Cohen told jurors that he began working for Trump after helping Trump with a series of legal favors.

"We ended up overtaking the board and resolving the issue which was to Mr. Trump's satisfaction," Cohen said about the first favor related to a board at a Trump property. "He liked the way that occurred and then continued to ask me if I would assist in other legal issues or matters he had."

"Did he pay you for that work?" prosecutor Susan Hoffinger said.

"No, ma'am," Cohen said

According to Cohen, Trump offered him a job after he presented Trump a $100,000 bill for legal costs related to the earlier favors.

"Would you want to come work for me?" Cohen recounted Trump saying. "I was honored, I was taken by surprise, and I agreed"

When asked about the $100,000 legal bill, Cohen said Trump "asked if I would like to get fired on the first day." The bill was never paid, according to Cohen, who immediately left his law firm to work for the Trump Organization as Trump's special counsel and a senior vice president.

When asked about the kind of work Cohen did for Trump, Cohen responded, "It was whatever concerned him -- whatever he wanted."

Cohen said he reported "just to Mr. Trump."

Michael Cohen briefly introduced himself to the jury, telling them how his father immigrated to California after surviving the Holocaust.

"Four children later, here I am," Cohen said about his parents.

Cohen told the jury that he went to law school at the urging of his family, though he did not want to practice law.

"I wanted to go to Wall Street," Cohen said.

He briefly explained how he acquired wealth with real estate investments and taxi medallions.

"I ended up going into business with a friend of mine who had grown up with me and we started purchasing buildings," Cohen said.

Cohen stood up in the witness box so he could identify Trump in the courtroom.

"He is wearing a blue and white tie," Cohen said while looking toward Trump.

"The people call Michael Cohen," prosecutor Susan Hoffinger said.

Michael Cohen entered the courtroom and took his seat in the witness box.

Donald Trump stared straight forward as Cohen walked into the courtroom. He did not appear to look toward Cohen.

Judge Merchan began by denying the state's request to enter into evidence former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg's separation agreement with the company.

"It would come in as a business record, but I am not going to allow it in," Merchan said. "It doesn't prove any element of the offense, it doesn't move the ball in any way."

Prosecutors sought to introduce the agreement -- which allotted Weisselberg $2 million after he left the Trump Organization-- to explain why Weisselberg was not testifying at the trial. Weisselberg is currently serving a five-month sentence on Rikers Island for perjury.

Trump, meanwhile, has been waiting patients at the defense table for the jury to enter, which is taking a bit longer than usual.

"Where's the jury?" one individual in his entourage could be heard whispering.

"Would you have ever paid the nondisclosure agreement for Stormy Daniels on your own?" prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Michael Cohen after he detailed his efforts to find an alternative sdolution.

"No ma'am," Cohen responded. "It's $130,000. I was doing everything I could and more to protect my boss, which is something I did for a long time but I would not lay out $130,000 for an NDA needed by someone else."

Cohen described frantic days to finalize the NDA with Stormy Daniels. "If this matter wasn't resolved it was going to be catastrophic to Mr. Trump and the campaign," Cohen said.

Cohen said he asked AMI's David Pecker and Dylan Howard to front the money, but Pecker balked. "I cannot do it again," Cohen quoted Pecker saying, consistent with Pecker's testimony that he wasn't a bank.

Cohen testified that he ultimately used a home equity line of credit to finance the Stormy Daniels payoff because he was too afraid his wife would find out otherwise.

"I elected to use money that was in the HELOC because my wife, who was CEO of the household, would not understand if there was $130,000 missing from our joint bank account."

Many of the jurors keep their eyes locked on Cohen as he responded to this line of questioning.

Donald Trump eyes remained closed.

Cohen, on the stand, let out a sigh.