Defense attorney Todd Blanche said it is "not ethical" for a lawyer to record his client after Cohen testified that he had recorded Trump.

"You're not supposed to record your client," Blanche said.

"You're not, except the crime-fraud exception rule," Cohen responded.

"Didn't you testify that you recorded your client because you wanted to convince Mr. Pecker he would pay him?" Blanched asked, referring to Cohen's recording of Trump at a 2016 meeting.

"Yes," Cohen replied.

"And you did that under the crime-fraud exception rule?" Blanche asked.

"I was just giving the example," Cohen said.

Several members of the jury were taking notes during this exchange.

On cross-examination, Michael Cohen told jurors that, as part of his work for Donald Trump during his 2016 campiang, he surreptitiously recorded "a handful" of conversations with journalists.

"Did you tell people you were recording them?" Blanche asked.

"No sir," Cohen responded. "It is not illegal in New York."

"Who else did you record surreptitiously?" defense attorney Todd Blanche asked.

"I recorded, off the top of my head ... I can't tell you," Cohen said.

"Jeff Zucker on one event," Cohen said, referring to the then-CNN president. "Mr. Trump at another event," he said.

Trump, at the defense table, angled toward Cohen in his chair, intently watching this testimony.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche pressed Cohen on how he represented Trump to the media during Trump's 2016 campaign.

"You never reached back out to a reporter, ever, without first checking with President Trump?" Blanche asked.

"It was my routine to always advise Mr. Trump," Cohen said. If he didn't, he said "it would mean the end of my job."

An incredulous Blanche asked, "You did that never on your own?"

"Only in consultation with President Trump?" Cohen responded. "If I did that and he didn't like the response, it would probably cost me my job"

Cohen, however, acknowledged that Trump's campaign grew frustrated with his comments to the media.

"I knew that they were upset about it; however, Mr. Trump had turned around and advised them that I don't answer to them," Cohen said.

Cohen added that his comments to the media were aligned with Trump's thoughts on an issue.

"I would always get comments or something in line with a conversation we had on that specific topic," Cohen said. "Again, if I did that and he didn't like the response, it would probably cost me my job."

Defense attorney Todd Blanche then transitioned the topic of the cross-examination to Cohen's involvement in encouraging Trump to run for president.

Cohen earlier told jurors he created the website to encourage Trump, and that the National Enquirer ran a positive story about Cohen's involvement in the campaign.

"You worked very hard during your time working for Trump to get positive stories into the press about President Trump and all the things you were doing?" Blanche asked Cohen.

"Yes sir," Cohen said.

"You worked very hard to make sure there were positive stories about you at times?" Blanche asked.

"Yes sir," Cohen said.

The testimony slightly cuts against one prong of the alleged conspiracy with the National Enquirer -- running positive stories about Trump -- to show that Cohen got some positive press too.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche attempted to highlight Michael Cohen's contrasting statements about whether he wanted a pardon from then-President Trump.

Cohen told jurors that he never asked Trump for a pardon, though he asked his lawyer about the possibility.

"I never asked for it. I spoke to my attorney about it because we had seen on television President Trump talking about potentially pre-pardoning everyone and putting an end to this," Cohen said.

Cohen confirmed he talked to attorney Robert Costello about exploring the idea of getting a pardon, which he would have accepted at the time.

Blanche said that during Cohen's 2019 Congressional testimony, Cohen said, "I have never asked for, nor would I accept a pardon from President Trump."

Blanche said that Cohen later said something different during a deposition.

"And do you remember being asked the same question, about accepting a pardon ... and you said "you directed your lawyer to explore the possibility because you were 100% open to accepting it?" Blanche asked.

"Yes sir," Cohen said. "At that present moment, it was true. I wanted this nightmare to end ... I asked them, is this really something that they're talking about? Can you find out?"

Pushed by Blanche on the issue, Cohen refused to acknowledge his congressional testimony was a lie.

"That was a lie, was it?" Blanche asked.

"At the time it was accurate," Cohen said.