Judge Juan Merchan plans to issue a ruling tomorrow about the bounds of Donald Trump's cross-examination if the former president decides to testify during the trial.

After hearing a brief oral argument this afternoon, Merchan told the parties he is reserving his decision, which he plans to issue sometime tomorrow.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo argued that Trump's alleged prior bad acts as demonstrated by a variety of civil and criminal determinations should be fair game during cross-examination.

The Sandoval hearing on Trump's potential testimony got underway with prosecutors pushing to cross-examine former president Donald Trump about his alleged violation of the limited gag order in his civil fraud trial.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asked Judge Merchan to permit them to ask the former president about his testimony during his civil fraud trial when the former president claimed he was not referring to Judge Arthur Engoron's law clerk during remarks in the hallway of the courthouse last year.

Engoron determined that Trump's brief testimony rang "hollow and untrue."

Colangelo asked Merchan to allow cross-examination about Trump's testimony and the gag order violation last year in order to probe his credibility.

"He lied," Colangelo said of Trump. "It is very hard to think of something more probative of a testifying defendant's credibility."

Judge Juan Merchan began the court's afternoon session but did not mention the self-immolation incident this afternoon in the park across from the courthouse, and Trump did not respond to questions about the incident when asked by a reporter in the hallway outside the courtroom.

The judge plans to hold a Sandoval hearing this afternoon to determine the bounds of Trump's cross-examination if he decides to testify.

In a filing earlier this week, prosecutors said they planned to question the former president about his past civil cases, including $464 million business fraud judgment, the defamation and battery cases brought by E. Jean Carroll and a lawsuit Trump filed against Hillary Clinton claiming she conspired to rig the 2016 election.

Prosecutors also want to question Trump about the Trump Organization's 2022 criminal trial for tax evasion and the civil case against the Trump Foundation for misusing charitable donations to further Trump's political interests.

Trump is seated at counsel table between his lawyers Emil Bove and Todd Blanche. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is not present in the courtroom.

Former President Trump has filed a new emergency appeal to change the venue of his criminal trial.

Oral arguments are scheduled for this afternoon to determine whether the trial should be temporarily paused.

The motion is expected to cite some of the responses prospective jurors gave during the jury selection process.

Trump's prior attempts to move the trial out of Manhattan have failed.

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified that he was twice summoned to Trump Tower in the period following the 2016 election: the first time for a meeting with Michael Cohen, and the second with Donald Trump.

The first meeting began in Cohen's office, where Cohen divulged for the first time to Pecker that he personally covered the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, and that he was concerned that he would not receive a bonus from the Trump Organization, Pecker testified.

"He (Cohen) asked me to talk to the boss on his behalf to try to help him get his bonus," Pecker said, referring to Trump.

When Trump himself came into the room, Pecker asked to walk him back to his office -- and at that time, Pecker told Trump that "Michael Cohen is very concerned about his bonus for this year, and I want you to know that he's very loyal."

Trump replied that Cohen had several apartments and taxi medallions, and added, "Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it," Pecker said.

On Jan. 6, 2017, Pecker arrived at Trump Tower for a meeting with Trump and was escorted to his residence by Jared Kushner, he testified.

Pecker said he was ushered into the room, where Trump was surrounded by administration officials James Comey, Sean Spicer, Reince Priebus, and Mike Pompeo -- they were "updating Mr. Trump on the Ft. Lauderdale shooting" that had occurred at the airport there.

Pecker testified that when Trump introduced him to Trump's inner circle of advisers, Trump said of the National Enquirer publisher, "He knows more than anyone else in this room."

"It was a joke. Unfortunately, they didn't laugh," Pecker testified, which brought some laughs from reporters in the gallery. A few jurors smiled at the moment.

Pecker testified that after Trump's advisers left the room, Trump turned to him.

"He (Trump) asked me how Karen [McDougal] was doing -- how's 'our girl' doing. I said, she's writing her articles, she's quiet, things are going fine."

Trump then said, "I want to thank you for handling the McDougal situation." And then he said, "I want to thank you for the doorman situation," Pecker testified.

Pecker testified that he took this to mean that Trump was thanking him "for not publishing any of the stories and helping the way I did."