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

Under cross-examination, Keith Davidson agreed that he provided legal services to Stormy Daniels in 2011 when he sent a cease-and- desist letter to TheDirty.com when the website published allegations of an affair between Daniels and Trump.

"You were acting as Ms. Daniels' attorney?" Trump lawyer Emil Bove asked.

"Yes," Davidson responded, while noting there was no formal retainer agreement.

The defense has suggested Trump properly characterized his reimbursement to Michael Cohen, which sits at the heart of the case, as a legal expense because it was a payment to a lawyer.

Prosecutors have repeatedly said there was no retainer agreement between Trump and Cohen.

After a short morning break, court is now back in session with the cross-examination of Stormy Daniels attorney Keith Davidson.

Defense attorney Emil Bove is questioning Davidson on behalf of Donald Trump, who is back at the defense table.

Trump leaned back in his chair, twisting to the right, to watch his lawyer take his turn.

Bove began by asking Davidson about whether he had ever interacted with Trump, suggesting in his questions that Davidson's impression of Trump came from television or what he learned from Michael Cohen.

"I have had no personal interactions with Donald Trump," Davidson said.

Referring to National Enquirer publisher David Pecker's testimony last week that Davidson was one of the publication's major sources though his relationship with editor Dylan Howard, Bove asked Davidson, "Would it surprise you to learn that Mr. Howard considered you to be a major source of information?"

"Yes," Davidson said.

Stormy Daniels' former attorney Keith Davidson read to the jury Daniels' denial statement from Jan. 30, 2018.

"I am denying this affair because it never happened," the statement read.

"I think it's effectively true," Davidson testified, arguing that a "relationship is an ongoing interaction."

At one point, Davidson drafted a statement affirming that Michael Cohen was the source of the Daniels hush money payment. Cohen had texted Davison Chris Cuomo's email address.

"He is a news broadcaster, then with CNN," Davidson testified regarding Cuomo.

"Perfect, send to Cuomo," Cohen texted Davidson about the statement.

"I think he was under some fire and wanted validation or cooperation" that he was the source of the money, Davidson said.

Davidson testified that while he believed Trump would ultimately be the source of the payment, Cohen had made the payment out of his own pocket in October 2016.

Prosecutors subsequently ended their direct examination of Davidson.

Jurors were shown more 2018 text messages between Stormy Daniels' attorney Keith Davidson and Michael Cohen, including one in which Cohen said, about Stormy Daniels. "I have her tentatively scheduled for Hannity tonight" so she could issue additional denials about her alleged relationship with Trump.

"Did your client actually appear on Hannity that night?" Steinglass asked Davidson.

"No," Davidson said, calling this Cohen's attempt to book Daniels on Hannity as part of one of his "pants-on-fire stages."

"He believed she would further deny the interaction," Davidson said about Cohen's effort to book Daniels' on Hannity.

By January 17, Cohen appeared to change his tone about booking Daniels on television.

"The wise men all believe the story is dying," Cohen texted Davidson.

"Why is she going on Kimmel after the Sotu," Cohen texted Davidson on January 26, 2018, referring to the State of the Union Address.

"Idk I was pissed. She said this is her shot. Meeting her this weekend to prep her and get the statement," Davidson texted back.

"She wanted to talk about her life and reinvigorate her career," Davidson testified about the the Jimmy Kimmel appearance.