Trump trial: Cohen faces Trump team grilling over past lies, recollections

According to Michael Cohen, the recording he secretly made of a 2016 meeting with Trump abruptly ended because he took an incoming phone call on his phone.

"I must have believed it was an important phone call," Cohen testified.

Cohen added that he believed he recorded enough to prove to Pecker that the $150,000 reimbursement was coming, which he said was the the goal of the recording.

"I didn't want to record more -- I already had enough," Cohen said.

Jurors saw a phone record from AT&T that suggested Cohen received a call around the time of the recording.

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Jury hears secret recording of Trump discussing catch-and-kill payment

Michael Cohen testified that he made a recording to prove to National Enquirer publisher David Pecker that Donald Trump would repay him the $150,000 for Karen McDougal's catch-and-kill arrangement.

ABCNews.com

The conversation briefly continued after the recording ended, according to Cohen.

Cohen said he told Trump, "I am going to head over to Allen Weisselberg's office and I will get back to him with more of an update."

Jurors briefly saw the metadata for the recording.

"Did you ever alter that recording?" Hoffinger asked.

"No," Cohen said.

Trump, at the defense table, shook his head "no" at Cohen's response. The former president appears much more engaged now, thumbing through a stack of papers in his hands.

Judge Juan Merchan restarted the proceedings after the mid-morning break. Before prosecutor Susan Hoffinger resumed her direct examination of Michael Cohen, Merchan instructed the jury that, in regards the secretly made recording the jury just heard, the recording itself is evidence in the case, not the transcript.

“It is the tape itself that is the evidence,” Merchan said, though he said the transcript will be accessible to the jury during deliberations.

Trump, back from the break, appears much more alert, sitting in his chair with his body angled directly toward Cohen as Cohen recounts more of the recording.

Twice, Trump shook his head "no" as Cohen spoke.

After Cohen's recording was played in court, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is replayed sections and asked Cohen about what he said at the time.

"Who is 'our friend David?'" Hoffinger asked.

"He is referring to David Pecker," Cohen said.

Asked about the reference to then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, Cohen said, "Because Mr. Trump had previously directed me to speak with Allen Weisselberg about getting this matter settled."

"Because we are going to need money and going to need to open the LLC and to resolve this issue," Cohen said about the LLC being formed.

"We were referring to the 150,000 that was advanced by AMI in order to purchase the life rights of Karen McDougal," Cohen said "He knew already knew based on conversations with David which is why he mentioned the number 150."

When asked about the comment about Pecker getting "hit by a truck," Cohen said that Trump was concerned about the National Enquirer's files about him in case Pecker ever left the company.

"David Pecker was being considered for the CEO position of Time Inc. and the concern was the information -- so all the stuff refers to that," Cohen said

Following this testimony, court was recessed for the mid-morning break.

Cohen, exiting the courtroom, did not appear to look at Trump as he walked by the defense counsel table.

Michael Cohen testified that he made a recording to prove to National Enquirer publisher David Pecker that Trump would repay him the $150,000 for Karen McDougal's catch-and-kill arrangement.

"I also wanted him to remain loyal to Mr. Trump," Cohen added.

Cohen said he walked into Trump's office with his phone in his hand, making the recording.

Cohen told the jury that you can hear Trump, himself, and Trump assistant Rhona Graff on the recording.

Asked whether he thought Trump knew he was recording the conversation, Cohen said: "No, ma'am."

Jurors then heard the recording.

Cohen: Told you about Charleston. I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend, David, you know, so that -- I'm going to do that right away. I've actually come up and I've spoken --

Trump: Give it to me and get me a --

Cohen: And, I've spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up with --

Trump: So, what do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?

Cohen: -- funding. Yes. And it's all the stuff.

Trump: Yes, I was thinking about that.

Cohen: All the stuff. Because -- here, you never know where that company, you never know what he's --

Trump: Maybe he gets hit by a truck

Cohen: Correct. So, I'm all over that. And, I spoke to Allen about it, when it comes time for the financing, which will be --

Trump: Listen, what financing?

Cohen: We'll have to pay him something.

Trump: (INAUDIBLE) pay with cash.

Cohen: No, no, no, no, no, I got it.

Trump: Check.

Every member of the jury appeared to look down at their monitor to read along with the transcript of the call as it was played. Cohen, as the call played, shook his head "no" over and over again on the witness stand, apparently in disbelief at rehearing it.

At one point he looked over in Trump's direction and sighed as the recording continued, then looked over to the jury to watch them take it in.

DA Alvin Bragg appeared to close his eyes and dropped his head as the call played.