Trump trial: Hope Hicks faces her ex-boss on 'Access Hollywood' tape, Daniels payment

Following the contempt hearing, Keith Davidson, the former lawyer for Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, has returned to the stand to resume his testimony.

When Davidson stepped off the witness stand on Tuesday, he testified about the difficulty in getting the $130,000 payment from then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen for Stormy Daniel's hush money agreement.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass resumed the direct examination by asking Davidson about a phone call between himself, Michael Cohen, and National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard about the payment.

"That conversation took place because there was difficulty in communications with Michael Cohen and I had lost trust in what he was telling me, and Dylan came in as a mediator," Davidson said. "I believed he was not telling me the truth ... about the delays in funding."

Jurors then looked at an email from Cohen where he flagged to Davidson that the wire would be coming from an account for Essential Consultants LLC.

On Tuesday, jurors heard from a banker who described Cohen's rushed effort to create a bank account for Essential Consultants LLC, which prosecutors say was a shell company created for the Daniels payment.

Emails and texts involving Cohen, Davidson and Howard, displayed to the jury, indicate the hush payment was finalized with the wire transfer of $130,000 on October 27, 2016 -- 12 days before the 2016 election.

After Judge Merchan asked defense attorney Todd Blanche to explain Trump's remarks about the jury, Blanche argued that Trump's remarks referenced the political nature of the trial.

"We very much believe that this is a political persecution and that this is a political trial," Blanche argued.

"I'm not accepting your argument," the judge said. "He spoke about the jury. And he said the jury was 95% Democrats and the jury had been rushed through, and the implication being this is not a fair jury."

The judge concluded the contempt hearing without issuing a ruling on whether Trump's four recent statements violated the case's limited gag order.

Testimony in the trial was then set to resume.

Judge Merchan told Trump attorney Todd Blanche that he is "not terribly concerned" about Trump's remarks about David Pecker being a "nice guy."

"I am not terribly concerned about that one," Merchan said during the hearing on whether Trump should again he held in contempt for allegedly violating the case's limited gag order.

Blanche then turned to Trump's remarks about witness Michael Cohen, displaying exhibits that included screenshots of four posts on Cohen's X account.

"There is repeated attacks on President Trump's candidacy for president by Michael Cohen," Blanche said about Cohen's posts on X and remarks on TikTok as well as on his podcast, appearing to cite ABC News' reporting.

"You made your point," Merchan responded after Blanche spent a few minutes highlighting Cohen's public comments.

"Mr. Cohen has started going on TikTok nightly, literally making money," Blanche added. "He actively encourages folks to give him money."

At one point in the ongoing contempt hearing, Trump appeared to show frustration with his own attorney during arguments regarding Trump's remarks to the press.

When Judge Merchan said that "nobody is forcing" Trump to make remarks in the hallways, Trump attorney Todd Blanche surprisingly responded, "I agree."

At that moment, Trump shot around and glared at his own lawyer in disbelief, his mouth hanging open. He then turned back around to face forward, repeatedly shaking his head no.

"What is happening in this trial is no surprise to anyone," Merchan said of the media attention. "It is not surprising that we have press here."