Seeking to painting a picture of the machinations behind what Michael Cohen called a "pressure campaign" to keep him in the Trump fold as investigators closed in on him, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger displayed an email from Michael Cohen's then-legal adviser Robert Costello to Costello's law partner in which Costello wrote that Cohen "continues to slow play us and the president -- is he totally nuts???"

"I am in a golf tournament tomorrow early and again on Sunday. What should I say to this a------ ? He is playing with the most powerful man on the planet," Costello wrote.

"That email certainly speaks for itself, does it not, Mr. Costello?" Hoffiner asked.

"Yes it does," Costello said.

Costello insisted that he was not working to advance Trump's interests and denied the suggestion that he "lost control" of Cohen.

Prosecutors displayed an email from Michael Cohen's then-legal adviser Robert Costello to Costello's law partner Jeffrey Citron from Aug. 8, 2018, in which Costello shared a link to a Fox News story about Rudy Giuliani joining Trump's legal team.

"All the more reason for Cohen to hire me because of my connection to Giuliani, which I mentioned to him in our meeting," he wrote.

In another email, Costello said, "Our issue is to get Cohen on the right page without giving him the appearance that we are following instructions from Giuliani or the President. In my opinion this is the clear correct strategy."

Questioned on the witness stand about that email, Costello told prosecutor Susan Hoffinger that he wanted "to get everybody on the same page because Michael Cohen had been complaining incessantly that Rudy Giuliani was making statements in the press that Michael Cohen didn't approve of."

Costello told Hoffinger he has other emails clarifying that, "which I'd be delighted to tell you."

"That's all right," Hoffinger replied snarkily.

The gallery laughed, prompting a court officer to yell, "Quiet!"

Only a few minutes into prosecutor Susan Hoffinger's cross-examination of Michael Cohen's former legal adviser Robert Costello, their exchanges are already sounding tense.

Hoffinger attempted to confirm that Costello boasted about his relationship with Rudy Giuliani, but Costello denied he did so during his first meeting with Cohen.

"You are quoting from an email that is much later," Costello said.

"I am not quoting from an email," Hoffinger replied.

Hoffinger then asked Costello about his relationship with Giuliani.

"He's been to your wedding?" Hoffinger asked.

"Yes he was," Costello said.

“Let’s get the witness please,” Judge Juan Merchan said after taking the bench.

Michael Cohen's one-time legal adviser Robert Costello entered the courtroom and took the witness stand to continue his cross-examination.

“Good Morning, Mr. Costello. Welcome back,” Judge Merchan said.

Throughout his cross-examination this morning, defense attorney Todd Blanche has attempted to legitimize the repayment arrangement between Trump and Cohen in 2017.

Prosecutors have argued that Trump falsified business records by describing a reimbursement for the Stormy Daniels payment and other expenses as payment for legal services pursuant to a retainer agreement, even though Cohen never had a retainer agreement with Trump.

Blanche emphasized all the legal work that Cohen did for Trump and his family in 2017. He also showed the jury an email from Allen Weisselberg, where he requested Cohen to "please prepare the agreement we discussed so we can pay you monthly."

Amid frequent objections, Blanche has referenced the "agreement" mentioned above as a "retainer agreement," though Cohen never had a formal retainer agreement with Trump.

Pursuant to the "agreement," Cohen said he received nine checks directly from Trump in 2017.

"That would have been nine checks -- 35,000 a piece," Cohen said.