Former President Donald Trump's hush money trial resumed in Manhattan with a third day of witness testimony. Live updates have ended.
Also today: The Supreme Court heard arguments in Trump's presidential immunity claim.
Watch: Trump calls Pecker's testimony "amazing"
Trump described today's proceedings as "breathtaking" and called David Pecker's testimony "amazing" before leaving the courthouse.
"Today was breathtaking in this room... and amazing testimony," Trump told the media after court. Pecker was on the stand all day, and answered questions from both prosecutors and the defense.
"This is a trial that should've never happened, this is a case that should've never been filed and it was really an incredible, an incredible day," he said.
Trump: Today was breathtaking in this room. It was breathtaking. Amazing testimony. It really was an incredible uhb incredible day pic.twitter.com/fUlDxkf1tY
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 25, 2024
Meanwhile today, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Trump's presidential immunity case. The former president called the hearing "monumental," though he was unable to attend due to his criminal trial.
"I hope it was made clear, that the president has to have immunity or you don't have a president or at most you could say it would be a ceremonial president," Trump said to reporters. "That's not what the founders had in mind."
Gag order: Judge Merchan also signed an order to show cause for the prosecution's contempt arguments regarding the gag order. The prosecution said Trump had violated the gag order four more times in the last three days. A hearing on the matter has been set for Wednesday, May 1 at 2:15 p.m.
Pecker had mutually benefical relationships with other celebrities, too
During cross-examination, Pecker tells the court that he had similar, "mutually beneficial" relationships with top executives and other political candidates whereby he would alert them and try to suppress negative stories about those individuals.
He confirmed that AMI purchased the rights to a story about Tiger Woods for leverage so that Woods would appear on the cover of Men's Fitness.
He also confirmed that he has helped suppress stories about Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel's celebrities, including a story about Mark Wahlberg and about Emanuel's brother Rahm, who previously served as the mayor of Chicago.
Trump attorney Emil Bove is cross-examining Pecker. Attorney Todd Blanche is seen watching his colleague, smiling.
While Bove tries to suggest that there could be some gaps in Pecker's memory given that the events he's testifying about were "a long time ago," Pecker tells the attorney, "I didn't feel that I added in language or things" that he did not recall.
"Any documents that I reviewed I was consistent with what I said," Pecker told Bove after he was continually asked if he jogged his memory by reviewing previous comments that he made to prosecutors.
Pecker confirms that he had a relationship with Cohen separate from Trump. He testifies that he helped arrange photoshoots for Cohen to help promote his personal image.
Defense begins cross-examination of Pecker
The defense has now begun its cross-examination of David Pecker.
Trump attorney Emil Bove establishes through Pecker's affirmations that Pecker viewed Trump as a top celebrity that was good for his magazine business.
Pecker confirms that the first time he gave Trump a heads up about a potentially negative story was in 1998 for a story related to Marla Maples, his ex-wife. When asked if that meant he had been doing so for the 17 years before the August 2015 meeting at the Trump Tower, Pecker responds, "yes."
Pecker also answers "yes" when Bove asked if the first time he heard of the term "catch-and-kill" was from a prosecutor.
Pecker: Trump was my "mentor"
Pecker tells the court that the last time he spoke to Trump was in January or February of 2019. He said while some of his friends who have visited Mar-a-Lago have passed along Trump's regards, he did not feel it was appropriate to respond given the ongoing investigation.
Asked if he harbors any ill will towards Trump, Pecker responds, "On the contrary."
"I felt that Donald Trump was my mentor," Pecker said before going into another story about how Trump was one of the first people to call him and offer his help after AMI's Boca Raton office was being targeted.
"I have no ill will at all, and even though we haven't spoken, I consider him a friend," Pecker concluded about Trump.
Trump said Stormy Daniels owed $24M after interview
Stormy Daniels then sits with Anderson Cooper for an interview.
After her interview, Trump calls Pecker and tells him that Daniels is not allowed to mention his name under their agreement, and that as a result of the Cooper interview, she technically owed him $24 million—$1 million for each time she mentioned his name.
Pecker gets a letter from the Federal Election Commission regarding a campaign finance violation. He says he called Cohen, who told him not to worry because "Jeff Sessions is the attorney general and Donald Trump has him in his pocket."
Pecker is now being shown the non-prosecution agreement between AMI and federal prosecutors. Merchan tells jurors that they're being shown the document so they can judge Pecker's credibility.
McDougal's interview with Anderson Cooper
In March of 2018, Pecker recalls receiving a phone call from Trump following Anderson Cooper's interview with Karen McDougal.
Trump questioned the interview, asking Pecker, I thought you had and we had an agreement with McDougal that she can't give any interviews, or be on any television shows. Pecker replies that the agreement was amended so that she could speak to the press.
"He [Trump] was very upset, he couldn't understand why I did it," Pecker testifies.
Pecker explains he wanted to extend McDougal's contract so she couldn't give further interviews or talk to the press. McDougal then filed a lawsuit against AMI to get back the lifetime rights to her story, Pecker says. They settled and returned the rights to her.
Pecker back on the stand
The jury is back in the courtroom and Pecker has resumed his testimony.
Pecker is recalling a dinner at the White House in July of 2017. Trump asked Pecker how Karen McDougal was doing, to which he replied: she's doing well, "she's quiet, everything's going good."
Prosecutors are showing photos of Pecker and Trump at the White House as well as text messages between then-editor of the National Enquirer Dylan Howard and Daniels' attorney regarding a subpoena served to AMI.
Later, Pecker had lunch with McDougal to ensure AMI was holding up their end of the agreement. "I wanted her to remain within our family," Pecker testifies, saying he wanted to see how comfortable she was after the Wall Street Journal article "Trump Lawyer Arranged $130,000 Payment for Adult-Film Star's Silence" came out.
Why was there shouting in court earlier? Before lunch, lawyers discussed text messages between Howard and one of his relatives, when Trump's attorney Emil Bove nearly revealed the relative's name. Prosecutors interrupted Bove, and he responded, "Sorry, I didn't mean that." More here.
Court is back
Good afternoon, it's 2:15 p.m. in Manhattan and the hush money trial is about to resume.
David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, will soon return to the stand. Before the break, Pecker was detailing an agreement reached with former Playboy model Karen McDougal on her alleged affair with Trump and why he refused to buy Stormy Daniels' story about her alleged relationship with Trump.
Prosecutors still have questions for Pecker, then he will be cross-examined.
The latest from the Supreme Court arguments
As the hush money trial continues in Manhattan, the Supreme Court continues to hear arguments in Trump's presidential immunity case.
Conservative Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's questioning of Trump's lawyer pertaining to immunity claims could allow the former president's election fraud criminal case to proceed as intended, a legal expert tells Newsweek.
"So, you concede that private acts don't get immunity?" Barrett asked Sauer, to which he replied, "We do."
"[Smith] urges us even if we were to decide or assume that there was some sort of immunity for official acts, that there were sufficient private acts in the indictment for the case to go back and the trial to begin immediately," Barrett said. "And I want to know if you agree or disagree about the characterization of these acts."
Just in: Federal judge rejects Trump's bid for new E. Jean Carroll trial
Judge Lewis Kaplan has ruled against Trump's attempts for a new trial in the $80 million defamation verdict for E. Jean Carroll.
In the ruling, Kaplan wrote: "Contrary to the defendant's arguments, Ms. Carroll's compensatory damages were not awarded solely for her emotional distress; they were not for garden variety harms; and they were not excessive, for all of the reasons stated in Ms. Carroll's opposition brief."
Pecker: Cohen paid Daniels from his own funds
After the election, Michael Cohen was still pressing Pecker about the boxes of National Enquirer documents. Pecker said there was no concerning information about Trump. At this time, Pecker learns that Cohen paid Daniels from his own funds and had not yet been repaid, he testifies.
January 2017:
Pecker on the stand: I received a call from [Trump's assistant] saying the president-elect would like to see you for a meeting at Trump Tower.
Pecker says Trump thanked him for "handling the McDougal situation" and the "doorman situation," saying they could have been "very embarrassing."
Pecker answers questions about Stormy Daniels
The prosecution is now asking its witness David Pecker about Stormy Daniels.
Then-editor of the National Enquirer Dylan Howard received word that Daniels wanted to sell a story about having an alleged sexual relationship with Trump, Pecker testifies. Howard explains they can acquire the story for $120,000 if the decision was made "immediately."
Pecker tells Howard that AMI cannot pay $120,000 and he does not want the National Enquirer to be associated with a porn star, noting that the magazine's largest retailer was Walmart.
"I don't want any affiliation at all," Pecker recalls telling Howard.
Later, Howard tells Pecker that Michael Cohen made an agreement with Keith Davidson, Daniels' then-attorney, to buy the story but failed to wire the $120k twice.
"Dylan was very agitated and said Michael Cohen is going to make him look very bad with his two top sources," Pecker said. On a three-way call, Howard gets "very aggressive" with Cohen, who told Pecker to buy the story. "I said I'm not paying for this story. I did not want to be involved in this from the beginning," Pecker remembers.
Pecker seems to throw Cohen's words back at him and tells Cohen that if he doesn't buy the Stormy Daniels story and "it gets out, the boss would be very angry with you," he testifies.
Karen McDougal's story:
Prosecutors are now asking Pecker about a Wall Street Journal story from November of 2016 detailing Karen McDougal's agreement with AMI.
Trump called Pecker upset, asking "how could this happen? I thought you had this under control," Pecker recalls. Trump then accused Pecker or one of his people of leaking the story, Pecker said.
After its publication, AMI amended the deal with McDougal, Pecker explains.
Access Hollywood tape was "very damaging"
Pecker is back on the stand and discussing the infamous Access Hollywood tape that went public in October 2016, calling it "very embarrassing, very damaging" to the campaign.
Pecker then speaks with Cohen who says, "Everybody [on the campaign] was very concerned" about what impact it would have.
Howard: If Trump wins, "I'll be pardoned for electoral fraud"
Judge Merchan sided with the defense to exclude text messages from evidence from Dylan Howard, then-editor of the National Enquirer. In texts, Howard explains he isn't worried because he would be pardoned.
"At least if he [Trump] wins, I'll be pardoned for electoral fraud," Howard said in one text to a relative, according to prosecutors.
Merchan finds that those texts should be excluded, "I don't see how the defense gets to cross-examine anyone on this."
Supreme Court hears arguments in Trump's immunity case
Meanwhile in Washington, D.C., the Supreme Court is hearing arguments in Trump's presidential immunity case.
A Supreme Court justice demanded to know why Trump should have immunity from prosecution if Richard Nixon did not have the same privilege for the Watergate scandal.
"What was up with the pardon for President Nixon? I think that if everybody thought that presidents couldn't be prosecuted, then what was that about?" Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson pointedly asked Trump lawyer John Sauer.
Prosecutors raise four more potential gag order violations
Before Pecker took the stand this morning, prosecutors again argued that Trump violated the gag order.
Prosecutor Christopher Conroy pointed to four instances over the past three days. These included: Trump calling Michael Cohen a "convicted liar" in a TV interview and calling witness David Pecker "nice" during a surprise visit this morning to a Midtown construction site.
The prosecution has now raised a total of 14 violations. They asked that Trump be fined the maximum $1,000 for each.
Judge Merchan has not yet ruled on the potential violations.
Pecker testifies: "We didn't want the story to embarrass Mr. Trump"
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass shows the agreement with Karen McDougal, signed in August of 2016.
He highlights a line explaining that American Media Inc. (AMI) acquired rights to her story on the relationship she had with "any then-married man." Pecker testifies she was referring to Trump.
Pecker testifies that AMI owned the sole rights to the story under the agreement, and if McDougal took it elsewhere, she would have to return the $150,000. Steinglass shows an invoice for the $150,000 from McDougal's attorney.
When asked if her story was purchased so it wouldn't influence the election, Pecker answers, "yes it was."
"We didn't want the story to embarrass Mr. Trump or embarrass or hurt the campaign," he says.
Cohen later told Pecker that Trump wanted all of the content that the National Enquirer had, developed, or retained about him so someone else wouldn't "potentially publish those stories."
After signing an agreement with Cohen to have the lifetime rights reassigned, the contract is never executed. After speaking with legal counsel, Pecker calls him to tell him the agreement is off.
"I want you to rip up the agreement," Pecker told Cohen. "He was very, very angry, very upset, screaming basically at me." When asked if AMI was ever reimbursed for the McDougal story, Pecker says "never."
McDougal didn't want to be the next "Monica Lewinsky"
Pecker resumes his testimony, picking up with Dylan Howard's interview with former Playboy model Karen McDougal in California.
McDougal claimed to have a year-long relationship with Trump. Howard, then-editor of the National Enquirer, offered her $10,000 for her story, but she refused.
She said "didn't want to be the next Monica Lewinsky," Pecker says, "she wanted to restart her career."
Pecker now describes a phone call with Trump in June of 2016 about McDougal's story. Trump called McDougal a "nice girl," and asked Pecker if a Mexican group was looking to purchase her story for $8 million, he testifies. Pecker said he "absolutely" did not believe that.
When Trump asked what he should do, Pecker answered they buy the story. Pecker said if not, it would be "very embarrassing" to Trump and his campaign.
The agreement: Pecker testifies that they would purchase the lifetime rights to the story for $150,000. In regards to her own career, McDougal wanted to write for celebrity magazines, launch clothing lines, anchor red carpets, among others.
The jury is now being shown text messages between Pecker and Howard. Pecker was told he would be reimbursed for the $150,000. Pecker explains that Cohen didn't have authorization to spend any money without Trump's approval.
When asked if he was concerned about the legality of AMI paying off these stories for a presidential candidate, Pecker testifies, "yes." He refers to a situation when he acquired stories about Arnold Schwarzenegger during his run for California's governor in the early 2000s.
As part of that agreement, Pecker did not publish the sexual misconduct allegations he received about Schwarzenegger. This results in the LA Times getting the groping story, which is then published days before Schwarzenegger is elected as governor.
"The press approached Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was governor about the story, and his comment was 'ask my friend David Pecker,'" Pecker recalls. "It was very embarrassing to me and my company."
"It gave me the sensitivity about buying any stories in the future," he says.
Trump plans to rally at Madison Square Garden
Trump says he has campaign rallies planned at New York City's Madison Square Garden and in the South Bronx, saying he believes he has a "good chance" of winning New York.
"New York isn't traditionally won by Republicans anymore. It used to be 50 years ago, but not anymore. And I think we have a good chance of winning New York. We are going to give it a big play," Trump said to the media before entering court.
He said these rallies will honor police, fireman, teachers, among others, and his campaign will hold a "number" of large rallies.
Trump calls David Pecker a "nice guy"
Trump made a surprise stop at a Midtown Manhattan construction site before heading to trial this morning. There were hundreds of Trump supporters and union workers waiting for the former president.
"I've built a lot of buildings with the teamsters, and they like me a lot... and it's an amazing show of affection," Trump said to reporters.
Trump is now in court, where former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is expected to resume testimony momentarily.
"David has been very nice, he's a nice guy," Trump said.
He also addressed the Supreme Court's hearing, which he is unable to attend due to the criminal hush money trial.
"We have a big case today in the Supreme Court on presidential immunity," Trump said. "A president has to have immunity. If you don't have immunity, you just have a ceremonial president."
Cohen won't post about Trump during the trial
Michael Cohen says he will no longer post about former President Donald Trump on social media until after the hush money trial wraps up.
Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, is set to be a witness for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He frequently posts to social media to attack the former president, but his posts have faced new scrutiny amid the trial.
"Despite not being the gagged defendant, out of respect for Judge Merchan and the prosecutors, I will cease posting anything about Donald on my X (formerly Twitter) account or on the Mea Culpa Podcast until after my trial testimony. See you all in a month (or more)," Cohen wrote Wednesday.
Why does this matter? Merchan issued a gag order against Trump, preventing him from speaking about witnesses, jurors, and family members of the judge and court. Tuesday, a hearing was held on potential violations of the gag order; the prosection asked the former president be fined $1,000 for 10 posts they say are in violation. Some of these posts have to do with Cohen, though Trump's team argues they were responses to direct attacks from Cohen and not about the trial.
In DC: Supreme Court hears Trump immunity case today
Meanwhile, in about an hour in Washington, D.C.:
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Trump v. United States, which argues that Trump is immune from criminal prosecution for conduct that occurred while he was in the White House. It is a question that the high court has never considered before.
Trump v. United States stems from his federal election interference case. He is also facing a federal case related to the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago and a separate election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia.
Should the Supreme Court ultimately side with Trump and rule that he is immune from federal prosecution, his trial in the New York hush money case, however, will proceed as planned.
"The Supreme Court's presidential immunity case won't affect the New York hush money trial because Trump wasn't president at the time," former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek.
Arguments are set to begin at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Read the full story from Newsweek's Katherine Fung here.
Soon: Witness testimony continues
Good morning, it's 9 a.m. in New York City.
Court is set to resume for a third day of witness testimony as former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker returns to the stand.
Quick recap: David Pecker is the former chairman, president and CEO of the National Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc. (AMI). The prosecution called him as their first witness, he testified for nearly two hours on Tuesday and briefly on Monday.
What he's said: Pecker described his relationship with Trump as "great," saying he considered the former president a friend until 2017. He described Trump as a "very knowledgeable," frugal and detail-oriented businessman.
Tuesday, Pecker began describing "catch and kill" operations as it related to the 2016 presidential election. Before court adjourned, Pecker started to testify about former Playboy model Karen McDougal's story, claiming she had a relationship with Trump.
Gag order: Judge Juan Merchan has still not issued a decision related to potential gag order violations.
Schedule: Court is scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. Newsweek senior reporter Katherine Fung is inside the newsroom.
Get caught up: Here's what happened Tuesday in court.
