Defense attorney Todd Blanche says argued that Trump's concern about the "Access Hollywood" tape was primarily related to his family, not his campaign.

"Nobody wants their family exposed to that type of story," Blanche said. "He was concerned about his family, he was concerned about his wife."

Prosecutors have alleged that the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape motivated Trump to buy Daniels' story to help his political ambitions, but defense attorneys say Trump's main concern in October 2016 -- regarding both the "Access Hollywood" tape and Stormy Daniels allegations -- was his family.

"It was not a doomsday event," Blanche said of the "Access Hollywood" tape. "He never thought it was going to cause him to lose the campaign, and indeed it didn't."

But Blanche argued that Michael Cohen overreacted to the "Access Hollywood" story, and that Cohen created a problem for him to fix.

Advancing his argument that Trump was extorted by Stormy Daniels, defense attorney Todd Blanche told jurors that Stormy Daniels and her agent Gina Rodrgiuez saw a "time to strike" after the release of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape.

"Ms. Daniels and Ms. Rodriguez seized an opportunity," Blanche said. "They came back to Mr. Howard again and said ... now it is the time to strike."

Turning a prosecution argument on its head, Blanche argued that rather than being the catalyst for the Daniels hush payment and the eventual falsifying of business records, the "Access Hollywood" was Daniels and Rodriguez seizing an "opportunity."

Shouting emphatically, Blanche ticked through the three alleged catch and kills in an attempt to shred prosecutors' theory that they constituted a conspiracy to influence the election.

The doorman story was "not true," he said. Susan McDougal didn't want her story out. Daniels came forward after the "Access Hollywood tape" and David Pecker said, "Nah, I want nothing to do with it,' Blanche said.

"That's the conspiracy?!" Blanche yelled. "That's the three catch and kills!?"

Resuming his closing argument following the break, defense attorney Todd Blanche told jurors that Stormy Daniels lied on the witness stand about her motivation to go public with her story.

Daniels told jurors that she was worried about her safety, citing a 2011 encounter in Las Vegas where someone threatened her safety for going public about her allegations -- but Blanche said she lied about the encounter to create an excuse for why she didn't come forward earlier.

"This started off an extortion ... and it ended very well for Ms. Daniels, financially speaking," Blanche said.

Blanche also pointed out that Daniels has "repeatedly denied having sex with Trump."

"The government wants you to believe those statements were coerced -- that Ms. Daniels was either forced to sign them, or didn't have a say … but she decided to go public after these statements supposedly because she was trying to protect herself from what she said was a threat someone made to her in a gym parking lot in 2011," Blanche said. "But there are recordings where you know that's just not true."

Judge Merchan returned to bench and Trump returned to the courtroom following the mid-morning break.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche told the judge he has about half an hour left before he finishes his summation.

The defense's closing will be followed by prosecutors' closing arguments.

Merchan said he spoke to the jurors and they are willing to work late tonight.

Judge Merchan told the jury that they have the ultimate authority in determining the truthfulness of a witness' testimony -- an instruction that might come in handy given the emphasis that defense lawyers placed on Michael Cohen's testimony, which they say includes lies.

"You will alone determine the truthfully and the accuracy of the testimony of each witness," Merchan said.

He added that the jury could either disregard the testimony of an untruthful witness entirely, or disregard part of it.

"There is no particular formula" to determine credibility, Merchan said.

"You may consider whether the witness has any interest in the outcome of the case," he said -- another matter that might weigh on jurors' minds.

"You may consider whether a witness did have, or did not have, a motive to lie," the judge said.

Trump's attorney had told the jury Cohen had an "axe to grind" against his former boss. Prosecutors partially conceded that Cohen had a motive, acknowledging that, to date, he is the only one who suffered any consequences from the matter at hand.

Trump, at the defense table, appeared to look over to the jury and offer a bit of a closed-mouth grin.