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.


What to know about the hush money case

READ MORE: Here's what you need to know about the historic case.


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Dozens of reporters crammed into courtroom

The courtroom in the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse is packed with reporters and security ahead of Michael Cohen's testimony.

Approximately 70 reporters are crammed into the gallery of the courtroom, seated on wooden benches that seat six per row. Five members of the public are seated in the back of the gallery behind the prosecution counsel table and jury box, and five court officers are scattered throughout the courtroom.

On the right side of the courtroom, earlier witnesses Jaden Jarmel-Schneider and Georgia Longstreet are seated near computer monitors. Both work as paralegals for the Manhattan district attorney's office and testified as part of the prosecution's case.

Jarmel-Schneider introduced phone records and a summary exhibit about the falsified documents into evidence, while Longstreet introduced Trump's social media posts into evidence.


Members of public wait overnight for seat in courtroom

Several members of the public waited overnight to secure a spot in the courtroom for Michael Cohen's testimony, traveling from as far as Los Angeles for the momentous day in court.

Michael Powers told ABC News that he joined the line at 2:30 p.m. yesterday to secure his spot in court, though he enlisted the help of professional line sitters to hold the spot overnight. He rejoined the line at 5:00 a.m.

"It's history in the making," Powers said. "This isn't gonna happen very often."

Powers said he prioritized seeing Michael Cohen's testimony due to its importance to the prosecution's case.

"I find him credible" Powers said. "He's lied in the past, but he lied for Donald Trump in my opinion, so I think he'll be a good witness."

Other members of the public waited overnight without the use of line sitters, including Chris Sagastizabal, who joined the line at 6:45 p.m. on Sunday with two friends.

"I changed my work schedule," Sagastizabal said.

Five members in the public have been seated in the courtroom this morning, with several others seated in a nearby overflow room.


Cohen arrives in court

Michael Cohen has arrived at the lower Manhattan courthouse ahead of today's expected testimony.

He did not speak to reporters on his way in.

Proceedings are scheduled to get underway at 9:30 a.m. ET.


Star witness Michael Cohen expected to take the stand

Michael Cohen, who for nearly a decade was Donald Trump's trusted adviser, personal attorney, and self-described "attack dog with a law license," is scheduled to take the stand this morning as the prosecution's star witness in Trump's criminal hush money trial.

According to prosecutors, Cohen was in the room in when Trump and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker agreed to a catch-and-kill scheme to hide negative information about Trump from 2016 voters, and Cohen himself made a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. The former president, who has denied the encounter took place, is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records related to his company's reimbursement to Cohen in 2017.

But Cohen's value to the prosecution's case could be endangered by the disbarred lawyer's credibility issues. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to tax evasion, campaign finance allegations, and lying to Congress in what Cohen says was an effort to protect Trump. The former president's lawyers have also argued that Cohen perjured himself again when he testified at Trump's civil fraud trial last year, and accuse Cohen of making his livelihood off books and podcasts that antagonize Trump.

Cohen is the final key witness in the prosecution's case, after which the defense will present its case.


'Just do it,' Cohen says Trump told him about Daniels payment

Michael Cohen testified that as the clock ticked toward the 2016 election, it became increasingly clear he could no longer delay the nondisclosure arrangement with Stormy Daniels.

Cohen said Trump agreed.

"He stated to me that he had spoken to some friends, some individuals, very smart people. It's $130,000. Just pay it. There's no reason to keep this thing out there. Just do it. So he expressed to me, 'Just do it,'" Cohen said.

Then-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg allegedly suggested that Cohen could fund the account that would ultimately wire the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels through one of Trump's golf courses, either through a membership or a wedding.

In a meeting with Weisselberg, Cohen said he suggested two options: "One option was to see if I knew anybody who wanted to purchase a golf membership," and a second option was for "somebody who was having a family affair, like a wedding or a bar mitzvah" pay that account and redeem the value as a "credit on their invoice."

"Why don't you pay?" Cohen testified he asked Weisselberg.

"He said to me that he wasn't financially in a position to do it," Cohen said.

Cohen said he eventually agreed to make the payment.

"I said I'll pay for it," Cohen said.

According to Cohen, both he and Weisselberg discussed the plan with Trump;

"Allen and I spoke to Mr. Trump and we expressed to him that I was going to front the money for it, to which he was appreciative," Cohen said.

Cohen said Trump replied, "Good, good."