Trump trial live updates: Prosecution calls its 3rd witness to testify (2024)

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Former President Donald Trump is standing trial in New York City on felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Trump is accused of falsifying internal business records as part of an alleged scheme to bury stories he thought might hurt his presidential campaign in 2016. It's the first of Trump's four indictments to go to trial and the first criminal trial against a former U.S. president. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts.

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Trump speaks after court ends for the day

Donald Trump spoke to reporters with more energy than he had in past days after spending the day in the Manhattan courtroom where his hush money trial is being held.

The former president declared that the case was politically motivated and reaffirmed his willingness to debate President Joe Biden anytime, anywhere, even Friday night or at the White House.

Trump left for the day after speaking for a few minutes and didn't take any questions from reporters on the way out of court. He's expected to head back to Florida.

4th day of witness testimony concludes

Trump exited the Manhattan courtroom where his hush money trial is being held, exhaling and with a stern expression. It marked the end of the trial's fourth day of witness testimony.

So far, prosecutors have called three witnesses.

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker spent about 10 hours on the stand over the course of four days.

Then Trump's longtime executive assistant Rhona Graff answered questions for about 30 minutes.

The current witness, Cohen's former banker Gary Farro, was on the stand for a little under an hour Friday and will return when the trial resumes Tuesday, with Monday being a long-scheduled day off.

Banker explains how he helped former Trump attorney create an LLC

Gary Farro detailed the step-by-step process of helping Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen create an account for his limited liability company while testifying Friday in the Trump's hush money trial in Manhattan.

According to Farro, Cohen said Resolution Consultants, which he opened in September 2016, was related to real estate. In fact, the LLC was formed to facilitate the planned purchase of Karen McDougal's story rights from American Media. That deal never went through.

Prosecutors have shown emails in which Cohen describes the opening of the account as an "important matter."

Farro said that since the account was never funded, it was never technically opened. Instead, Cohen pivoted to starting another account for another LLC - Essential Consultants - which he used to make the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels. Similarly, Farro said Cohen led him to believe that firm would be involved in real estate consulting.

Prosecution calls banker as its 3rd witness

The prosecution on Friday called its third witness in former president Donald Trump's hush money trial to testify.

Gary Farro works at Flagstar Bank as a private client adviser and was previously at First Republic Bank, which was used by former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen.

Farro, testifying pursuant to a subpoena, said Cohen had several personal bank accounts at First Republic when Farro took over the client relationship in 2015.

"I was told that I was selected because of my knowledge and because of my ability to handle individuals that may be a little challenging," Farro said.

"Frankly, I didn't find him that difficult," he added.

Second witness, described as Trump's 'gatekeeper,' testifies

Rhona Graff, Donald Trump's longtime executive assistant, was called to the stand Friday in the former president's hush money trial in Manhattan.

Graff started working for Trump in 1987 and left the Trump Organization in April 2021. She has been described as his gatekeeper and right hand. She was among several people involved in keeping his records.

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, the first prosecution witness called, testified Thursday that Graff was often the conduit for his communications with Trump, routing his calls and summoning him to a Trump Tower meeting on Jan. 6, 2017. At the meeting, the ex-publisher said, he and Trump discussed some of the hush money arrangements at issue in the case.

Graff testified that p*rn actor Stormy Daniels was once at Trump's offices in Trump Tower.

"I have a vague recollection of seeing her in the reception area" one time, Graff said.

The date of the visit wasn't immediately clear.

Graff said she assumed Daniels was there to discuss potentially being a contestant on one of Trump's "Apprentice"-brand shows.

"You had heard President Trump say that he thought that she would be an interesting addition" to the cast, Trump lawyer Susan Necheles asked.

"It was part of the office chatter," Graff said.

Prosecutors claw back at portrait of tabloid deal

Before breaking for lunch Friday, prosecutors in Donald Trump's hush money trial in Manhattan clawed back at the defense's contention that an arrangement with the National Enquirer wasn't unique to Trump, eliciting testimony from former publisher David Pecker that underscored the unusual nature of their deal.

"Is it standard operating procedure for AMI to be consulting with a presidential candidate's fixer about amendments to a source agreement?" Steinglass asked, using initials for the tabloid's parent company. "No," Pecker responded.

Several similar questions followed suit, with Pecker acknowledging that he had not previously sought out stories and worked the company's sources on behalf of a presidential candidate, nor allowed political fixers close access to internal decision-making.

"It's the only one," Pecker said.

Attentiveness and whispers in the courtroom

In their fourth day of hearing testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, jurors in Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York remained attentive Friday even as cross-examination turned technical.

As Pecker and Trump defense lawyer Emil Bove parsed a 2018 nonprosecution agreement between federal authorities and the Enquirer's parent company, members of the jury variously watched them, looked at the document on big screens or appeared to take notes.

Trump sat chatting and gesturing with lawyer Susan Necheles while the other lawyers had an extended conversation with Judge Juan Merchan at the bench.

After the sidebar conversation broke up for a few minutes, Trump leaned over to another of his lawyers, Todd Blanche, whispering something to him. Blanche then leaned toward Trump and covered his mouth as he whispered a response, while Bove resumed questioning Pecker.

Publisher challenged on past statements

In the most confrontational moment so far Friday in Donald Trump's hush money trial, defense lawyer Emil Bove said former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker's testimony has been inconsistent with statements to federal prosecutors in 2018.

Pecker testified that Trump thanked him for his help handling potential stories involving former Playboy model Karen McDougal and Dino Sajudin, a Trump Tower doorman, during a White House visit on Jan. 6, 2017.

But according to notes cited by Bove in court, Pecker had previously told federal authorities that Trump did not express any gratitude to him or American Media during the meeting.

Pecker stuck Friday to the story he has given in court.

"I know what the truth is," he said.

Cross-examination resumes of David Pecker

Defense lawyers in Donald Trump's hush money trial are digging Friday into assertions of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.

David Pecker returned to the witness stand for the fourth day as defense attorneys tried to poke holes in his testimony, which has described helping bury embarrassing stories Trump feared could hurt his campaign.

Pecker has painted a tawdry portrait of "catch and kill" tabloid schemes - catching a potentially damaging story by buying the rights to it and then killing it through agreements that prevent the paid person from telling the story to anyone else.

The cross-examination, which began Thursday, will cap a consequential week in the criminal cases the former president is facing as he vies to reclaim the White House in November.

Trump calls day's court proceedings 'breathtaking'

Former President Trump, exiting the courtroom at the end of Day 7 of his trial, called the day's court proceedings "breathtaking."

He specifically remarked on the Supreme Court's hearing this morning on his bid for presidential immunity in his federal election interference case, which Trump was forced to miss due to his criminal trial.

"I heard the meeting was quite amazing. The justices were on their game," Trump said.

Prosecutor objects to defense questions before court is adjourned

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass alleged that defense attorney Emil Bove used a "totally improper line of questioning" during Bove's cross-examination of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.

Judge Juan Mechan, addressing Bove, at one point raised his voice slightly, saying, "Are you missing my point? Because I don't think you are responding to what I am saying."

Merchan said that the jurors will be corrected about the alleged misimpression at the start of court tomorrow.

The judge then adjourned the day's proceedings, with court scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. ET Friday.

Pecker tells defense that killing stories is 'standard' procedure

Former President Trump's attorney Emil Bove began his cross-examination of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker by seeking to painting Pecker and Trump's "mutually beneficially" relationship as one that had nothing to do with the election but rather had been underway for years under a "standard operating procedure."

"Seventeen years of providing President Trump with a heads-up about potentially negative publicity?" Bove asked Pecker.

"That's correct," Pecker said.

Bove asked Pecker about the first time he ever provided Trump with information -- which Pecker testified was in the 1990s and related to a negative story about Marla Maples, Trump's ex-wife.

"Fair to say that predated the Trump Tower meeting by a long time?" Bove asked of Pecker and Trump's relationship.

"Yes," Pecker said.

"A lot of interactions?" Bove asked.

"Yes," Pecker responded.

Pecker also testified about buying and suppressing stories for other individuals, such as one for former Rep. Rahm Emanuel for $20,000.

Bove also sought to show that kind of relationship between publishers and politicians was normal, saying there was "nothing wrong about" it.

Pecker says he still considers Trump a friend

Prosecutors wrapped up their questioning of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker by asking whether he bears former President Donald Trump any ill will.

"On the contrary," he said, "I felt that Donald Trump was my mentor. He helped me throughout my career."

Although they haven't spoken since the FBI began investigating the hush money arrangements several years ago - Pecker said he thought it would be inappropriate for them to communicate, given the probe - "I still consider him a friend," Pecker said.

Trump looked on stoically as Pecker said so.

When asked earlier Thursday what he thought of Pecker's testimony, Trump said he was a "nice guy."

Pecker returns to the witness stand after lunch

David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, did not look at Donald Trump while walking by him on his way back to the witness stand at the former president's hush money trial Thursday in New York.

Pecker testified that Trump invited him to a White House dinner in July 2017 to thank him for helping the campaign - and asked for an update on former Playboy model Karen McDougal. The Enquirer had paid McDougal for the rights to her story claiming an affair with Trump and then kept it under wraps, Pecker testified earlier.

Trump was furious when McDougal gave an interview to CNN's Anderson Cooper in March 2018, Pecker testified.

"I thought you had and we had an agreement with Karen McDougal that she can't give any interviews or be on any TV channels," Pecker testified that Trump told him by phone.

He said he explained to Trump that the agreement had been changed to allow her to speak to the press after a 2016 Wall Street Journal article about his tabloid's $150,000 payout to McDougal.

"Mr. Trump got very aggravated when he heard that I amended it, and he couldn't understand why," Pecker told jurors.

Judge sets stage for arguments on contempt

Donald Trump waved his fist as he returned to the courtroom after a lunch break in his hush money trial in New York.

He did not respond to a shouted question about the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments earlier Thursday in his bid to avoid prosecution over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Meanwhile, the judge in the New York case signed an order setting in motion arguments, not necessarily immediately, over prosecutors' request earlier in the day for more contempt findings against Trump.

Prosecutors had already asked the judge to fine Trump over 10 social media posts they say violate a gag order that bars him from making public statements about witnesses and jurors.

Thursday morning, they flagged four additional episodes, including comments at a press event earlier in the day about key witness David Pecker.

Pecker recalls meeting with Trump before inauguration

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker recalled Thursday a meeting with Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2017, about two weeks before his inauguration, at which they discussed former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

The testimony came in Trump's hush money trial in New York shortly before the court broke for lunch.

As Pecker recalled it, Trump introduced him to a group of top aides as the National Enquirer owner and joked: "He probably knows more than anyone in this room."

After dismissing the aides, Trump asked Pecker for an update on "our girl," meaning McDougal, according to Pecker. The Enquirer had paid McDougal for the rights to her story claiming an affair with Trump, Pecker testified earlier.

Pecker said he reassured Trump that McDougal was keeping quiet, and Trump thanked him for handling the matters with McDougal and Dino Sajudin, the former doorman at one of Trump's buildings who was also paid for his claims.

"He said that the stories were very embarrassing," Pecker recalled.

Trump described as 'very upset' over Wall Street Journal story

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker recalled an irate Donald Trump calling him a day after The Wall Street Journal published an article shortly before the 2016 election.

Pecker's testimony came in his third day on the stand in Trump's hush money trial in New York, and as arguments at the Supreme Court in Washington in a separate case over Trump's presidential immunity were concluding.

The Journal article broke the news of the Enquirer's $150,000 payment to Karen McDougal for the rights to the former Playboy model's story claiming an affair with Trump.

"Donald Trump was very upset, saying, 'How could this happen? I thought you had this under control. Either you or one of your people leaked the story,'" Pecker testified.

He said he told Trump that perhaps McDougal or someone connected with her had tipped off the Journal.

"Our call ended very abruptly. He didn't say goodbye, which was very unusual," Pecker testified.

Pecker testified that Enquirer owner American Media's response to the Journal that the company had "not paid people to kill damaging stories about Mr. Trump" was a lie.

"I wanted to protect my company, I wanted to protect myself, and I wanted also to protect Donald Trump," Pecker explained on the witness stand.

The court broke for lunch shortly afterward. Trump left the courtroom without addressing reporters in the hallway.

'This story is true,' Pecker recounts being told of Stormy Daniels

"Do you know someone by the same of Stephanie Clifford?"

The question, by assistant district attorney Josh Steinglass, was the jury's introduction during the evidentiary phase of the trial to the woman whose long-denied claim of a sexual tryst with Donald Trump set in motion the alleged falsification of business records.

"Stormy Daniels is, or was, a p*rn star," former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker replied, using Clifford's stage name.

Pecker was having dinner with his wife on a Saturday night in early October 2016 when he said he received an urgent call from National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard.

"He said that she, she being Stormy Daniels, is trying to sell a story that she had a sexual relationship with Donald Trump, and Dylan can acquire the story for $120,000 from Keith Davidson if we made a decision right now," Pecker recalled.

In a series of text messages the jury saw, Howard told Pecker, "I know denials were made in the past but this story is true."

Pecker replied to Howard, "We can't pay 120k." The company had already paid $30,000 for the Dino Sajudin story and $150,000 for the Karen McDougal story, and Pecker recalled thinking, "I am not a bank."

In the text exchange, Howard responded, "Perhaps I call Michael and advise him and he can take it from there, and handle."

Pecker texted back, "Yes a good idea."

Pecker recalled having "a number of conversations" with Michael Cohen about Stormy Daniels. Cohen wanted Pecker to catch and kill the story.

"I said, 'I am not purchasing this story, I am not going to get involved with a p*rn star,'" Pecker testified he told Cohen. "He was upset and said the boss would be furious with me."

Bid for new trial denied for new trial in E. Jean Carroll case

In unrelated development, a federal judge in New York on Thursday rejected former President Trump's bid for a new trial in a defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. The ruling upheld the jury's $83 million damage award.

"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," Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote.

"Mr. Trump's malicious and unceasing attacks on Ms. Carroll were disseminated to more than 100 million people. They included public threats and personal attacks, and they endangered Ms. Carroll's health and safety."

Pecker says he was never repaid for McDougal's catch-and-kill

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker described his concern about the way Trump's repayment for the catch-and-kill purchase of Karen McDougal's story would appear in his company's accounting system.

Pecker testified that he put a different label on the invoice to Trump attorney Michael Cohen's LLC for the repayment because he "did not want to have a payment received in the company's finance department from the Trump Organization or Michael Cohen."

"Why not?" the prosecutor asked him.

"Because I believed that that payment would raise a lot of questions and issues," Pecker testified.

Pecker also suggested he became uncomfortable with being reimbursed by Trump or Cohen after speaking with his legal counsel.

Lastly, Pecker testified about his repeated efforts to get that repayment -- which he said never happened.

"To be clear, Mr. Pecker, did AMI ever get reimbursed?" the prosecutor asked, referring to the Enquirer's parent company.

"No," Pecker answered.

Dispute over exhibits

While jurors were on a break Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York, both sides debated disputed exhibits that prosecutors want jurors to see.

Some of the disputed evidence, which the judge is keeping out of the trial for now, involved text messages then-National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard exchanged with a relative around the time of Trump's 2016 election.

"At least if he wins, I'll be pardoned for electoral fraud," Howard said in one of the messages, which was read aloud in court by a prosecutor.

In another message, Howard informed his relative that Trump has "just been named president elect."

The relative's response - "Oh dear" - elicited laughter from the gallery when it was read in the courtroom.

The messages were not shown in court.

Trump's lawyers argued the messages were hearsay, not business records, and couldn't be used as evidence.

The jury then returned to hear more from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.

Pecker says McDougal's story could have 'hurt the campaign'

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified that he believed Donald Trump had knowledge about the $150,000 contract to buy Karen McDougal's silence regarding an alleged year-long affair.

"Do you know if anyone else besides Michael Cohen had any knowledge of this contract?" prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked.

"Yes, I believe Donald Trump did," Pecker responded.

"Was your principal purpose to suppress the story to prevent it from influencing the election?" Steinglass asked.

"Yes," Pecker said.

"Were you aware that expenditures by corporations made for the purpose of influencing an election made in coordination with or at the request of a candidate or campaign were unlawful?" Steinglass asked.

Pecker said he was aware and confirmed that the Enquirer's parent company, AMI, never reported the payment to the Federal Election Commission.

"We purchased the story so it wouldn't be published by any other organization," Pecker said.

"Why did you not want it to be published by any other organization?" Steinglass asked.

"We didn't want the story to embarrass Mr. Trump or embarrass or hurt the campaign," Pecker said.

"Who is we?" Steinglass followed up.

"Myself and Michael Cohen," Pecker said.

According to Pecker, AMI agreed to the $150,000 payment on the promise that Donald Trump or the Trump Organization would reimburse AMI for the payment. He frequently followed up with Cohen about the reimbursem*nt and got a similar answer from Cohen.

"Why are you worried? I am your friend. The boss will take care of it," Pecker said about Cohen's response.

Pecker testifies he believed McDougal affair story was true

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker took the stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York and recalled receiving a telephone call from Trump during the tabloid's pursuit of former Playboy model Karen McDougal's claims of an extramarital affair.

"When I got on the phone, Mr. Trump said to me, 'Karen is a nice girl. Is it true that a Mexican group is looking to buy her story for $8 million?'" Pecker said. "I said, 'I absolutely don't believe there's a Mexican group out there looking to buy her story for $8 million.'"

Trump then asked Pecker what he should do, the ex-publisher said. Pecker testified that he told Trump, "I think you should buy the story" and keep it quiet.

"I believed the story was true," Pecker explained. "I thought it would be very embarrassing to himself and to his campaign."

Supreme Court arguments are underway

Oral arguments have begun in Donald J. Trump v. United States.

Arguing for Trump is attorney D. John Sauer. Presenting for Smith is Michael R. Dreeben, who has argued more than 100 cases before the nation's high court.

ABC News Live was providing audio from the hearing in the player above.

Trump, on trial in New York, contends president 'has to have immunity'

As Trump headed into court on Thursday morning for his ongoing trial in New York (he has pleaded not guilty), he continued to weigh in on the presidential immunity case.

"I think that the Supreme Court has a very important argument before it today," he told reporters as he entered the hallway inside a Manhattan courtroom for his hush money trial. "I would have loved to have been there but this judge would not allow me to be there."

Trump argued that the president "has to have immunity," repeating a claim that federal prosecutors and some judges have so far said would upend the rule of law.

"This has to do with a president in the future for 100 years from now," he said. "If you don't have immunity, you're not going to do anything. You're going to become a ceremonial president. It's just going to be doing nothing, you're not going to take any of the risks, both good and bad."

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh and Michael Pappano

Hush money trial resumes as SCOTUS hears arguments in Trump's immunity trial

Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to resume Thursday, but in D.C., there is even more legal drama for the former president.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether Trump is immune from federal charges for his alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The outcome could determine whether Trump faces a federal trial on the four felony counts brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith.

Back in New York City, National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is just one of the witnesses that will take the stand as the prosecution continues to bring its case forward against Trump.

Later Thursday morning, Trump could learn if he violated Judge Juan Merchan's limited gag order through a series of social media posts. Prosecutors are asking the judge to fine Trump $1,000 per violation.

While the judge can impose imprisonment, the prosecution is not seeking that yet. Authorities say the Secret Service has already held meetings and started planning for what to do if the former president were to be held in contempt.

Surprise campaign stop ahead of trial

Trump made a surprise campaign stop at a Midtown construction site ahead of Thursday's trial. Supporters gathered to see and shake hands with the former president.

"I did nothing wrong. It's a political witchhunt. It's election interference, that's all it is," Trump told the crowd.

Dozens of people could be heard chanting Trump's name at the site.

Court ends for Tuesday

The jury in Donald Trump's hush money trial has been sent home for the day, with court adjourning early for the Passover holiday.

Jurors had to directly pass by Trump at the defense table as they exited just after 2 p.m. but none appeared to look in his direction.

Afterward, Trump peered at reporters in the courtroom gallery as he ambled to the hallway. He clutched the same pile of clipped papers he walked in with earlier, which Trump said were news articles from the past day and a half.

"So, I put an article on it and then somebody's name is mentioned somewhere deep in the article and I ended up in violation of the gag order," he said. "I think it's a disgrace. It's totally unconstitutional."

Trump angrily criticized Judge Merchan and the limited gag order that was the topic of this morning's contempt hearing.

"We have a gag order, which to me is totally unconstitutional. I'm not allowed to talk but people are allowed to talk about me," Trump said. "So, they can talk about me, they can say whatever they want, they can lie. But I'm not allowed to say that. I just have to sit back and look at why a conflicted judge has ordered for me to have a gag order. I don't think anybody's ever seen anything like this."

Prosecutors asked the judge to fine Trump $10,000 for what the say are 10 recent violations of the limited gag order, which prohibits Trump from making statements about witnesses, jurors, and lawyers in the case other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The judge has yet to issue a ruling.

Trial proceedings will resume on Thursday.

Pecker testifies about Karen McDougal before court ends for day

"Karen McDougal was a Playboy model," former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker said, recalling how he learned in June 2016 "that there's a Playboy model who is trying to sell a story about a relationship that she had with Donald Trump for a year."

Pecker said he immediately called Trump's then-attorney Michael Cohen to inform him. By then, he was speaking to Cohen "a couple times a week," but that soon changed. Pecker said he and Cohen spoke "much more frequently" about McDougal's claims.

"Michael was very agitated. It looked like he was getting a lot of pressure to get the answer right away," Pecker said. "He kept on calling, and each time he called he seemed more anxious."

Pecker said he assumed "Mr. Trump was asking Michael Cohen, 'Did we hear anything yet?'" Pecker said.

"Did you ever come to believe that Michael Cohen had spoken with Mr. Trump about McDougal's claims?" prosecutor Josh Steinglass asked.

"Yes I did," Pecker responded before recounting a phone conversation Pecker said he himself had with Trump.

"I said I think the story should be purchased and we should buy it," Pecker recalled telling Trump. "Mr. Trump said to me, 'I don't buy stories. Anytime you do anything like this, it always gets out.'"

Ultimately, McDougal was paid $150,000 and promised a series of exercise articles in the publication.

Following that testimony, court was adjourned.

It's expected the jury will hear more on McDougal upon Pecker's return to the witness stand, when court resumes on Thursday.

Pecker details catch-and-kill deal with Trump Tower doorman

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker described the very first story he "caught and killed" pursuant to his agreement with Donald Trump and his then-attorney Michael Cohen: a false story from a Trump Tower doorman in 2015.

Trump, sitting at the defense table, shook his head when Pecker laid out the allegation: that "Donald Trump fathered an illegitimate girl with a maid at Trump Tower."

Pecker testified that he "immediately called Michael Cohen" when his team got wind of those allegations being shopped by the doorman, Dino Sajudin. Cohen told him it was "absolutely not true" -- but Pecker testified he ultimately moved forward with buying the story to the tune of $30,000.

"This could be a very big story. I believe that it's important that it should be removed from the market," Pecker said he told Cohen.

Asked about Cohen's response, Pecker said: "He said the boss would be very pleased," saying he understood "the boss" to mean Donald Trump.

Pecker testified that Cohen later called back to say the story is "absolutely not true" and that Trump "would take a DNA test" -- an apparently new revelation -- but Pecker said it wouldn't be necessary.

Pecker conceded that if the story turned out to be true, it "probably would be the biggest sale" for the paper since the death of Elvis Presley.

Still, Pecker testified he would have held it until after the campaign was over.

"I would have published it after the election," Pecker said. "That was the conversation I had with Michael Cohen, and that's what we agreed to."

Ultimately, the story turned out to be untrue -- but Pecker still paid for it.

"Why are you paying $30,000 for an untrue story?" prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked while displaying the contract Pecker had with Sajudan to the jury.

"Because if the story got out to another publication, it would have been embarrassing for the campaign," Pecker said.

"So this was a way to lock it up?" Steinglass asked.

"That's correct," Pecker responded.

Pecker said he never paid to bury a story about Trump before doorman came along

David Pecker testified Tuesday that he'd never paid to bury a story about Donald Trump before Dino Sajudin, then a doorman at Trump Tower, came along.

The former National Enquirer publisher recalled calling Michael Cohen and explaining that they could purchase the doorman's silence for $30,000 by buying the exclusive rights to his story.

"He said, 'Who's going to pay for it?' I said, 'I'll pay for it,'" Pecker testified. "Then he said, 'Thank you very much.' He said, 'The boss will be very pleased.'"

In response to the prosecutor's question about who he understood "the boss" to be, Pecker replied: "Donald Trump."

Explaining why he decided to have the National Enquirer foot the bill, Pecker testified: "This was going to be a very big story."

He added that it would "probably be the biggest sale of the National Enquirer since the death of Elvis Presley," but noted he would've held it until after the election, citing his agreement with Cohen.

Pecker described the National Enquirer's "normal" procedure of placing Sajudin under a polygraph test to determine if his tip was legitimate, but prosecutor Joshua Steinglass stopped him before he could reveal the results, which isn't allowed in court.

Pecker said the National Enquirer hired a private investigator, sent reporters to a location where the supposed child was living and used other verification methods - ultimately learning that the story was "1,000% untrue."

"Had you ever paid a story to kill a story about Donald Trump?" Steinglass asked.

"No I had not," Pecker said.

Trump amplified dubious National Enquirer claims in 2016

David Pecker's testimony on Tuesday in Donald Trump's hush money trial provided a seamy backstory to Trump's rise from political novice to president of the United States.

With Cohen acting as a shadow editor of sorts, Pecker said he and the National Enquirer parlayed trashy rumor-mongering into splashy tabloid stories that tarred Trump's opponents while also running pieces that boosted his image.

The articles were timed to run just as Trump's rivals were climbing in polls, and some of the allegations - such as articles falsely tying Ted Cruz's father to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy - entered the mainstream via cable news and conservative-leaning talk programs.

Trump himself amplified the National Enquirer's absurd allegations about Cruz's father in May 2016, telling Fox News in one interview, "His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being, you know, shot."

"Nobody even brings it up, I mean they don't even talk about that. That was reported and nobody talks about it," he went on.

Trump had a history in 2016 of repeating unproven and unsubstantiated stories, many from the National Enquirer, which had endorsed his candidacy. After the tabloid printed a story without evidence that claimed Cruz was having an extramarital affair, Trump praised the publication for having a "very good" record of accuracy.

Secret Service preparing if Trump is held in contempt

The U.S. Secret Service has held meetings and started planning for what to do if former President Trump were to be held in contempt and Judge Juan Merchan opted to send him to short-term confinement, officials familiar with the situation told ABC News.

Merchan on Tuesday reserved decision after a contentious hearing. Prosecutors said at this point they are seeking a fine.

"We are not yet seeking an incarceratory penalty," assistant district attorney Chris Conroy said, "But the defendant seems to be angling for that."

Officials do not necessarily believe Merchan would put Trump in a holding cell in the courthouse, but they are planning for contingencies, the officials said.

No immediate decision on potential gag order violations

Judge Juan M. Merchan said Tuesday he would not make an immediate decision on whether Donald Trump violated a gag order barring him from making public statements about witnesses in his hush money case.

Following a hearing held before witness testimony was set to resume, Merchan suggested that instead of begging for forgiveness, Trump should have asked for clarity when considering social posts or reposts that might cross the line.

Trump's lawyers had reiterated their argument that his posts about witnesses such as his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen were merely responses to political speech.

Prosecutors have sought sanctions against the former president, as well as fines of at least $3,000.

Last year, Trump was fined $15,000 for twice violating a gag order imposed at his New York civil fraud trial after he made a disparaging social media post about the judge's chief law clerk.

In 2022, Trump was held in contempt and fined $110,000 for being slow to respond to a subpoena in the investigation that led to the civil fraud lawsuit.

Lawyer says others post to Trump's Truth Social account

Todd Blanche, Donald Trump's lawyer, peeled back the curtain on the ex-president's Truth Social operation during a hearing on whether he recently violated a gag order prohibiting him from publicly attacking witnesses in his hush money case.

According to Blanche, people working with Trump will pick out articles they think his followers would like to see and then repost them to Truth Social under his name.

Blanche had argued that reposting a news article, as in some of the posts at issue, doesn't violate the gag order put in place by Judge Juan M. Merchan.

When the judge asked for citations to cases to back that supposition up, Blanche said he didn't have any, but "it's just common sense."

As Merchan grew increasingly frustrated with Blanche, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass smiled, rolled his eyes and appeared to stifle a laugh. On the opposite side, Trump sat slumped in his chair, scowling.

Blanche insisted that Trump "is being very careful to comply" with the gag order. Judge Merchan shot back: "You're losing all credibility."

Prosecutors have asked the judge to hold Trump in contempt of court and to fine him at least $3,000 for the online posts in question.

What to expect on day 2 of testimony

A longtime tabloid publisher was expected Tuesday to tell jurors about his efforts to help Donald Trump stifle unflattering stories during the 2016 campaign as testimony resumes in the historic hush money trial of the former president.

David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher who prosecutors say worked with Trump and Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, on a so-called "catch-and-kill" strategy to buy up and then spike negative stories during the campaign, testified briefly Monday and will be back on the stand Tuesday in the Manhattan trial.

Also Tuesday, prosecutors are expected to tell a judge that Trump should be held in contempt over a series of posts on his Truth Social platform that they say violated an earlier gag order barring him from attacking witnesses in the case. Trump's lawyers deny that he broke the order.

Pecker's testimony followed opening statements in which prosecutors alleged that Trump had sought to illegally influence the 2016 race by preventing damaging stories about his personal life from becoming public, including by approving hush money payments to a p*rn actor who alleged an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Trump has denied that.

"This was a planned, long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures to silence people who had something bad to say about his behavior," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said. "It was election fraud, pure and simple."

A defense lawyer countered by attacking the integrity of the onetime Trump confidant who's now the government's star witness.

"President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan district attorney's office should not have brought this case," attorney Todd Blanche said.

Trump, after court, says payments were correctly labeled

Moments after his criminal trial adjourned for the day, Donald Trump exited the courtroom and told reporters that his payments to Michael Cohen were appropriately labeled as legal expenses.

"Actually, nobody's been able to say what you're supposed to call it," Trump told the media. "If the lawyer puts in a bill or an invoice and you pay the bill ... that's a very small little line ... it's not like you could tell a life story."

"They marked it down for a legal expense. This is what I got indicted over," Trump said.

The former president also attempted to paint his former attorney Michael Cohen as an unreliable witness and said he "wasn't very good in a lot of ways" as an attorney.

Trump's motorcade then departed the courthouse.

Testimony ends for the day

Court adjourned just after 12:30 p.m. on MOnday.

Judge Juan M. Merchan had originally planned to adjourn at 2 p.m. because of Passover but agreed to adjourn early to accommodate an alternate juror's emergency dental appointment.

Merchan plans to adjourn court on Tuesday at 2 p.m. for the holiday.

David Pecker is scheduled to return to the witness stand on Tuesday.

During his brief testimony, Pecker suggested that former National Enquirer chief content officer Dylan Howard - an alleged participant in the catch-and-kill scheme - will be unable to testify due to a medical condition.

The first witness is David Pecker

David Pecker, the National Enquirer's former publisher and a longtime friend of Donald Trump, was the first witness to take the stand in the former president's hush money trial on Monday.

Prosecutors say he met with Trump and Michael Cohen at Trump Tower in August 2015 and agreed to help the campaign identify negative stories about him.

He took the stand just after noon, sporting a charcoal suit, yellow tie and glasses. The 72-year-old now consults, including for his old employer, the company formerly known as American Media Inc.

Pecker, who once called Donald Trump "a personal friend of mine," flashed a big smile as he took the stand as the trial's first witness, belying the gravity of the moment.

Pecker cackled loudly into the microphone, jolting the room, when prosecutor Josh Steinglass, asked him about his various phone numbers that he struggled to remember.

Pecker, 72, was the publisher of the National Enquirer but prosecutors said he was "acting as a co-conspirator" in helping buy and bury damaging stories about Trump, including a doorman's false claim that Trump had fathered a love child and a Playboy model's claim of a sexual relationship with Trump, who has denied both allegations.

Defense asked jurors to use common sense

Defense attorneys concluded their opening statements in Donald Trump's hush money trial by downplaying expected testimony from p*rn actor Stormy Daniels, as well as emphasizing that prosecutors have not charged him with conspiracy despite describing the allegations against him as such in their opening statements.

"There's nothing illegal about what you will hear happened among the National Enquirer, AMI, David Pecker and Donald Trump," Blanche said, adding: "It's not a scheme, unless a scheme means something that doesn't matter, that's not illegal."

Blanche concluded by urging jurors to pay attention to all of the testimony and to use common sense, observing, "We're all New Yorkers here."

"If you do that, there will be a very swift 'not guilty' verdict," Blanche said.

Court subsequently took a break and Trump left the courtroom without speaking to reporters in the hallway.

Defense targets key prosecution witness, Michael Cohen

In his opening statement, defense attorney Todd Blanche sought to eviscerate Michael Cohen's credibility, saying Cohen is obsessed with Donald Trump, has a desire to see Trump incarcerated and has a propensity to lie.

"He has a goal, an obsession, with getting Trump. I submit to you he cannot be trusted," Blanche said.

On Sunday night, Cohen publicly posted online that he had a "mental excitement about this trial" and the testimony he would deliver, Blanche said.

"His entire financial livelihood depends on President Trump's destruction," Blanche said. "You cannot make a serious decision about President Trump by relying on the words of Michael Cohen."

Trump had 'nothing to do,' with invoices, defense says

"I have a spoiler alert," defense attorney Todd Blanche told jurors during his opening statement. "There is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy."

Amid frequent objections from prosecutors, Blanche argued that the Manhattan district attorney has attempted to make the payments and non-disclosure agreements between Trump and Stormy Daniels "sinister" to the jury.

Judge Merchan had to interrupt Blanche's opening after multiple objections from prosecutors, then he met the parties at a sidebar conference, after which he struck a line from Blanche's opening.

"There is nothing illegal about entering into a non-disclosure agreement. Period," Blanche restated after the portion of his opening was struck from the record.

Trump 'did not commit any crimes,' defense tells jury

"President Trump is innocent. President Trump did not commit any crimes," defense attorney Todd Blanche said to begin the defense's opening statements.

"The Manhattan district attorney's office should never have brought this case," Blanche said.

"You will hear me and others refer to him as President Trump. That is a title he has earned because he was our 45th President," Blanche added.

Defense attorneys said that he had nothing to do with payments that were made to prevent stories about his sex life from being made public near the end of the 2016 presidential election.

Todd Blanche portrayed the business ledger entries at issue in the case as pro forma actions performed by a Trump Organization functionary.

Trump "had nothing to do" with the invoice, the check being generated or the entry on the ledger, Blanche said.

While prosecutors allege Trump reimbursed Michael Cohen $420,000 - more than double what Cohen paid to p*rn actor Stormy Daniels - because the cover-up was crucial to the campaign, Blanche said the excess payments are proof that Trump had nothing to do with the scheme.

"Ask yourself, would a frugal businessman, a man who pinches pennies, repay a $130,000 debt to the tune of $420,000?" Blanche asked.

"President Trump had nothing to do with any of the 34 pieces of paper, the 34 counts, except that he signed the checks, in the White House, while he was running the country."

Blanche took particular issue with the prosecution's insinuation that attempting to influence an election connotes illegality.

Prosecutors say Trump paid Cohen double for hush money scheme

After the 2016 election, Donald Trump invited David Pecker, then publisher of the National Enquirer, to Trump Tower to thank him for his contribution to the campaign, prosecutors said Monday. He also invited the publisher to the inauguration and later to the White House, where a dinner was held to honor Pecker and then-National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard.

But prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said Trump still had a few "loose ends" to tie up at the time, including reimbursing his then-lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen for the payments he had given to Stormy Daniels.

"Neither Trump nor the Trump Organization could just write a check to Cohen with a memo line that said 'reimbursem*nt for p*rn star pay-off,'" Colangelo said. "So they agreed to cook the books and make it look like the payment was actually income, payment for services rendered."

Colangelo added that the evidence would show that while Trump is a "very frugal businessman," when it came to reimbursing Cohen, Trump paid him double.

"This might be the only time it ever happened," Colangelo said. Trump's willingness to part with so much cash showed how important it was to him to keep the hush money scheme under wraps, the prosecutor posited.

Trump directed Cohen to make a deal with Stormy Daniels, prosecutors say

Within days of the "Access Hollywood" tape involving Donald Trump becoming public, Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told jurors, The National Enquirer alerted Trump's then-lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen that p*rn actor Stormy Daniels wanted to go public with her claims of a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.

"At Trump's direction, Cohen negotiated a deal to buy Ms. Daniels' story to prevent American voters from hearing that story before Election Day," Colangelo told jurors, referring to the scheme as a "conspiracy" and "election fraud, pure and simple."

Colangelo told jurors in Donald Trump's criminal hush money case that The Washington Post's publication of the 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape, where Trump was heard on a hot mic "bragging about sexual assaults," had an immediate and "explosive" impact on his presidential campaign.

Colangelo told jurors that prominent Trump allies withdrew their endorsem*nts and condemned his language. The prosecutor said evidence would show the Republican National Committee even considered whether it was possible to replace Trump with another candidate.

Prosecution outlines 'catch-and-kill' operation

Prosecutors in Donald Trump's criminal trial honed in on what they called a "catch-and-kill" operation at the center of the allegations in the hush money case.

The plan was hatched at Trump Tower shortly after the then-presidential candidate had announced his candidacy. During that meeting, prosecutors say that David Pecker, then-publisher of the National Enquirer, agreed to "help the defendant's campaign by working as the eyes and the ears of the campaign."

Speaking of arrangements made to pay former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 to suppress her claims of a nearly year-long affair with the married Trump, Colangelo said Trump "desperately did not want this information ... become public because he was worried about its effect on the election."

Colangelo told jurors they would hear a recording Cohen made in September 2016 of himself briefing Trump on the plan to buy McDougal's story. The recording was made public in July 2018. Colangelo told jurors they would hear Trump in his own voice, saying, "What do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?"

Trump tried to corrupt 2016 election, prosecutor claims

Prosecutors in Donald Trump's hush money trial said in opening statements that the former president allegedly went to great lengths to "corrupt" the 2016 presidential election.

"The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told jurors.

Colangelo, senior counsel to the district attorney, told jurors that though the payments to Michael Cohen were labeled as legal fees pursuant to a retainer agreement, there was no retainer and there were no legal services. "The defendant falsified those business records because he wanted to conceal his and others' criminal conduct," he said.

Prosecutor begins opening statements

"This case is about a criminal conspiracy," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo began his opening statement in Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York.

"The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election," the prosecutor said.

The utterance represents the first time a prosecutor has sought to implicate a former president in a crime at his trial.

Judge rules Trump can be questioned by prosecutors

Justice Juan Merchan has ruled in the Sandoval hearing that prosecutors can question Trump about multiple past court cases if he takes the stand in this case.

Merchan limited the scope of the cases and the extent to which prosecutors can question him about the facts of those cases.

The ruling is a mixed bag for Trump, who had sought to entirely block questioning on these previous issues if he takes the stand.

Trump arrives for trial

Trump arrived at the courthouse shortly before 9 a.m., minutes after castigating the case in capital letters on social media as "election interference" and a "witch hunt."

He faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records - a charge punishable by up to four years in prison - though it's not clear if the judge would seek to put him behind bars. A conviction would not preclude Trump from becoming president again, but because it is a state case, he would not be able to attempt to pardon himself if found guilty. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

What to expect during Monday's opening statements

The arguments are expected to give the 12-person jury and the voting public the clearest view to date of the allegations at the heart of the case and insight into Trump's expected defenses. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and denies wrongdoing.

Attorneys will also introduce a colorful cast of characters who are expected to testify about the made-for-tabloids saga, including a p*rn actor who says she had a sexual encounter with Trump and the lawyer who prosecutors say paid her to keep quiet about it.

More about the Trump hush money trial in New York

WHAT IS THE CASE ABOUT?

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleges that former president Donald Trump fraudulently and repeatedly falsified business records to conceal criminal conduct.

According to Bragg, Trump engaged in a scheme with his then-lawyer Michael Cohen and others to influence the 2016 election by suppressing negative information about Trump, including a $130,000 hush-money payment to suppress information about Trump's alleged sexual encounter with p*rn actress Stephanie Clifford a.k.a. Stormy Daniels.

After the election and while he was president, Trump authorized repaying Cohen through twelve $35,000 payments, which the Trump Organization characterized as payments for legal services pursuant to its retainer agreement with Cohen.

Those payments - which comprise the 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree - sit at the center of Bragg's criminal case.

Donald Trump's lawyers have argued that Bragg's case is a "deluded fantasy" that relies on the testimony of a convicted felon.

Defense lawyers have not yet clearly articulated a contrasting theory of the case, but recent filings suggest they plan to target the credibility of important witnesses, suggest the case was politically motivated, and argue that Trump did not intend to commit a crime.

While Trump's lawyers recently claimed they do not intend to make an advice-of-counsel defense - arguing Trump was just acting at the direction of his lawyers - they plan to highlight the involvement of lawyers in the scheme to prove Trump lacked the intent to commit crimes.

HOW LONG WITH THE TRIAL TAKE?

From the start of jury selection to a verdict, Trump's New York trial could run from six-to-eight weeks.

The schedule is subject to change and could vary based on the flow of the trial, including the need to call additional witnesses to authenticate evidence or rate of objections from the parties.

The trial will only be in session four days a week with a full-day recess on Wednesdays. We also expect that Judge Merchan will take multiple days off in observance of Passover.

WHO IS ON THE JURY?

A total of 12 jurors and six alternates have been seated as of Friday in Trump's hush money criminal trial. Two previously-selected jurors were let go on Thursday.

Here is what we know about the current 12 jurors:

Juror 1

Juror 1 -- a middle-aged salesperson from Ireland -- will serve as the case's foreman.

He lives in Harlem and said he normally gets his news from the New York Times, Daily Mail, Fox News and MSNBC. In his spare time, he said he enjoys doing "anything outdoorsy."

He once worked as a waiter but has worked in sales for the last three decades.

When asked if he was aware of Trump's other criminal cases, he responded, "I've heard of some of them."

Juror 2

The original juror 2 -- an oncology nurse -- was removed on Thursday after telling the court that enough details about her identity were reported in the media that she had friends and family contacting her to ask if she was on the case.

She was replaced as juror 2 with a male who works for an investment bank, has an MBA in finance and disclosed to the court that he read quotes from Trump's "Art of the Deal."

He said he gets his news from X, where he follows an account that reposts Trump's Truth Social posts, Michael Cohen, and an account devoted to Trump's legal and political woes.

"Except for following Michael Cohen on Twitter, I don't follow any anti-Trump organizations," he said.

Asked by ADA Steinglass if he could keep an open mind, he responded, "I'd have to wait to hear everything and see if it's compelling or not."

He lives in Midtown with his wife and enjoys hiking, music, and concerts.

Juror 3

Juror 3 is a corporate attorney who moved to New York from Oregon. He has worked at two major white-shoe law firms in New York.

He said he normally gets his news from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Google. In his spare time, he said he enjoys hiking and running.

When asked about the case, he suggested that he could infer the former president's intent without "reading his mind"; however, he was embarrassed to admit he was not very familiar with all the allegations against the former president.

"I am actually not super familiar with the other charges. I don't really follow the news that closely -- a little embarrassing to say."

Juror 4

Previously selected juror 4 -- an IT consultant who described Trump as "fascinating" -- was also excused on Thursday after prosecutors raised concerns about a legal case potentially involving his wife and his own political activity.

He was replaced Thursday with a security engineer who has lived in New York for more than a decade. He once served on a grand jury and a criminal trial jury. He is originally from California and listed his hobbies as his "children," metalworking, and carpentry.

He said he could "absolutely" be fair in the case and would not have any concerns about returning a guilty verdict.

He is not on social media and receives his news from a spattering of news outlets.

Juror 5

Juror 5 was the only potential juror who raised her hand when lawyers asked if they had ever heard of Trump's other criminal cases.

"President Trump speaks his mind," she said. "And I'd rather that than someone who's in office who you don't know what they're thinking."

A lifelong New Yorker, she currently works as a middle school teacher who lives in Harlem. In her spare time, she enjoys writing and theater.

She normally gets her news from Google and TikTok, listens to inspirational podcasts, and sometimes listens to the Breakfast Club radio show. She said that she "doesn't really care for the news."

Juror 6

Juror 6 is a young software engineer.

She grew up in New York City and lives in Chelsea. She said she gets her news from the New York Times and TikTok. In her spare time, she enjoys plays, restaurants, dancing and watching TV.

"I will be fair and impartial," she said in response to a question about whether Trump's candidacy for the presidency would impact her ability to serve as a fair juror.

Juror 7

Juror 7 is the second white-shoe lawyer to serve on Trump's jury.

He currently lives on the Upper East Side and enjoys spending time outdoors and with his children. He gets his news from the New York Times, New York Post, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.

He has never served on a jury. He said he supported some of Trump's policies as president but disagreed with others.

"I don't know the man and I don't have opinions about him personally," he said.

Juror 8

Juror 8 is a retired wealth manager who immigrated to the United States from Lebanon. His hobbies include fly fishing, skiing, meditation and yoga.

He said he gets his news from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BBC and CNBC. When he paused to answer one of the questions related to having strongly held opinions about Trump, Merchan followed up with the juror.

"Do you have any opinions or beliefs that would prevent you from being impartial? Merchan asked.

"No," the juror responded.

Juror 9

Juror 9 lives in the Upper East Side and has worked as a speech therapist for five years. She said she generally does not follow the news, and while she has opinions about Trump, she could set those aside.

"I fully believe that I can follow the judge's instructions," she said when asked about her ability to apply common sense to the case.

Asked by Trump's attorney Susan Necheles if she had any opinions about Trump, she said, "He was our president, everyone knows who he is."

"I tend to not agree with a lot of his politics and his decisions as a president," she said.

Juror 10

Juror 10 has worked in commerce for a major eyewear company for the last eight years.

In his spare time, he likes the outdoors and enjoys animals. He is not married and lives with another adult who is an accountant.

Juror 11

Juror 11 is a product development manager for a multinational apparel company.

A native Californian, she's called New York home for the past 15 years. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring New York.

"I don't really follow the news," she wrote when asked where she got her information. She disclosed a close friend of hers was convicted of financial fraud.

Asked by Trump's attorney, Susan Necheles, about her feelings on the former president, she responded, "I don't have strong opinions, but I don't like his persona. How he presents himself in public."

"I don't like some of my co-workers but I don't try to sabotage their work," she said, drawing an outburst of laughter from the jury box.

Justice Merchan then asked if she could repeat herself for the record.

"I don't like some of my coworkers," she replied awkwardly, drawing more laughter.

"He seems very selfish and self-serving," she said earnestly. "I don't really appreciate that from any public servant."

She says "his integrity" and how Trump "portrays himself in public -- it's not my cup of tea."

"It sounds a bit like what you're saying is you don't like him, based on what you're saying?" Necheles asked.

"Yes," she said.

Juror 12

Juror 12 is a physical therapist who lives on the Upper East Side. She gets her news from the New York Times, USA Today and CNN, and she enjoys podcasts about sports and faith.

She enjoys running, playing tennis and paddle boarding with her husband and dog. She listens to podcasts that are faith-based or sports-related.

WHO'S EXPECTED TO TESTIFY?

Cohen, a Trump loyalist turned critic, is expected to be a key prosecution witness, as he was the one who orchestrated the payoffs. Before testifying in front of the grand jury that brought the indictment last year, Cohen said his goal was "to tell the truth" and insisted he is not seeking revenge but said Trump "needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds." Cohen served prison time after pleading guilty in 2018 to federal charges, including campaign finance violations, for arranging the payouts to Daniels and McDougal.

Other expected witnesses include Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Daniels alleges that she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 that she didn't want, but didn't say no to. Trump says it never happened.

WHAT WILL TRUMP'S DEFENSE BE?

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has slammed the case as an effort to hurt his 2024 presidential campaign. Trump has acknowledged reimbursing Cohen for the payment and that it was designed to stop Daniels from going public about the alleged encounter. But Trump said in 2018 it had nothing to do with the campaign.

Trump's lawyers will likely attack the case by trying to undermine the credibility of prosecution witnesses like Cohen and Daniels. Trump has described the two as liars, testing the limits of a gag order that the judge imposed. It seeks to curtail the president's inflammatory rhetoric about the case. Trump's lawyers are expected to paint Cohen as a con man and point to his conviction on multiple federal crimes as well as his disbarment to try to persuade jurors that he can't be believed.

Trump recently posted on social media a picture of a 2018 written statement from Daniels, in which she denied they had a sexual relationship. Not long after, Daniels recanted the statement and said that a sexual encounter had occurred. She said her denials were due to a non-disclosure agreement and that she signed the statement because the parties involved "made it sound like I had no choice."

HOW LONG COULD TRUMP BE SENTENCED IF CONVICTED?

The criminal counts against Trump are Class-E felonies - which are punishable by a maximum of four years in prison - and Merchan has discretion in sentencing if Trump is convicted.

Trump has a limited criminal history (despite his three other pending criminal cases), and similar cases suggest Trump's sentence could range from no prison time to a few years.

If Trump is convicted, Merchan could also weigh his "history and character" when determining the former president's sentence.

It is unclear if Trump, should he be convicted, would be required to report to prison before the November election.

WHY WAS THE TRIAL ADJOURNED BY 30 DAYS LAST MONTH?

Judge Merchan granted a 30-day adjournment of the case last month after defense lawyers requested discovery sanctions related to the late production by prosecutors of over 100,000 pages of potential evidence from federal prosecutors. The materials were discovered after defense lawyers subpoena federal prosecutors, and the Manhattan District Attorney promptly turned over any new materials in their possession.

While Trump's lawyers requested a longer delay or dismissal of the case, Merchan determined that Trump suffered no harm from the late production of evidence, and the DA's office met their obligations for the turnover of evidence.

"This Court finds the defendant will not suffer any prejudice as a result of the recent document production because the defendant has been given a reasonable amount of time to prepare and respond to the material," Merchan said at a March 25 hearing related to the evidence issue before setting the April 15th trial date.

WHAT ABOUT TRUMP'S OTHER CASES?

Trump's three other criminal cases have gotten bogged down in legal fights and appeals, which may mean jurors won't hear about them before the November election.

The 2020 election interference case brought by special counsel Jack Smith remains on hold while Trump pursues his claim that he is immune from prosecution for actions he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on the matter in late April.

The other case brought by Smith accuses Trump of illegally retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The trial had been scheduled to begin in May, but the judge heard arguments last month to set a new trial date and has yet to do so.

No trial date has been set in the Georgia case accusing Trump and his allies of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. Prosecutors have suggested a trial date of August, but defense attorneys are now urging an appeals court to consider whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from the prosecution over a romantic relationship she had with a former top prosecutor who recently withdrew from the case.

Trump has pleaded not guilty in all three cases and says he did nothing wrong.

Infomation from ABC News and the Associated Press

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