,” Steinglass noted after one such mention. The judge sustained the objection.

QUESTIONING TURNS TO EARLIER SALACIOUS TESTIMONY

A lawyer for Donald Trump in the former president’s hush money trial Friday got to a salacious story at the center of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker’s earlier testimony.

Emil Bove brought out that the Enquirer’s parent company — not Trump or his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen — paid a former Trump Tower doorman $30,000 in 2015 for the rights to an unsubstantiated claim that Trump had fathered a child with an employee there.

Pecker testified earlier that the Enquirer thought the tale would make for a huge tabloid story if it were accurate but eventually concluded the story was “1,000% untrue” and never ran it. Trump and the woman involved both have denied the claims.

Bove asked Pecker whether he would run the story if it were true. Pecker replied: “Yes.”

SPECIFICS OF HELPING TRUMP CAMPAIGN

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker has testified in Donald Trump’s hush money trial that he hatched a plan with Trump and former Trump henchman Michael Cohen in August 2015 for the tabloid to help Trump’s presidential campaign.

But under questioning by Trump’s lawyer, Pecker acknowledged Friday there was no mention at that meeting of the term “catch-and-kill,” which describes the practice of tabloids purchasing the rights to story so they never see the light of day.

Nor was there discussion at the meeting of any “financial dimension,” such as the Enquirer paying people on Trump’s behalf for the rights to their stories, Pecker said.

Pecker also acknowledged that the National Enquirer had been running negative stories about Trump’s 2016 rival Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, long before the August 2015 meeting. Pecker previously testified that stories about the Clintons boosted sales of the supermarket tabloid.

DIGGING INTO NATIONAL ENQUIRER'S EDITORIAL PROCESS

Donald Trump’s lawyer Emil Bove is getting under the hood of the National Enquirer’s editorial process, seeking to show the tabloid had its own incentives unrelated to any deal with Trump, in the fourth day of testimony in the former president’s hush money trial.

To underscore his point, Bove pulled up five unflattering headlines that ran in 2015 about Ben Carson, who ran against Trump in the 2016 GOP primary. Bove noted the information was pulled from publicly available information published in other outlets, including The Guardian.

In his testimony, former Enquirer publisher David Pecker, on the stand for a fourth day, acknowledged that it was standard practice at the publication to recycle stories from other outlets with a new slant.

“Because it’s good, quick and cost efficient, and you would’ve done it without President Trump?” Bove asked.

“Um, yes,” Pecker replied.

JUDGE ISSUES INSTRUCTIONS, AND QUESTIONING RESUMES

The jury’s day in Donald Trump’s hush money trial began Friday with an instruction from the judge that it’s OK for prosecutors or defense lawyers to meet with witnesses ahead of a trial to help them prepare to testify.

That pertains to testimony that came out toward the end of Thursday, when Trump lawyer Emil Bove was cross-examining former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.

Bove resumed questioning Pecker as the fourth day of testimony began in a Manhattan courtroom.

TRUMP WISHES MELANIA A HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Donald Trump entered court Friday in his hush money trial in Manhattan carrying a thick stack of bound papers, which he said was a report put out by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee about the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

The former president said he had not read the report, “but it could be interesting.”

Trump told reporters that he wanted to wish his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, a happy birthday, saying, “It would be nice to be with her, but I’m in a courthouse.”

He said he planned to fly home to Florida, where she is, Friday evening after court wraps for the week.

PECKER OFFERED INSIGHT INTO THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER

Even by National Enquirer standards, testimony by its former publisher David Pecker at Donald Trump’s hush money trial this week has revealed an astonishing level of corruption at America’s best-known tabloid and may one day be seen as the moment it effectively died.

“It just has zero credibility,” said Lachlan Cartwright, executive editor of the Enquirer from 2014 to 2017. “Whatever sort of credibility it had was totally damaged by what happened in court this week.”

On Thursday, Pecker was back on the witness stand to tell more about the arrangement he made to boost Trump’s presidential candidacy in 2016, tear down his rivals and silence any revelations that may have damaged him.

GAG ORDER HEARING RESCHEDULED DUE TO CAMPAIGN EVENTS

A change in the court schedule means Donald Trump won’t be forced off the campaign trail next week to attend a hearing in his hush money criminal trial in New York.

Judge Juan M. Merchan moved a hearing on the former president’s alleged gag order violations to next Thursday, avoiding a conflict with his scheduled campaign events next Wednesday.

Merchan had initially set the hearing for next Wednesday, the trial’s regular off day. Trump is scheduled to hold campaign events that day in Michigan and Wisconsin. His lawyers have urged the judge not to hold any proceedings on Wednesdays so he can campaign.

The hearing — now set for 9:30 a.m. next Thursday, May 2 — pertains to a prosecution request that Trump be penalized for violating his gag order this week on four separate occasions.

The order bars Trump from making comments about witnesses and others connected to the case. Merchan is already mulling holding Trump in contempt of court and fining him up to $10,000 for other alleged gag order violations.

Trump hush money trial: Tabloid publisher testifies he helped candidacy

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'LOSING ALL CREDIBILITY'

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Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jack Queen in New York and Andy Sullivan in Washington; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Howard Goller, Will Dunham and David Gregorio

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Reports on the New York federal courts. Previously worked as a correspondent in Venezuela and Argentina.

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Trump Trial Live: In 'freezing' court, former president chafes

Ex-National Enquirer chairman David Pecker previously testified that he worked as Donald Trump's "eyes and ears" to suppress stories which could hurt his presidential bid.

Tabloid publisher David Pecker says he pledged to be Trump campaign’s ‘eyes and ears’ during 2016 race

NEW YORK (AP) — A veteran tabloid publisher testified Tuesday that he pledged to be Donald Trump ‘s “eyes and ears” during his 2016 presidential campaign, recounting how he promised the then-candidate that he would help suppress harmful stories and even arranged to purchase the silence of a doorman.

The testimony from David Pecker was designed to bolster the prosecution’s premise of a decades-long friendship between Trump and the former publisher of the National Enquirer that culminated in an agreement to give the candidate’s lawyer a heads-up on negative tips and stories so they could be quashed.

The effort was a way to illegally influence the election, prosecutors have alleged in striving to elevate the gravity of the history-making first trial of a former American president and the first of four criminal cases against Trump to reach a jury. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee in this year’s race faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with hush money payments meant to stifle embarrassing stories from surfacing in the final days of the 2016 campaign.

With Trump sitting just feet away in the courtroom, Pecker, the first witness, detailed his behind-the-scenes role in Trump’s rise from political novice to the Republican nomination and the White House. He explained how he and the National Enquirer parlayed rumor-mongering into splashy tabloid stories that smeared Trump’s opponents and, just as crucially, leveraged his connections to suppress seamy stories about Trump, including a porn actor’s claim of an extramarital sexual encounter years earlier.

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Pecker traced the origins of their relationship to a 1980s meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and said the friendship bloomed alongside the success of the real estate developer’s TV show “The Apprentice” and the program’s subsequent celebrity version.

Their ties were solidified during a pivotal August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower involving Trump, his lawyer and personal fixer Michael Cohen, and another aide, Hope Hicks, in which Pecker was asked what he and the publications he led could do for the campaign.

Pecker said he volunteered to publish positive stories about Trump and negative stories about his opponents. But that wasn’t all, he said, telling jurors how he told Trump: “I will be your eyes and ears.”

“I said that anything I hear in the marketplace, if I hear anything negative about yourself, or if I hear anything about women selling stories, I would notify Michael Cohen,” so that the rights could be purchased and the stories could be killed.

“So that they would not get published, you mean?” asked prosecutor Joshua Steinglass.

“So that they would not get published, yes” Pecker replied.

To illustrate their point, prosecutors displayed a screenshot of various flattering headlines the National Enquirer published about Trump, including “Donald Dominates!’ and “World Exclusive: The Donald Trump Nobody Knows.” The jury was also shown disparaging and outlandish stories about Trump’s opponents, including surgeon Ben Carson and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.

Pecker painted Cohen as a shadow editor of the National Enquirer’s pro-Trump coverage, directing the tabloid to go after whichever Republican candidate was gaining momentum.

“I would receive a call from Michael Cohen, and he would direct me and direct Dylan Howard on which candidate and which direction we should go,” Pecker said, referring to the tabloid’s then-editor.

Pecker said he underscored to Howard that the agreement with the Trump operation was “highly, highly confidential.” He said he wanted the tabloid’s bureau chiefs to be on the lookout for any stories involving Trump and said he wanted them to verify the stories before alerting Cohen.

“I did not want anyone else to know about this agreement I had and what I wanted to do,” the ex-publisher added.

Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges related to his role in the hush money payments. He was once a confidant of Trump’s, but their relationship deteriorated in spectacular fashion. Cohen is expected to be a star government witness, and he routinely posts profane broadsides against Trump on social media.

Trump’s lawyers are expected to make attacks on Cohen’s credibility a foundation of their defense, but in opening with Pecker, prosecutors hoped to focus attention on a witness with a less volatile backstory. Besides maintaining that Trump is innocent, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told jurors that Cohen cannot be trusted and has “an obsession with getting Trump.”

Pecker’s testimony Tuesday followed a hearing earlier in the day in which prosecutors urged Judge Juan M. Merchan to hold Trump in contempt and fine him $1,000 for each of 10 social media posts that they say violated an earlier gag order barring attacks on witnesses, jurors and others involved in the case.

Merchan did not immediately rule, but he seemed skeptical of defense arguments that Trump was merely responding in his posts to others’ attacks and had been trying to comply with the order.

Prosecutors allege that Trump sought to illegally influence the 2016 race through a practice known in the tabloid industry as “catch-and-kill” — catching a potentially damaging story by buying the rights to it and then killing it through agreements that prevent the paid person from telling the story to anyone else.

In this case, that included a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to silence her claims of an extramarital sexual encounter that Trump denies. Prosecutors also described other arrangements, including one that paid a former Playboy model $150,000 to suppress claims of a nearly yearlong affair with the married Trump, which Trump also denies.

In another instance, Pecker recounted a $30,000 payment from the National Enquirer to a Trump Tower doorman for the rights to a rumor that Trump had fathered a child with an employee at Trump World Tower. The tabloid concluded the story was not true, and the woman and Trump have denied the allegations.

As Pecker described receiving the tip in court, Trump shook his head.

Pecker said upon hearing the rumor, he immediately called Cohen, who said it was “absolutely not true” but that he would look into whether the people involved had indeed worked for Trump’s company.

“I made the decision to buy the story because of the potential embarrassment it had to the campaign and Mr. Trump,” Pecker said.

When he told Cohen, Pecker said he thanked him, “And he said that the boss would be very pleased.”

Asked by the prosecutor who he understood the boss to be, Pecker replied: “Donald Trump.”

Explaining why he decided to have the National Enquirer foot the bill, Pecker recalled telling Cohen: “This can be a very big story. I believe it’s important that it be removed from the marketplace.”

If he published the story, Pecker said it would be “probably the biggest sale of the National Enquirer since the death of Elvis Presley.”

Jurors viewed an internal Enquirer email and invoice describing the payments to the doorman to kill his story. One document describes the funds coming from the publication’s “corporate” account. An invoice references an “immediate” $30,000 bank transfer payment for “‘Trump’ non-published story.”

Trump’s 34 felony counts arise from reimbursements that prosecutors say Trump’s company made to Cohen for hush money payments and that were falsely recorded as legal expenses.

The charges are punishable by up to four years in prison, though it’s unclear whether Merchan would seek to put him behind bars. A conviction would not preclude Trump from becoming president again, but because it is a state case, he would not be able to pardon himself if found guilty. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Testimony resumes on Thursday.

Tucker reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.

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PGA Tour players learn how much loyalty is worth in new equity program

Tiger Woods waves after his final round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, waves after making a putt on the sixth hole during the second round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Friday, April 19, 2024, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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Players who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour amid lucrative recruitment by Saudi-funded LIV Golf are starting to find out how much that loyalty could be worth.

The PGA Tour on Wednesday began contacting the 193 players eligible for the $930 million from a “Player Equity Program” under the new PGA Tour Enterprises .

The bulk of that money — $750 million — went to 36 players based on their career performance, the last five years and how they fared in a recent program that measured their star power.

How much they received was not immediately known. Emails were going out Wednesday afternoon and Thursday informing players of what they would get. One person who saw a list of how the equity shares were doled out said the names had been redacted. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because many details of the program were not made public.

The Telegraph reported Tiger Woods was to receive $100 million in equity and Rory McIlroy could get $50 million, without saying how it came up with those numbers.

Commissioner Jay Monahan outlined the first-of-its-kind equity ownership program in a Feb. 7 memo to players, a week after Strategic Sports Group became a minority investor in the new commercial PGA Tour Enterprises.

The private equity group, a consortium of professional sports owners led by the Fenway Sports Group, made an initial investment of $1.5 billion that could be worth $3 billion. The tour is still negotiating with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia — the financial muscle behind the rival LIV Golf league — as an investor.

Any deal with PIF would most certainly increase the value of the equity shares.

Another person with knowledge of the Player Equity Program, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the dealings, said the equity money is not part of the SSG investment. That money was geared toward growth capital.

Golf.com received a series of informational videos on the Player Equity Program that was sent to players and reported only 50% of the equity would vest after four years, 25% more after six years and the rest of it after eight years.

It also reported how the 36 players from the top tier were judged on “career points,” such as how long they were full members, victories, how often they reached the Tour Championship and extra points for significant victories.

Jason Gore, the tour’s chief player officer, said in one of the videos, “It’s really about making sure that our players know the PGA Tour is the best place to compete and showing them how much the Tour appreciates them being loyal.”

Emails also were sent to 64 players who would share $75 million in aggregate equity based on the past three years, and $30 million to 57 players who are PGA Tour members. Also, $75 million in equity shares was set aside for 36 past players instrumental in building the tour.

The program has an additional $600 million in equity grants that are recurring for future PGA Tour players. Those would be awarded in amounts of $100 million annually started in 2025.

Players only get equity shares from one of the four tiers now, although everyone would be eligible for the recurring grants.

Even with equity ownership geared toward making the PGA Tour better, the concern was players questioning who got how much and whether they received their fair share.

LIV Golf lured away seven major champions dating to 2018 since it launched in 2022, all with guaranteed contracts and most of them believed to have topped $100 million.

McIlroy, playing this week in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, was asked how much would make players feel validated for their decision to stay with the PGA Tour.

“I think the one thing we’ve learned in golf over the last two years is there’s never enough,” McIlroy replied.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf