Trump trial: Cohen faces Trump team grilling over past lies, recollections
The defense questioned Trump's former lawyer on Day 18 of the hush money trial.
Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.
Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Top headlines:
- No decision yet about Trump testifying
- Defense argues Cohen's lack of retainer agreement was not an issue
- Defense accuses Cohen of lying about Trump phone call
- Defense challenges Cohen on past perjury
- Cohen says Trump approved payment of $420K, paid monthly
- Jury hears secret recording of Trump discussing payment
What to know about the hush money case
READ MORE: Here's what you need to know about the historic case.
North Dakota governor to join Trump at trial: Sources
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Florida Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills are planning to come with former President Trump to court today, in addition to House Speaker Mike Johnson, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The group is expected to be in court as former Trump attorney Michael Cohen resumes his testimony this morning.
House Speaker Mike Johnson to attend court, says source
House Speaker Mike Johnson is going to criminal court in New York with former President Trump this morning, a source with direct knowledge confirms to ABC News.
Johnson will commute with Trump in his motorcade from Trump Tower to the lower Manhattan courthouse, and is expected to be in the courtroom for the morning session.
Stormy Daniels wore bulletproof vest to court, lawyer says
An attorney for Stormy Daniels told CNN that Daniels wore a bulletproof vest to court before her testimony last week.
"She was concerned about the security coming into New York," attorney Clark Brewster said. "She wore a bulletproof vest every day until she got to the courthouse."
Brewster said that Daniels was concerned about a rogue actor targeting her due to her testimony in the trial.
"Before she came on Sunday, I mean she cried herself to sleep," Brewster said. "She was paralyzed with fear."
Daniels testified over two days last week that she and Trump had a sexual encounter in 2006 and that she was subsequently paid $130,000 for her silence prior to the 2016 election. Trump has denied all allegations of a sexual encounter.
Michael Cohen to return for 2nd day of testimony
Ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen is set to resume his direct examination this morning in former President Trump's criminal hush money trial.
Across six hours of testimony yesterday, Cohen laid out the trial's most incriminating testimony so far regarding Trump's involvement in a scheme to hide information from voters by falsifying business records in order to disguise a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels just days before the 2016 election.
Cohen testified that he helped coordinate a "catch and kill" scheme with David Pecker of the National Enquirer, making a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump, then devising a reimbursement arrangement with then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg in 2017. Trump, who has steadfastly denied Daniels' allegations, has denied all wrongdoing.
Cohen told jurors that Trump approved the Daniels hush money payment in October 2016, and that Cohen wired the money from a shell company he funded using a home equity line of credit.
He then recounted a 2017 meeting with Trump and Weisselberg in Trump Tower just days before the inauguration where Trump agreed to the plan to reimburse Cohen for the hush money payment.
"He approved it," Cohen said of Trump. "What I was doing, I was doing at the direction and for the benefit of Mr. Trump."
Defense stresses Daniels' hush payment was 'perfectly legal'
Defense attorney Todd Blanche turned the cross-examination to the topic of Stormy Daniels' $130,000 hush payment.
Jurors were shown the nondisclosure contract between Daniels and Trump.
“In your mind, then and now, this is a perfectly legal contract, correct?” Blanche asked Michael Cohen, hammering at a key defense argument that the agreement was fully legal.
“Yes sir,” Cohen responded.
Under questioning, Cohen conceded that he told the Manhattan district attorney's office that before he paid Stormy Daniels her hush money, he thought Daniels was "exploiting Mr. Trump."
"In your mind, there was either two choices: Pay, or don't pay and the story comes out?" Blanche asked COhen.
Cohen affirmed his thinking.
"But you went a long time without paying?" Blanche asked.
"Yes, we went several weeks without paying," said Cohen.
"Ultimately, though, you did. You paid," Blanche said.