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tv   Trump Hush Money Trial  CNN  April 23, 2024 6:00am-10:00am PDT

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still negotiation happening between republican and democratic leadership to try to find some kind of an agreement to expedite this process and potentially get a final vote on this package. today, that agreement has not been reached. those so there is a possibility that the senate will come back tomorrow to try to finally finish this work up. but again, lawmakers were supposed to be gone. and oftentimes jet fumes can be really motivating when it comes to getting senate agreements to move things through the process more quickly, you're also going to see this moment for minority leader mitch mcconnell, which i think is just really important to point out, he has been a leader on this issue, has been talking about the importance of getting ukraine additional aid despite some opposition from conservatives, despite shrinking republican public polling that showed republican voters were growing less supportive of the package he was out there at every turn,
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almost every day in the united states senate giving a floor speech in his opening, where he would talk about the importance of this issue. so it's a very big de for minority leader get our mitch mcconnell as well that's a really good point. >> all right, let's see what happens. it's good to see you, lauren. thank you very much a new our of cnn news central and our special live coverage of donald trump's trial back in court starts right? now cnn breaking news coverage. of the criminal trial of donald trump here in new york city. i am not too far from the courthouse right now where trump is about to face a hearing being on a gag order that is before testimony resumes the first witness who will be there is david. he was on the stand briefly yesterday he will get right back on that stand at 11:00 a.m. today. but first very shortly, we can see donald trump walk through these halls,
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enter the courtroom, and then a hearing i'm going to if he has violated a gag order over the last several days with all kinds of posts on social media that have at least directly or obliquely mentioned winning this is, in this case, let's go right outside the courthouse now seen as brynn gingras standing by brynn, what do we expect to see yeah, john, let's first just remind viewers of what that gag order is. >> it was put in place he's against donald trump at the end of march. essentially, the judge said to trump's, you cannot post you cannot talk disparagingly about the jury in this case, witnesses, court staff, and their family members members. and since that was put in place, prosecution has said that he has violated that at least ten times, and they're asking the judge to fine trump, but thousand dollars for each of those fines, they also would like the judge to remind donald trump, listen, you're the criminal defendant in this case, and he should be treated as such essentially saying that lake all criminal defendants, he's subject to court's
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supervision. so what we'll be looking out to see is will the judge fine him? will he threatened him, possibly going to jail for violating this gag order? what are of course, it's no secret and his civil trial that happened last year, donald trump was fine. that wasn't of dollars for violating the gag order against him for that trial. more then once. so certainly, we are looking out to see how the judge handles this trump and his defense has said, listen, i have people like a main witness in this case, michael cohen lashing out at me. i have to be a both to defend myself, so we expect that argument to be said in court today. that gag hearing kicks off when court kicks off at 9:30. and as you said, the former president is inside the courthouse right now speed in order. the two i think main driving forces behind judge juan merchan, we'll watch him in play very short currently, brin, thank you very much for that. with me here, cnn anchor kaitlan collins, and seeing a chief legal affairs correspondent paula reid. paula, you understand you've got some new reporting on how
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the trump team intends to address this first issue today. >> that's right. we'll see some familiar for arguments during today's hearing. they're gonna argue that this gag order is unconstitutional. they emphasize the fact that trump is a candidate for the white house. and they tried to argue that this is i'll political speech, the things that he says about this trial. now so far that has not been as argument as we all know, there are limits to political speech. and this is the first time we've ever had white house as a criminal defendant. he is subject to some limitations including this gag order, but they're going to focus on three specific people today that they believe should not be covered by this guy border the first is the judge juan merchan, who is not covered by the gag order, but they're going to revisit the issue of him being conflicted. that's what they argue because of his daughter's political work on behalf of some democrats. now, she is now covered by the gag order, so they're going to bring that up and argue that that they believed that is not that should not be legal. >> in other also going to focus on a familiar target, michael cohen and here's a course, a
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witness in this case, trump can attack witnesses, but they're going to point out that this is unilateral. yes, that is how good how gag order work. the defendant cannot attack witness but if you take a look at michael cohen, social media, he is calling trump things that i can't even report on air and they're going to argue that that is unfair, then they're also going to take a bit one of the process nike colangelo's, and they're going to say that look the back that trump can't speak out about him means that trump can't talk about the time that a prosecutor spent at the biden justice department that's very common for prosecutors to spend time at the justice department, then go to other high-profile prosecuting offices. but these are going to be the key arguments that they're going to focus on today. >> they're also going to try to argue that when he's quoting, we're seeing of quote, more on social media as opposed to coming up with original attacks that, that should not be covered by the gag order. >> he's quoting someone else. we saw him he was last week it came out with a stack of articles and he was quoting from them. they say that if that is covered by the gag order, him quoting someone else. they believe it's overbroad know i'm not sure any of these are going to be
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successful arguments, but this is how they're going to lay it out. and i think when it comes to something like michael cohen, when how these are unilateral in the court of public opinion, the average voter might say, yeah, that seems fair, but legally speaking, this is the way it works. >> yeah, it is interesting. i'm so sorry, just because the everything that trump's to be talking about on social media and out loud concerns this hearing, not actually the testimony on the witness stand in this case. it has already begun. it almost seems that this hearing is where he wants to focus to be and, you know, it's interesting to see how the judge is going to take those arguments from the trump team so far, he has not responded well to them because remember, he issued a gag order after trump ed continued attacking people in the da's office attacking the judge's family emily, then he expanded that gag order. >> and so the question really is how he's going to handle this because obviously the district attorney's office is asking for fines, whether or not that actually is something the deterrence trump from continuing could be another problem and challenge for judge merchan in the future, but also tough is not just talking about the judge's daughter or about the lead prosecutor here who is
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making that opening statement yesterday. he's also now talking about the jury, which is also forbidden by this gag order. and he was in an interview last night, john and i just want you to listen to what he had to say about the jury that's yuri was pick so fast 95% democrats the areas mostly all democrat. >> you think of it as just a purely democrat area. it's a very unfair situation that i can tell you so in the gag order, hizon even say anything about the jury. hizon substituent other people to say anything about the jury. and so we talked to some legal but experts lost. now you said they do believe that's also a violation of the gag order. it's not expected to be brought up today. maybe the prosecution will bring it up but it just speaks to we already had a concern yesterday with this hearing got started that der was worried about the attention that they were getting all ready and we've seen obviously, i'll this judge has had a lot of concern about the impact of trump's statements when the judicial
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proceedings. >> i was talking about the jury right there out loud. yeah. i think this is really going to have to be a focus for the dej at it. i'm glad that you flagged a sound bite because of of course, you want to protect all the witnesses. you want to protect the prosecutor, family members, but the fact is, when it comes to the jury, if they have a critical mass of jurors who eventually just don't feel safe and are being targeted. there could potentially be a mistrial if you get to fewer than 12 jurors, the defense would need to agree to do it with 11, which obviously they're not going to do so i think the judge has to spain hey, special attention today to how the gag order protects and covers the jury. and just to be clear, this jury isn't sequestered. there a dentist appointments. they're coming in a little bit later this morning. they're not supposed to pay attention to media and what's covered out there, but it's hard not to hear these things. >> and also, when trump says they're 95% democrats, he's not just talking about the demographics that's a criticism coming from donald trump. and i should note, obviously his legal team had a role in picking this jury. they actually felt like they did. they had a more favorable jury pool than they expected.
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>> not something that's likely to be considered today, but trump has also said it would be his quote, great honor to be jail for violating this gag order. so a very difficult position for the judge to be in. >> we got a shot from inside again, the courthouse right there, whether or not we see people move we shortly we will
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we will tell you when it happens, caitlin, after this hearing. >> of course, david gets back like up on the stand and i have to say i was glued to the tv all day yesterday to both of you out here discussing his testimony, watching it unfold, at least with the banners on the side of the screen reading out loud what was taking place. he says he engaged in checkbook journalism that sets the table for what today do you think? yeah. well, and just a reminder for everyone. obviously, we don't cameras it's inside the courtroom, that's as close as we get right outside the courtroom door that the trunk goes into, but we'll have the statement of what is actually being said. what is david picker being asked? what's the answer? and today's going to get interesting because we know what the prosecution is driving app, which is that august 2015 meeting with michael cohen, donald trump, and david where they were talking about how he could help suppressed stories that is there, three-pronged narrative that they're making here, which is that he wanted to help publish good stories for trump killed negative stories and smear his opponents. and that what, what
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efforts did he take to do that? so it's going to be fascinating because david is not someone who's criticizing donald trump online like michael cohen they go. way back. they are confidence he was someone who wanted to help donald trump get into the white house. he was invited to the oval office. so to see him on that witness stand today, now that he and truck no longer speak, when we fascinated and he was smiling in the courtrooms, smiling on the stance, smiling as he walked past. the defense table, paula michael moore, our friend from georgia it says that a jury likes a story. yeah. so what is the story that david is going to tell them? why is it so important to get that out there? >> he is such a critical witness to set the stage for the prosecution's case, because while david packer was not directly involved in the hush money to stormy daniel's or in the alleged paperwork crimes he was part of an effort to suppress negative stories about then candidate trump and to amplify a bad stories about his opponents that could help him. and that's why we go back to this 2015 meeting where he agreed to be trump's eyes and ears. let him know what he was hearing. and eventually after
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he suppressed to negative stories at through the national enquirer for trump, he gets when to the fact that stormy daniels wants to sell her story or prices too steep. so she passes the information along to michael cohen. so not only is he significant for laying out to the groundwork for this hush money payment? he's also going to establish that this was a pattern. and why were they doing this was just because he was a friend, was it just because he he really admired? no it was not just that. it was to help him get elected. and that is the crux of the prosecution's case. so david quite the character i've got a couple giggles on the stand yesterday as they were talking about his time, the national enquirer, but he is key to framing the prosecution's case as the first witness.& again, we will see him on the stand at 11:00 today. >> before that, we have this hearing, a lot of ground to cover and we still don't know if donald trump will speak as he walks into the courtroom, obviously standing by for that as well. all right. everyone much more to come. donald trump's historic de in court are special live coverage continues right after this
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penalty donald trump will face joining us now to talk about this and also what's going to happen after that is cnn senior legal analyst, elie honig& nic ackerman, a former assistant special watergate prosecutor, guys, thank you for being here. ellie, we walk us through what exactly this gag order covers and also, if trump is pushing against the limits, just pushing against the limits, or if he's trampling all over it already so it's important, understand, first of all, the gag order at issue here is actually quite narrow and specific what it says is that donald trump cannot make public comments about really three groups of people, jurors likely witnesses, and staff members, and their family court and prosecutorial staff members and their family members. >> so the gag order actually allows donald trump to criticize loudly if he wants the judge, the de, and the indictment itself, as to your question about whether he's come close to the line. i think he's way over the line for example, donald trump posted publicly, he called michael cohen a quote, sleazebags a quote serial perjurer. i mean,
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that is obviously negative public commentary about a witness true or false. it clearly in my mind violates the gag order so nick, let me now play we played this a moment ago, but it's important to hear donald trump himself. >> this was just last night in an interview that he did on an aspect of this gag order for which has to do with no commentary about the jury. listen to this that's your he was pick so fast 95% democrats the areas, mostly all democrat. >> you think of it as just a purely democrat area. it's a very unfair situation that i can tell you what do you think of this as an example? >> i think it's a total violation of the gag order. he's going after the juror. he's making things up. not true. it's 95% democrats. i don't know where he is coming up with that number. that just can't possibly be true. there's nothing in the record that would support that the idea that it's not fair, he's basically going after the jury& the jury system in trying
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undermine the viability and the authority of the court. i mean, he is going right after it in violation of that order. >> maybe i'm maybe i'm like splitting hairs here. nick, but is there a line between in commentary on a juror specifically or the jury at-large? >> no. there's no there's no line here. he knows what he's doing. he's doing it purposely. he's violating that gag order. and i think that the judge here has to take action against him to stop this. >> i have never seen this kind of activity and behavior in any case over 50 years of practice, nobody does this because they don't want to get on the wrong side of the judge who is ultimately may wind up sentencing them. yeah. so then the question elie becomes, if the judge finds trump did violate the gag order, how likely what is the penalty going to look like, and how likely is a penalty going to jail? change his behavior if past is prologue so there's an enforcement issue at play here.
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>> k because the judge actually has limited tools on one hand, the judge can of course, reprimand donald trump as nick said, any ordinary litigant would be quite impacted by that. you don't want to tick off the guy who's going to run the trial, who's going to decide what evidence goes in, who's ultimately going to sentence you if you're convicted, the other options donald trump has, excuse me, the judge has is he can impose a fine. however, under new york law cited by the da the judge can only find donald trump one per incident. so at this point, they're asking for a $10,000 fine. i don't know how much of a deterrent effect that's going to have on donald trump then there's the third option which is the judge does have the power technically to imprison a any defendant who violates a contempt order for up to 30 days. now, i do not think that's realistically in play today or in the longer haul, but i do think the judge is going to mention that and potentially threatened donald trump with that. the da's office mentions it in a sort of threatening manner in their brief, even if they do stop short of explicitly asking for
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it, but it's a tricky question. what do you do for your the judge when the party does not really care about the financial penalty and the party seems to have calculated probably correctly that the judges really unlikely to actually imprison him and negative trump continues then to violate the gag order after this, there was another question that relates to every every case, every trial to donald trump is facing, right? >> which is the schedule, the timing, and the calendar. right. if this continues, does the judge need to again, maybe a and maybe we don't know. >> does the judge need to hold hearing after hearing on continued violations of the gag order. could that threaten just the slow this whole thing down or i don't think this judge is going to slow this down for anything.& there is a intermediate process here that he could do. it doesn't mean yes, to put them in jail. it doesn't mean he has to give them a fine. if i were the judge would i would do is i would give him two weeks of home confinement with an ankle bracelet so that he could not go anywhere other than to and
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from cte with the proviso, if he's a good boy in those two weeks and he doesn't violate the gag order. we can take off the ankle bracelet. that's what i would do. that would give them an incentive to clean up up his act. because if he wants to get out there and campaign or do anything besides going to this trial on wednesdays and saturdays and sundays. this would be a major incentive for him to clean up as akre and i would be majorly interested to find out how donald trump would react to that penalty well, judge rucker min is here and ready to rule. >> it's good to zero. nick, elleithee. thank you so much. we have this gag order hearing will start very shortly, and also, we after that, then the trial begins back up with the first witness, which is david of the national enquirer, or continued special live coverage of the trunk trial continues know application fee.
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disgrace. it's really on biden. he has the wrong signal, has got the wrong donalds got the wrong words isn't his back and it's a mess this were may be after me, get back to me so much, but to try to give him a pass. >> but what's going on as a disgrace? >> to our country? and it's all by the salt and everybody knows that he's got no message. he's got no compassion. he doesn't know what he's doing. >> he can put two sentences together, frankly they is the worst president in the history of our country and again, what's going on in prison, disgrace, that's interesting outside for a great americans people don't to come down and they want to protest at the cooler. >> and then want to protect speech. so we have more police presence here than anyone's ever seen for blocks, you can get can you just go as and you have no up mega college when you have very radical people
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running to rebut the college's down the university of houston. and that's a shame, but it also have to jump by the signal sequence hour or so bad and i could give me his know friend of israel, that's my shoulders. and he's no friend of the arab world you take a look at what he said he's no friend he has to know what to do or what to do. he went to take like a middle ground and oftentimes that doesn't work, but it's certainly not working here. but what he's done to israel is abandoned. them and he's trying to be as nice as he can to the other side, call it the outer world, but that sounds neither because they get him and he's an incompetent, then a peaceful never happen with a guy like this. nike all right. donald trump speaking before he enters core for a hearing over a gag order as new
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york criminal trial. >> interesting, there. >> and i'm standing by here with our chief legal affairs correspond to paula reid & see in an anchor, kaitlan collins, that was 100% politics not a single mention of this trial. >> other than to complain about the fact that people who who may want to demonstrate for him haven't been allowed near the courthouse, the new york times reporting that he's been upset that he hasn't seen more pro demonstrators near the courthouse for these hearings. yeah. but one that's not true because we've been outside the courthouse broadcaster from there are multiple times and there are protesters outside the courthouse is still open. >> people can also go in and watch the hearing. there just aren't that many of his supporters here and that's something that we have been told his frustrated him as he is driven to court every day. i mean, yesterday, who's pretty actively encouraging people to come. he started posting 7:00 a.m. and clearly, now two days in a row is not happy with what's happening outside his other comments, there were criticizing president biden for what he said about the protests that we're seeing them on college campuses does including columbia about it essentially
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the critics were saying it wasn't a strong enough statement on the anti-semitic comments that are being made by some of them. and that's what he was really kinda using this as a campaign stop for him today as he's been lamenting the fact that he's in court and not on the campaign trail. >> we also said that the president biden is no friend. israel and no friend to the arab world. >> did they progressive democrats would say he's too much of a friend, israel. >> this is, i would expect exactly how his lawyers would prefer that he used this time, right. you have the world's media gathered here. we stopped, we listened campaigns, speak to your supporters, attacker political adversaries. please don't make this case anymore complicated and messy than it already is, because though there is a chance that he may not be convicted here, and all of these gag order hearings, that gag order violations not only did they antagonize the judge, the witnesses, possibly the jury, if they're aware of it, they just make for more work for his lawyers. so i'm sure that they would prefer that he used his platform exactly. this way and not taking shots at michael cohen or the jury. >> what he's going to a hearing
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over a gag order over things that he says it would've been something how he commented about the judge on the way into that here. >> i'm not terribly surprising because he actually he can comment about the judge. he can comment about the district attorney, alvin bragg. now, i would not recommend anyone attack a judge. you are about to appear before, but trump takes obviously a very different approach. that's within the gag order bounds but he has so many times repeatedly violated a gag order that to hear him just use this for politics. i'm sure it's early to his lawyers going into this hearing. >> it's also just the probably the first time that he's come out and took into cameras and not talked about the case in an oven. >> if i remember him doing this where he didn't speak about the case at all. >> i can't remember one time where he's come out and he's talk about other cases, but he's typically quickly also woven and something about alvin bragg or the judge and the question of course, is what his team has said to him going into this gag order urine, knowing that they there are likely violations of this gag order, you can breathe a gag order and see what trump has said. and to do just for yourself, just for
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a political standpoint, he complains that he has to be here, not earn and the campaign trail, he really hasn't been on the campaign trail. anyway, that much the last few weeks, i had a ton of events since since super tuesday, even he did try to have a rally in north carolina on saturday. the weather do real that. and so we'll see how he does utilize it. i mean, you obviously as wednesday's saturday's his big preoccupation that this week has been the immunity hearing. it's happening at the supreme court on thursday or bringing senior legal analyst elie honig here elly because this hearing is about to begin here. and if you could just walk us through the mechanics of how this will play both sides coming in with arguments they want to make. the judge may be coming. it was something he wants to say right out of the gate yeah, john, i suspect that's what's going to happen now, both sides have already put in their legal briefs here, the da started by making a motion to the judge saying, judge, we want you to find him officially in contempt of your gag ruling. the prosecutors cited three examples of donald trump allegedly violating the gag order in their first motion, then they put an a
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second motion saying and here's seven more. the first one was based on several social media posts by donald trump, including one in which he called michael cohen, quote, a sleazebags& a serial perjurer the second batch included a whole string of truth, social posts where donald trump, again primarily focused on michael cohen. the judge will probably i would imagine just stand up today and say, i'll here quick argument from both sides de i have your brief. anything you want to ask donald trump? your team. todd blanche, is there anything you want to say in your defense? i'm not sure exactly i think the interesting part is going to be two here. how does donald trump's team defend his statements that seem to at least some of them go squarely against the gag order in paula reid you're here with me. you've had from reporting on what the trump team will say affirmatively, any sense of how they will defend against the comments he made last night about the jury. >> so for example, i think last night when those comments specifically, they're going to argue that he was talking about the demographics of new york
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and it's irrefutable, right? that this is a predominantly democratic district. they knew that going in. that's how they will argue that specific instance. now that is not one of the ones that had enlisted so far, but hey, they may add it's the list now when it comes to the other instances, you have to go, you have to kind of go post or attack him by attack. one of the ones that i think is most troubling is where trump tried to quote a fox news host who suggested that there were democratic activists. >> let me just jump in right there. you can see on the left-hand side of our screen and we are getting reports from inside the courtroom as this here and takes place judges on the bench, and he has said, good morning, mr. trump of an apparently now, trump is seated alone at the defense attorney there all the table. they're all going to step two, the sayyed and have a meeting. it's unclear what that meeting is about. >> but as i was saying, one of the most troubling poses where trump quotes fox news host talking about a democratic activists had been recruited to be on the jury. the reason that is concerning is because that could be a dogwhistle, right? four people to maybe a taco
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tried to intimidate members of the jury, and that's why i think the judge should pay particular attention to any violations or any suggestions about anything related to what's interesting about how this is all playing out is they're going to go into a separate room to have this discussion over the hearing in whether or not he violated the gag order. trump himself, though he tried to be party to some of these. he is actually doing that in his in his case, so he will be alone at the defense table while the attorneys are the ones hashing this out with the judge and you can see right there one prosecutor asked to approach the bench. now all the lawyers have left the courtroom. the sidebar. >> but donald trump is alone at the defense table he loves that which is just remarkable moment is we're talking about what this looks like and seeing your, the first true two days of this trial, he is seated alone at the defense table as prosecutors and his defense attorneys our kind of making both of their cases to the judge over whether or not he violated the gag order on what the punishment for that's going to be if you did. >> all right. >> they are in sidebar right now. the lawyers have left the
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courtroom. donald trump there alone, paula reid, kaitlan collins, standby. we're going to take a quick break when we come back much more on this hearing over the border and donald trump's new york criminal trial every weekday morning, cnn's five things has what you need to get going with your day it's the five essential stories of the morning in five minutes or less cnn's five things with kate bolduan streaming weekdays exclusively on macs having mother's day some things, never change like a mother's love get something as timeless as a mother's love at harry and david.com, life is a gift. share more rising costs, selective coverage for countless americans. the complex specialty care they need is always felt just to reach at ever north. >> we give members unrivaled
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>> what's considered normal for your cat is interesting, but if your cat isn't there, corky self lately, they may have pain from a common condition called osteoarthritis. now there. so when cia silane, cia is so once monthly injection to control your cats by wiping veterinary professionals, administering silane cia, who are pregnant, giant to conceive or breastfeeding should take extreme care to avoid self injection. self injection could cause allergic reactions like anaphylaxis. asked your bet about cylance yet, and help get your cat back to their normal i was on a work trip when that pulmonary embolism happened. but because i have 23 and me, i was aware of that gene that save money lie your record label is taking off. >> but so is your sound engineer. you need to hire a new indeed. >> indeed you do. >> indeed instant match, instantly delivers quality candidates, matching your job description visited d.com slash higher it like allergy season
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it back time to start saving on your prescriptions another good reason to check, good rx it's better outside with ninja cook outs, with master grills, the char barbecue smoking they are for that yard dash is or better with pizza ovens, they give you krispy kreme 700 degree high heat roasting and barbecue smoke. it's better outside with ninja i'm kevin liptak at the white house. >> and this is cnn okay just want to give you an idea of what you're gonna be seeing throughout the hours on the left side of the screen, you'll be seeing live updates from our reporters who were inside the courthouse because of course camerota not allowed in court. >> but you'll see a play by play of the proceedings as they are happening right now, donald trump is sitting alone in this courtroom at the, at the defense table because his attorneys are in the middle of
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a chat with the judge, a sidebar in which he is not involved. so a strange scene for a former president sitting in the middle of that courtroom. this is all going on, of course, in the backdrop of the ongoing criminal trial that is happening but the battle in another case, over the hundred and $75 bond that donald trump was ordered to pay in the civil fraud trial that he lost has now been resolved. new york attorney general and trump reached an agreement on the terms of that bond. finally, joining me now, russ buettner, pulitzer prize winning investigative reporter for the new york times. he's been breaking in stories on donald trump's personal finances since 2016, including incredible investigation into two decades of donald trump's tax information that you and several porter's got to hold up and went through. i want to talk to you about what has happened here yesterday. one of the things that we heard from donald trump what's him railing against this $175 million bond and the confusion or the questions over whether or not it was done properly by
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the state attorney general. what does that tell you as you've looked into his finances for so long, what does that tell you about where he is in his finances now? >> well, i think first it tells you that his finances are the most important thing in his life in the perception of that right? the perception that he is in mostly wealthy& that everything that he has is worth billions of dollars is what matters most to him and his identity. i think that that number is so important to him, as you said, that he's like really wrestling with to make clear that he's got that money and that it's all there. tells you just how close it is to the line. when we looked at his finances since the apprentice, it's sort of dwindled off and popularity that money had cut off the money from licensing fees had really dropped with the popularity of plaintiffs, his finances had really diminished over the last few years. he sold some assets. so we had for the first time a little more cash. he was really low in dc hotel in dc in which he had to sell because he was having to pump $10 million a year into it to keep it open
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those that produced a little bit of a windfall not quite covering as tall investment in those things, but still he's got a little bit of cash but that's about it. and this puts him right on the line. and if he gets more below that much, he starts to have a difficulty, maybe even making payroll. he's going to be living off of the cash flow of those businesses. so i think this is really an existential moment for him that decision, if you lose the 4705, here's a major problem. he will no doubt have to hello to map assets and probably into a market and a situation that's not going to be good for him. >> he's already experienced to several bankruptcies. do you see that heading in that direction if the 475 million stands, i think he would only do that is a tactic to try to avoid the pain of that when he did bankruptcies before they were struck should bankruptcies, which means he had an agreement with his lenders, his investors, that this is how it's going to look and you go into the court. judge signs off on it and it's all done. if you just file bankruptcy, that cast& arrow
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over of uncertainty over everything, right. then someone else is in charge of what gets sold off and what you get to keep. i don't think you would want to do that. i think he'll try to find ways to get out of things to produce cash, and still save some face when you looked into these two decades of tax information that you and your colleagues were able to get a hold of when it comes to the way that donald trump does business. and some of the issues that you found within those documents how do you juxtapose that? because donald trump is saying, look, this is purely political. i'm being persecuted. on the other hand, in the context of what you learned in going through all of those decades of tax records how do you see this case it's an excellent question, sir. >> i think this case, it really looks like the sort of culmination of a long reckoning for donald trump. he's been under almost continual investigation by three successive new york attorney general's, two successive manhattan district attorney's in new york city his home business center for almost 20
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years now, trump university started. that was a major investigation. and then there was investigation into some fraudulent misrepresentation they made about soho hotel that they were building. and then the foundation that they organized then payroll tax fraud. but outset allen weisselberg, his chief financial officer, to prison. prison, right. so that's that this is a long continuum and you see him finally sorted, having to answer in a court of law for some of these things not just in a civil court rescue there. >> thank you so much. i'm really interesting. your investigation is incredible. it is a very good read no matter when you decide to do, appreciate your time. >> all right. we're going to head back to court because the attorneys have gone back into court and have handed over some information to the judge and we're now hearing from them. john berman is out there listening and watching all of it. john yeah. >> we are getting a play-by-play from inside the courtroom where this hearing has begun over donald trump's
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alleged violations of this gag order. you can see on your screen right now the post we're getting from our people sitting there the prosecutor during this hearing just said that each one of trump's posts, quote, pose a very real threat to the proceedings. now, just before that, the judge said what we're here for today in this hearing is defined out if donald trump will be held in contempt for any of these alleged violations of the gag order in here, not far from the court was cnn chief legal affairs correspond to paula reid. and of course, kaitlan collins, as well. this hearing is on the judge by the end of this could hold donald trump and contempt. >> yeah, it's totally possible. and we heard a right that you can see on your screens as prosecutors are talking about how these posts pose a very real threat to these proceedings. he goes on to say that these posts both intimidate both the defendants direct targets and others who may be called to testify during this trial. and the point of the gag order it's to protect witnesses, protect the jury, protect prosecutors, people who
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are just either doing their job are complying with their civic duty so that they are not intimidated, that they are not harm first and foremost, but also that they are not afraid to participate in these proceedings and prosecutors are arguing that trump's that violations repeated up to ten. they just added another one. so at least 11 that these are clear violations of the gag order and putting this whole trial, this historic trial at risk. >> i mean, trump walked outside of the courtroom yesterday and look, that's what they're pointing to right now. prosecutors say trump violated the gag order again monday outside of the court, he did it right here in the hallway is the same hallway that we solve speaking in this morning, he came out and he was being very critical of michael cohen, any downplayed the legal work that michael cohen did for him knowing how much of this is going to rely on him here's an indication of what the judge is going to do here because he is a real concern about trump's words impacting the judicial proceedings here, trump is not reacting to the prosecutor accusing and the violating the gag order. he is continuing to look straight forward, not at the prosecutor. we gotta note a
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moment ago that trump was also passing notes to his attorney as this hearing takes place, a let's stand by for one moment. we are going to take a quick break the hearing to see whether donald trump will be held in contempt for violating the gag order continues right after this with the fund drives innovation fund. you can invest in some of the world's top tech companies, including those leading the ai revolution for they go public the future is now open for investment all right what you do
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credit building for renters with self i'm sunlen serfaty in washington and this is cnn he can't. all right. welcome back to cnn special live coverage. we are very near the courthouse were right now, there is a hearing underway to see whether donald trump is in contempt of court for violating the various gag orders in place for his new york criminal trial. prosecutors are right now arguing that it's violated it least 11 times. they say
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right now and they've been going through point by point when they say donald trump has crossed a line by things that he said about the jury, by things that he has said about prosecutors, by things that he has said about potential witnesses with me now, seen an senior legal analyst, elie holding is so far elliott sort of been a point-by-point case from the prosecutor's of where donald trump has crossed the line. what do you see here? >> well i think, the prosecutor's case here is fairly straightforward. i think donald trump's violations have been unambiguous. they've gone against the heart of the gag order, which it's important to reiterate, only prohibits donald trump from making public comments about jurors, witnesses, court staff, prosecutors, staff, and family members. but the examples prosecutors have here, i think go squarely against it. i'm really interested to see how on earth is trump's team going to defend him against some of these allegations that should be coming up shortly and when the. >> judge looks at this, we've been talking for some time, how
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is options are limited? but do you expect some kind of clear statement that hang on one second. we're getting an update. i'm getting it read to me right now. please read me the update okay. >> so le one of the things that the prosecutor is saying is that going after michael cohen is a recurring theme in these posts. and undoubtedly donald trump has talked about michael cohen, a great deal on social media. the flip side of that is michael cohen is talking about donald trump. does that have any effect legally legally at this point, know john to be clear. >> and for sure, michael cohen has foreign away been the primary focus of donald trump's social media post is public comments. he is focusing much of his fire on michael cohen, on other people as well. but cohen is the primary target one of the arguments trump's has made publicly at least is, well, it's not fair because michael cohen is out there saying negative things about me, about this case on a daily basis, often more than once a
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day, but the answer to that is you have to ask the judge for the remedy. you don't get to just violate the gag order. yeah. >> okay. >> so ellie, one of the things that the prosecutor has said is noted that donald trump is called michael cohen, a serial perjurer. so they're getting into the specifics of the things that trump has said yeah. >> and that goes squarely against the gag order and he is not allowed to make public comments about any witness or likely witness. clearly, michael cohen is a likely witness and calling him a serial perjurer goes right to the heart of that. it's a flagrant violation. again, john, it's not a defense at this point for the contempt proceeding for donald trump to say, well he's been saying bad things about me too. if that's the case, then donald trump's lawyers can go to the court and say, we need to expand the gag order, but he can't just violate it all right. >> elie honig, standby much more to come on this front. the hearing it continues, let's go back to kate and sarah yeah, absolutely much more to comment. >> it's happening all in real
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time. john is down at the courthouse where it's all playing out. thank you all so much for joining us. this is cnn news central are special live coverage continues right now what would you like to pay for your hotel room tonight? 185 169 or $155? same room. same surface. just different prices really up to you. well, nobody asks you this a perception. but that's exactly what you're vargo does. trivago compares hotel prices from hundreds of books so save yourself valuable time and money. >> you should maga, compare hotel prices and save up to $30 or nine hotel trivago dog food in the fridge. >> it's not dock lose its fresh bit real meat rule veggies, real weird he was bad luck anyway that's thing. i've
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morning. you were alive in the cnn newsroom. i'm jim acosta in washington right now in a new york courtroom, lawyers are arguing over a commonly asked question as donald trump's rhetoric gone too far, prosecutors say the former president has violated the gag order in his hush money trial, at least ten times the gag order for bids trump from verbally attacking witnesses. the jury, or others involved in the case. these are images of the former president's seated at the defense table before entering the courtroom, he spoke, railing against president biden, other topics, but avoided any mention of this morning's hearing. and i just want to point out on the left side of your screen, you'll be
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seeing live updates or are reporters inside the courthouse at play by play of the proceedings. as they happen. and of course, we'll be talking about all of it. cnn's kaitlan collins joins us live from outside the courthouse kaitlan, what stands out to you? what will the judge be listening for from both prosecutors and trump's defense attorneys? >> well, right now, jim, it's prosecutors are making their argument that trump did knowingly and willfully violated his gag where they are citing at least ten posed within a one-week period that he made on truth social, but they're also talking about what he said just yesterday, leaving the courtroom are invoked. michael cohen's name. he criticized him hey downplayed the legal work that michael cohen had done for the former president. and as you see there, the prosecutors are saying these violations were made with knowledge and beyond and willful beyond a reasonable doubt, which basically means trump knew this gag order was in place. he knew what the gag order limited him from saying, and he still willfully violated it. there presidentially right
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now, making their argument to this, judge before the defense has a chance to argue to him, but there was one moment as this got underway gym where trump's attorneys came into the room that prosecutors came into the room. judge, took the bench and then those attorneys and the judge went into a side room. it's not clear to us yet what they were discussing, but trump was sitting alone at the defense table while that was happening. they have now returned to the room and they are going through this essentially asking the judge to find a way to make trump's stop violating this gag order yeah i'm just the last video we got another little tidbit, the prosecutor saying, quote, there is no doubt this defendant made these statements. kaitlan, how much will the judge weigh the potential that witnesses or jurors could be endangered when trump rails against them, that's been familiar with theme for trump and all of these legal proceedings, he's been through yeah. >> and i think the jury comments that he's been making deserve special scrutiny here because he not only had posted on truth social essentially
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implying that they were trying to put liberal activist or the words that he used on this jury, but also last night in an interview, he commented on the jury, which is something he is not allowed to do. from this gag or you can't comment on the jury at all the other post-sale. you can't attack them. but it's essentially saying that he cannot comment on the jury and he was commenting on the jury alleging that it's made up of 95% democrats claiming that it was rushed, even though it took several days, actually longer than it typically would to assemble a jury and his attorneys, of course, how to say strike picking people from that jury that they did not believe would be fair to their client. and so that is a new twist to this, that is something that we are just so prosecutors and brought up inside that courtroom. and on this hearing. and so the real question here is, of course, what the judge here, judge juan, were sean is going to ultimately decide. we also have cnn's paula reid here covering all this with me and paula prosecutors are making their argument right now. a big question is, how is trump's legal team going to defend him here? >> so it's interesting right
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now, they're talking about a lot of these different posts that he has made in some of these posts, you know, they do reference politics or maga, and i think his team is going to put all of this under the umbrella of unconstitutional restriction. did political speech. now, i don't think that argument is going to win the desk on what you're saying right there. a prosecutors are saying throwing a maga into opposed it does not make it political. it actually may make it more ominous. they're arguing to it to your point. >> there. they're big umbrella argument is that his gag order is unconstitutional. that has not been a successful legal argument. so far, but specifically, they argue because trump is running for the white house, he is the presumptive republican nominee, that his speech is political speech, largely an entitled to heightened protections. but this is an issue that he has litigated at some of his other ongoing cases. we know of course there are limits two political speech. of course, kaitlan like we are so often we are there any completely unprecedented situation? we have a presidential candidate who is also a criminal defendant. >> but gag orders, you don't. those are part of the judicial system. it's not clear why he should not be subject to a gag
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order. so i think today they'll make their usual constitutional arguments, but they're always also going argue about the limits. who is covered? we're going to see them focus on some specific people. one of the prosecutors course, michael cohen and then the judge as well from michael cohen, you know, what i have heard from a lot of trump's sources is, well, how was it fair that michael cohen gets to attack donald trump, but donald trump can't say anything, can't, can attack michael cohen in return. and yesterday, trump attacked michael cohen first michael cohen responded on twitter going after him. i do think that's a question of how does the judge handle that? >> it's in the eyes of the law to simple, right? he is the defendant, michael cohen is presumed to be one of the key witnesses in this case. you cannot attack him, which remember this is extraordinary when we're thinking how this already isn't it in the court of public opinion, because both of these menn have enormous platforms and they just attack each other relentless, same and some of michael cohen's attacks on trump, i can't even repeat on camera, right? because of the language that he used. >> but the fact is right now, trump is a criminal defendant,
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michael cohen has been in the past, but he is not right now. >> he is a witness in the case that's why i think any argument good about how this is a unilateral towards michael cohen will lose in this courtroom but might get some traction in the court of public opinion. >> yeah, it was certainly a creative nickname will say that michael cohen used yesterday and jim, the prosecutor is right now noting that trump's attempt to fight this gag order previously was denied. they've had multiple challenges against it and they said there's no provision in this order for responding to attacks. it doesn't basically give trump an out to respond to witnesses right? >> this was already sorted out before this guy go. i mean, that's the message there from the prosecution. and so they're clearly asking the judge to weigh in and do something about it and joining me now for more on all of this. and legal analyst and former deputy assistant attorney general for the department of justice, elliot williams. yeah. elliott. i mean, let's just jump in on this what do you make of what we're hearing in our side panel they're these little tidbits coming from inside the courtroom. the prosecutor seems to be saying over and over to the judge, like, hey you gotta
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do something about this, right and there's a fine line that the judge has to tell here, and these are all the things the caitlin and paul were talking about. >> number one, where is the line between what is protected speech from a candidate and someone who is interfering with the administration of justice in his own trial. and some of those are quite delicate. now, the michael cohen question is going to be a much tougher one because as they said, you have two people who are sort of going after each other and sniper public going after the jurors is really a problem. and i think if there's anything that the judge is going to respond to directly, its those statements about the jury pool. >> well, until that point, i mean, trump was speaking out about the jury yesterday. let's listen to what he had to say that joy was pick so fast 95% democrats the areas mostly all democrat, you think of it as just a purely democrat area. it's a very unfair situation that i can tell you yeah. >> elliot, i mean, what do you make of that? i mean, trump is basically saying to his
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followers out their supporters out there, this jury can't be fair. look at, look at who they are, look at how they're all democrats and so on. >> the most amazing thing about how fast this jury was picked, and i was surprised by how fast it was pick was because of the judge summarily gotten rid of everyone who said they could not be fair to trump under normal circumstances, the judge would have gone through every single juror and ask them methodically after they said, i can't be fair, you would have called them up and said, okay, if i give you the instructions on the law, can you be fair and most people say, of course i can. and they'd be back in the pool. the judge here essentially used to hatch it and got rid of everybody, all the people who even claimed perhaps wrongly that they couldn't be fair to the judge. so yes, it was fast, but it was fast in a way that ended up being far more fair to former president trump then other ways they could have handled jury. >> well, let's look at what the prosecutor is saying or there's no indication that trump's claim he's responding to attacks as anything more than an african so the fact justification i mean, what do you make of this? i mean, he wants to be able to talk about
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michael cohen. he wants to be able to talk about the people are going to be testifying against him the judges said you can't do that, right? >> yeah. so he wants a hall pass here. is that he does. >> it's just so complicated given the fact that the former president has been in the public eye four at this point, decades. >> but let's say five or ten years. some statements would have happened before the trial, some statements would have continued through the trial and some are happening right now and we'll continue on. honore the future, which are the ones that are going to be seen as permissible in which are the ones that aren't because they are blurry, they bleed into each other and some of them on their face are probably problematic but some of them or maybe just in the world of discourse from a candidate might be permissible and elea, what about the consequences of your trump was fined $15,000 for violating his gag order and the civil fraud trial. it mean is that is that possible? we'll see something like that here. we see on our side panel at the prosecutor, we are asking the court to impose them max $1,000 fine for each of the ten violation. so it sounds like they're not saying put the
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former president in a holding cell, are they're saying it's time for a fine. yeah. send them a message as far as i understand it. under new york law and it's a little bit complicated here to put them in a holding cell, you'd have to witness him in court like jumping over the table and choking a bailiff or something like that? it would be a really extreme scenario for that to happen. so the prosecutors are rightly asking for a fine. you really can't get much more than that under new york law, the judge may warn the former president, or may find him now, he's a billionaire to what it is right here. it would be $10,000 for speeding tickets. it's speeding tickets. so who's to say it might be more? for symbolic, but it's not, i think going to compel much, much better behavior by the defendant as people in new york? no, you have to pay your tickets. you got to pay elliott. oh, thank you so much. stay with me. and just few minutes. former tabloid publisher david will return to the stand to testify what he's likely to be asked about next, you're live in the cnn newsroom the sinking, of the
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it begins get all day and all night. >> heartburn acid prevention, which is one pill a day choose asieh prevention choose next i'm natasha bertrand at the pentagon and this is cnn are right now, we are keeping up-to-date on what's happening inside that new york courtroom where judge merchan is hearing arguments over whether donald trump has violated his gag order on the left side your screen, you'll be seeing live updates from our reporters inside a play-by-play of the proceedings as they happen right now, the trump team, led by attorney todd blanche, is talking to the judge. >> let's go back out to kaitlan collins caitlyn, that we're seeing these little tidbits come in. we don't have cameras in the courtroom, sadly, but we can get these updates every now and then. sounds as, though the president, former president's attorney, is offering all kinds of explanations as to why he keeps doing this. how is that going over inside the courtroom?
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>> yeah jim, we're just getting our dispatches from our interpreter reporters in the room, and trump's attorney is up now making his argument, arguing that trump is not violated. his gag order. and todd blanche are saying that trump does know the ramifications and the parameters of this gag order that he did not violate it willfully. they are arguing that is obviously a direct contradiction of what prosecutors just got up and argued and i should note that as prosecutors were making their argument, they were saying that they don't believe the answer to trump violated his gag order right now. they believe is jail time, but they were saying that is an option. that is the result of a gag order. if any other regular person violated it, what todd blanche is arguing is that trump is responding to people like michael avanade and michael cohen and stormy daniels and allegations being made by them and they're saying that it's a political response, that it's not relevant to the case. and todd blanche is pushing back on what prosecutors had just said that putting maga in a post doesn't make it a political posts. instead, they were saying it makes get more ominous,
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potentially todd blink to saying, well, there's nothing that donald trump does. that is not devoid of politics here and saying that everything really does have a political tinge to it when it comes to the presumptive republican nominee. what we're told by reporters as you can see there on the screen is that trump is looking straight ahead, not really responding as these arguments are going back-and-forth. and of course, once todd blanche finishes, jen, that means it's going to be up to the judge to decide how does he handle this? how does he respond, and does he agree with prosecutors that trump has violated this order on multiple occasions? >> yeah. katelyn and all, it sounds as though todd blanche, who is asking the judge to give trump a permission to keep posting on truth social apparently was saying a few moments ago that the comments that trump is making on truth social are basically in response to things that stormy daniels and michael cohen. i've said in the past yeah, he is. >> and that's also notable because what prosecutors want here is not just for trump to be fine. they want those ten posed to be deleted from
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truthsocial. they want them to be removed, opposed, quoting a fox news host, quoting new york post articles, they want them to be removed and todd blanche seems to be saying that what trump is it's doing here? oh, i should note the judge hears asking, blanche, that's trump's attorney to refer directly to the posted issue rather than just inferring the general meaning of comments from michael cohen and stormy daniels. he's basically asking todd blanche to specifically defend the exact post the donald trump has cited here. and i should note that what prosecutors are pointing to is about ten post on truth social from a week long period in april, though they're noting comments that he made just yesterday in court compensates made about the jury once we saw even last night, of course, those comments as well. and so that's the question here before judge merchan is he's putting blanche on the spot, asking him to respond to the post directly themselves all right. kaitlan, keep us posted on what you see out there. we'll go back to you of course, many times. thanks so much. let's bring in cnn legal
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analyst joey jackson, a former criminal defense attorney, also with us. cnn's katelyn polantz. and of course, back with us cnn legal analysts, elliot williams, joey, let me go out to your first what do you make these arguments that we're hearing over these truth social post, it sounds like what todd blanche is asking for is kind of a hall pass. he wants trump to be able to keep posting. almost sounds like he's speaking to an audience of one here and not the judge his client that is absolutely right. so it's a sticky, wicked right. and it's that way because obviously this is in the backdrop of an election. and so that makes it a little bit more dicey. how yes, you have a gag order just by way of resetting. that's why we're in today, because prosecutors are not taking too kindly to trump's repeated posts on truth, social wherein he's lambasting witnesses and doing other things to inflame tensions and in violation allegedly of the gag order that'll be a judicial
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determination. but the reason that it's very complicated is because on the one hand, you you have this election that's ongoing and you have trump wanting the ability to be able to respond to his critics. at the same time, you have a gag order which is protecting and preserving the integrity, not really. >> and not only of the proceeding, but of the safety and security of witnesses, jurors, family members, and others. and so the judge has decision to make. yes, we have a first amendment right to speak our piece. right? >> not no more than an, a political season. one of course, you want to get your message out there at the same time, there are real consequences here, jim, we know that why? because you have people write, not have sound judgment in mind who could really be led to engage in violent behavior. we never want to see that, but by virtue of trump's platform, you could incite people to that, right? and so the judge has to at a tone because if he doesn't, what's gonna be the ten are
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moving forward. if the judge does not named jim, what then happens? trump now has creative license who would ever violate the gag order, and that can't be the case. he has to have some kind of stern punishment to prevent him from doing this. again, again, again and again all right and joey jackson, we should know to our viewers right now, or we're hearing from the courtroom that the judge is telling todd, blanche, quote, when your client is violating a gag order, i expect more than one word. >> so it doesn't sound as though caitlin katelyn polantz is where this doesn't sound like the judges, all that impressed so far with the blanches explanation, but we'll see what we're not to the end of it. obviously, we're not to the end of it. but what are some of these posts obviously that that are at issue here with us? yeah. so there's ten total that they're talking about plus trump's apparent public comments in the hallway yesterday about michael cohen after court the cohen posts boil down to two things, calling him a sleazebags alongside stormy daniels in one and then a series of posts where trump says he's a serial perjurer let's set that aside.
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the one that they haven't talked about in real time in this hearing yet, where blanche hasn't talked about with the judge, is this other posts that the prosecutors say is a very troubling post april 17 on truth, social donald trump quotes jessie waters from fox news. they are catching undercover liberal activists lying to the judge in order to get on the trump jury. the prosecutors are pointing to that and saying, this is really bad because the jurors are intimidated after this post went up that pointed to fox news and coverage of juror profiles and commented on the trump jury juror two was no longer comfortable to serve on that jury. and the prosecutor said what happened here is precisely the sort of thing that a gag order is in place. it's about preventing intimidation of mrs. and of jurors and other people working on the case. jurors first and foremost and the other thing to keep in mind here with prosecutors are doing with the judge. they are saying make him
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care. >> we're asking for thousand dollars of fides, but make him care that this is a court order. >> he must follow. >> yeah. we're getting another little tidbit right now. the judge's pressing blanche on specifics about michael oh, come on. attacking trump politically. saying quote, there's no specific post that you're referring to asking blanche there. so it looks like we're in the middle of a bit of a back-and-forth between the judge and todd blanche. everybody hang on for just a moment. we've got to take a quick break. be right back. we'll talk about this review right now the white house i was correspondents dinner, live saturday at seven eastern khan, cnn. i brought in a chore max protein with 30 grams of protein. those who tried be felt more energy and just two weeks here, i'll take that ensure not to protein 30 grams, protein one prim sugar, 25 vitamins and minerals, and a new fiber blend there prebiotic when you're the leader is disaster clean up and restoration.
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back to cnn's. live coverage of donald trump's criminal hush, money trial right now, hearing is underway to determine if trump violated the gag order put in place by the judge, and order the prosecution says trump has flooded at least ten times. >> i'll go back out to kaitlan collins in new york for the laser. kayla, i mean, we were just looking at this a few moments what's it goes some of these side panel excerpts during the commercial break, josh judge merchan raising his voice, quote, i'm asking the questions. i'm going to be the one who decides whether your client is in contempt judge for sean says he's been asking trump's attorney questions. he isn't getting answers judge, to trump attorney. what i do see is i keep asking you over but over again for a specific answer. i'm not getting an answer. he sounds frustrated yeah. >> to say the least gym it's not going well for todd blanche, try it now. trump's attorney, of course, who is defending his comments, or at least trying to in this gag order hearing. but the judge is getting quite frustrated with todd blanche and really the point of tension began as todd
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blanche was defending it, saying that trump had not violated his gag order, even though the prosecutors just pointed to ten instances where they said that he had the judge was asking todd blanche, well, what specific post from michael cohen is trump responded to because they were arguing that it was this barrage of legal attacks. and todd blanche clear really not providing that specific post instead, just referring to them in the general sense. and the judge is getting quite frustrated with that, saying, i am very clearly asking you for something specific that you can point to here is to say why this was something that trump was responding to. and instead, clearly that argument is not going over well with with judge merchan and how todd blanche is defending it right now. you see todd blanche saying, quote, no, he's attacking the people in the system for not prosecuting michael cohen for lying. that's because they're talking about a post where trump went after and ask why the district attorney here, alvin bragg, who brought this case, did not prosecuted michael cohen for lying here. so they are going through every specific post
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that trump pads and sadun's paula reid is back here with me. apollo, what's notable is judge merchan is kind of going through what we have seen trump do on social media has kinda tactics that you obviously we remember well, from the trump white house, but when trump says, well, i just found this, i just saw this and trump posted that the other day saying, i just saw this statement from stormy daniels from six years ago where she was denying having a sexual encounter with donald trump and todd. blanche is now arguing there are two systems of justice saying that allen weisselberg, the former cfo of the trump org and arguing what happened to him. he's obviously in jail right now, and the judge's arguing to todd blanche, there are no there's two systems of justice going on in this courtroom it's not going well for todd blanche. >> it's not let's talk about who todd blanche is right here in the top tier of trump lawyers. this is a serious attorney who did not show up to court today to antagonize the judge or magazine which we have seen some of trump's other
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lawyers he is trying to make the best argument he can in a situation that his client has made pretty unwinnable for him and he what he's trying to do is make macro arguments about the constitution, about the system as you see there at the unfairness. but the judge wants to go micro and go post by post by post and arguably kaitlan, some of these posts are indefensible in the context of the gag order. and that's why the judge getting really frustrated i mean, but to the fact that this is where this argument is right now, where the judges saying, oh, are you arguing that there's two systems of justice happening right now here in this courtroom, because obviously that's what this judge cares about. >> he's on arguing about the broader justice system. todd blanche just say, well, this is an argument that trump has been making for a long time. >> here these were things diverge between the courtroom where that argument is not going to go over well with the judge. and then the court of public opinion. this is what trying to trying to get across to his supporters, that this is unfair, that he can attack michael cohen, but michael cohen can attack him. but that in a court of law that's how gag orders work. if he is a
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witness and you see there, the judge are gone. that's just silly to the latest argument from trump's attorney where he was saying that because the da's office in the court are not taking action for every single violation that the gag order is waived. >> well, that is just silly. i mean, of all the constitutional, i love a good political speech argument, but the idea that they've waved it because they're not arching every single vial i mean, that's absurd yeah. >> the judge was saying that todd blanche is suggesting that because are arguing that the da's office in the quarter not going after every single one that it's waved. i mean, that's essentially blaming them for not listing every single time to trump has violated his gag order. >> it makes us that's it. and then you're also inviting are suggesting that there should be more litigation, perhaps a hearing every day before court starts. that is not a serious argument. let me throughout this hearing, blanche is trying to make some serious arguments about what they perceive as a fairness. these are not going to carry the de, there's not gonna be winning legal arguments, but it's pretty much the best you can do given what his client has done. >> yeah. i'm as we are watching this hearing right
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now, go on on whether or not donald trump has violated his gag order in this criminal hush money case, the judge is not taking well to the defense, coming from trump's team so far is now getting into the specifics and the new nitty-gritty with trump's team asking how to repost, get on truth social, basically asking is the defendant year donald j. trump responsible for that? because several of those repos that trump is imposing are about witnesses in this case. we are watching this all very closely to see how the judge decides whether or not trump violated the gag order, what the repercussions passions for that r we'll be right back in just a moment with another update chasing life with dr. sanjay gupta. >> listen wherever you get your podcasts. >> i've struggled with generalized myasthenia gravis, but the pitches started changing when i started on vif guard this guard has for adult generalized myasthenia gravis or anti echr antibody positive in a clinical trial, vif guard significantly improved most
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to give you some more tidbits that are happening from inside the core. and this was just happening a few moments ago todd blanche the former president's attorneys, saying that trump has a quote, group of folks who worked with him and find articles that they think trump's audience should read this as all pertaining to whether or not some of these posts violate the judge's gag order about talking about people who are involved in the case and the jury. and then this was a very important moment when the judge said there is an active action required to repost things and he doesn't buy that by calling it a repost. your client can wash your hands of it. that's seems to be a reference to the truth social post where trump was quoting jessie waters who is a fox commentator who was saying that perhaps the jury has been stacked with democrats who lied their way onto the jury. the judge not buying some of the explanations coming from former president as legal team and mmr said at one point he wants to hear an assertion this is important under oath that
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trump believed he wasn't violating the gag order when he made the posts at issue. now, so it sounds like the judge is turning up the heat a little bit on the former president. i want to talk about this a bit further. former trump campaign adviser and cnn senior political commentator, davidai urban joins me now to discuss our legal panel back with us. elliott& joey, david, let me go to you first you've been dealing with trump for a long time i mean, you know that he is he's pretty much on top of what goes out on social media under his name. so when he's quoting jessie waters like that, he knows what he's doing, right? >> look, the former president, if anything, is very, very media savvy right? and he sharp, so i don't understand pardon, pardon my neanderthal brain here, but i'm not sure i could completely understand that. the judge merchan asking if trump is aware of what jesse waters had posted previously is davidai and i'm sorry to interrupt, but the judge is now
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saying to trump's attorney quote, you're losing all credibility with the quotes. it doesn't sound like this is going well yeah. >> yeah. yeah. i was just to say so i'm not sure the underlying the underlying texts was that jessie waters are putting up, but donald trump knows what he's put, what he's posting. and look the crux of this. he take it back to what paul was saying. i think we're particularly is irritating to the former president. is that michael cohen is going on on these various social media platforms every night for hours. and taken a pipe to donald trump and donald trump is not permitted to punch back at michael cohen. i think that's it really is the nub of the issue here and it's rubbing trump, but he's got a gag order, right, david? i mean, i i'm not arguing that life is tough people talk about joel, the time when you're the former president that is, one. >> your name is donald trump. here's my question. day because you know, well, do you think he is trying to bait the judge? is he trying to dare the judge
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into doing something like putting them in a holding cell or something like that because he thinks it'll be politically advantageous. >> now, i'm not sure. i'll jump what's up being a holding cell for? 30 seconds. i'm not sure. you see the reports from folks inside the courtroom. donald trump doesn't do well, sitting still for hours on end, right? so i'm not sure he wants to be wants to go into any any type of holding so i just think he's just putting back in a matter of fairness and in some point, the judge is you we're seeing here in real full-time. the judge is pushing back on him and saying, look, are you telling me here under oath that you didn't know what you are doing, right? >> i mean, that's what he's asking him right now. >> we'll see we'll see how it plays out, but again, the macro issue here is what they are trying to argue and it's a lawyer trying to argue, is that there's some unfairness here. fair those who are on the other side of this are punching donald trump in the face every day, every day, every day. and he can't punch back that really is under getting under his skin as you can see.
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>> well, david, i don't mean to cut you off again, but we're looking at the side panel again in these excerpts coming from the courtroom trump's former or trump's attorney, i should say, saying to the judge, the court should make crystal clear what it means with the reposts he adds that they didn't read the gag order the same way joey, what do you make of that gag orders are pretty clear last time i looked into something like this, but what do you think? so they are jim paula reid made a very significant point and that is that trump has put his attorney in a very difficult situation. and so what his attorneys doing as he's trying to defend in some respects, the indefensible, the reality is, is that to your point, the gag order is crystal clear. you need to follow it or you're in violation of it. and let's talk about the issue of fairness fairness would permit him to lambaste the da de night, the district attorney talk about the fact that this prosecution shouldn't have been brought, talk about its lack of
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significance, talk about why it's problematic and politically motivated. de night and in-between, you can attack witnesses, jurors of families. what is so hard and complicated about that? and so you could still propagate a message if you're trump campaign, if you're trump, say the things you want to say, but they're all limits and not respecting those limits are highly problematic. last point jim, and that's this. yeah. the judge faces a significant he has to the tone and tenor. now, we just thought the trial, if judge since to keep going, and he can't do it that way. >> and elliott, i mean, it says right now, one of the extra are so we're getting is the gag order hearing grew heated as much shawn became increasingly exasperated with with blanche. this does not the judge was saying, you're not give me anything to hang my hat on. >> elie. i mean, is this the way you want to start a trial if you're the defense attorney, it's not the way you want to start a trial, but look, joey jackson is a skilled
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trial attorney. he's been there. i certainly have. there are times when you simply don't have the judge on your side and can still win at the end. and if the day but in heat of a hearing, the judge sort of pounds is on you. i think what we're seeing here though, is the judge has to put aside everything that we think or know about donald trump's past conduct prior to this trial, and simply focus on the specific statements at issue. here. there's a few reasons why the judge has to do that. he can't simply start sanctioning donald trump because he's a guy that is out in the media and for years has had a twitter account or whatever else it what are the specific statements in the context of this trial that might warrant either monetary or if it deemed do it a penal behind bars sanction some of this is for the judge's own protection. if this comes up on appeal down the road that he went too far he needs to substantiated what he's dealing. so i think the judge is really being careful here and has to identify the
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specific state and what exactly is good or bad about them? >> yeah. and la we should note one of the experts were just getting in the judge saying he is reserving decision on a gag order violations. we're going to get some more information as to what that means, but it sounds like maybe he's not ready to slap the fourth present on the wrist just yet we'll see how it plays out, guys. thanks very much for all of those insights. david will get you back. pressure a bit further on what transmit is saying around all of this i'd like to have you back on that, joanne elea. thank you as well. thanks very much for joining this morning. i'm jim acosta, a special coverage for president trump's criminal trial in new york continues after short break. have a great day riyad say's new album is breaking records i did have hearing aids
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it today, go chu pretty litter.com. >> i'm zachary cohen in washington in this is cnn hello, i've looked at the stage for an american jama would do biggest consequences. >> this morning, we have been following a hearing at 100 centre street here and then hadn't to decide whether the first president ever stand criminal trial will also be the first american president to ever be held in contempt. >> the, judge scolding from were president's attorneys over and over telling trump's council that his client cannot wash his hands of posts going after the witnesses and attacking them and also commenting on the jury post that potentially violate a gag order and also an ominous warning from the judge that trump's attorney is losing all credibility with the court. >> good morning to our viewers and the united states and around the world. i'm kaitlan collins and new york.
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>> and i'm jake tapper in washington. you're watching cnn special live coverage of donald trump on trial right now, court is in a quick break, but any minute the first witness in the hush money cover up case resumes his testimony on the stand. that witness, david has already walked prosecutors through some key facts about how he ran his tabloid business prosecutors today plan to show how chase down stories that were potentially damaging to donald trump in his brand. to hide them from the public, as well as how use it's the magazine and the national enquirer newspaper to boost trump's 2016 presidential run by attacking his opponents, republicans and democrats that trump defense team will also get to cross-examine david in opening statements, they previewed the plan to undermine motives. the prosecution also plans to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the along with trump's former attorney, michael cohen, were at the heart of a scheme to keep the wool over the eyes of the american voters this was
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election fraud. pure and simple. kaitlan is standing by in new york, kaitlan yeah, jake, but first before david even takes the stand, there has already been plenty of drama inside that courtroom. when this judge and with trump's attorneys and the prosecution here with me, i've got cnn chief legal affairs correspondent, paula reid, and also cnn chief domestic correspondent, phil mattingly, and paula ostensibly, this was about but whether or not trump violated the gag order, but it was actually deeply revealing it, potentially problematic for trump's attorney who just really put himself on bad footing with the judge on really what is just day two of this trial. >> it was a disaster for the defense. i know when speaking with them, they went in with a very well-thought out plan. now, it wasn't necessarily going to win on the merits. but they were going to argue about what they see is unconstitutional nature of this gag order that unilateral aspect of michael cohen being able to attack trump trump gannett back and back. >> and there's just went completely off the rails because while they wanted to do macro big picture, the judge
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wanted to go post by post to each of these alleged violations of the gag order that in many instances are indefensible. >> i mean, you have a judge here suggesting that blanche had already undermined his credibility with the court, as you said, on day two, and even at one point suggesting that trump should take the stand and say under oath that he didn't mean to violate this gag order. i mean, i knew this wasn't going to go well, legally for the team, even though they had some some meritorious arguments. >> but this was much worse than i could have expected. yeah. i mean, he was basically daring trump to say, okay, we'll get on the stand under oath and say that you're repost. are not what essentially what we can all see that they are. phil, you know, what's notable about it is trump has always had this style of being able to say something and say, well it's just a repose dry was just quoting someone, but the judge was getting into this, wasn't even just a quote you were adding words on two quotes that the warning and actually said yes. >> and his laura is actually had to answer for that and
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eventually acknowledged it to the point where they issued to bring out a laptop for the at their table and show the tweets or posts or truths in question to verify? yes. actually judge, you write about what you're talking about. i think he makes such a great point because you guys have so often broken down the complexity of being trump's lawyer behind the scenes, but we haven't really seen it totally laid bare in the courtroom in front of a judge and point after point after point from our intrepid reporters who were in the room about all of the different ways that todd blanche got crosswise with judge merchan, all the different ways he could not answer questions, all the different ways he was challenged about his age answers and it was made very clear by judge merchan that the answer is we're not fulsome enough, did not actually answer the questions at all and put him in a really bad position. >> and it's paul's point. >> it say to the first witness is still coming back in the next couple of minutes to stand, yet, yes. >> yeah. could come sooner that we expected, maybe give this up. i wasn't want to talk about who i blanche is right? he isn't really the top tier of trump lawyers. >> this is not someone who came
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to court today to score political points or antagonize the judge and then stand outside and antagonize the judge some more. this is a serious lawyer who knows that he is representing the former president in it historic case now, yes, they absolutely file some arguments that we know we're just not going to win, but this is also part of aggressive adequacy of your client. but today, that really beloved his face that's what i i think the questions coming out of this is if you're serious lawyer and there's no question about todd blanche, resume or what he brings to the table here and you're arguing whether or not retweets equal endorsements. >> there was an actual back-and-forth whether or not a reposts or reach truth or whatever it's called, actually means the president is bind it with more shot making very clear that takes action, you actually have to hit buttons to be able to to repost. and if you're todd blanche, you're sitting there arguing whether or not your client actually meant or took action by true thing, something that's where they're at right now. and how would you feel if you're at that point at this stage in the trial already? >> yeah. it is tough de for the
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retweets or not endorsements crowd and laura coates and elie honig wrote the magic wall but fluoride ellie, i mean, the judge did not make a decision on trump violating the gag order. >> we're waiting to see what he decides. but any moment now, we are going to see that witness, david get back on the stand and today could be quite revealing of y prosecutors want david as their first witness. >> it promised to be another big day in court. and of course, david will remind everyone first le, who exactly david is. remind us all about the role he has played generally. david, the prosecution's first witness, and a very important one and donald trump are old friends. >> they go back to the 1980s together. most importantly for this case david was the chairman and ceo of american media incorporated. you'll hear them referred to as ami. there's a company that runs the national enquirer, the famous or infamous tabloid, and the crocks of david is testimony goes to this practice that they would engage in called catch and kill, where they would purchase the rights to a story that would have been unflattering according to donald trump and then kill it
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and then not run it and they're going to focus specifically on three incidents of catch-and-kill in this trial. first of all, stormy daniels this is the charge. the charge relates not to the act of catching and killing. that's not the crime, but the final is not a crime, right? exactly. not a crime to catch and kill, not a crime to pay hush money. but the final dancing the went behind that the allegation is that was falsified also not charged in the indictment, but it will come into evidence. the scheme to catch and kill the story from karen mcdougal, who likes stormy daniels, alleged that she had a sexual encounter with donald trump. that's going to come into evidence. and finally, there was a third catch and kill scheme relating to a doorman. dino said putin relating to untrue allegations that donald trump had a child out of wedlock. now we got a sense of david is testimony from when he started testifying yesterday. first thing he said that was interesting. he said for the tabloids, meaning national enquirer, we used checkbook journalism and we paid for stories, meaning they paid sources. they use the power of their finances to
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shape their coverage. another thing david said is that the only thing that was important was the cover of the magazine we've all been in the supermarket checkout line and seen the covers of those magazines. and finally, david said dylan howard reported directly to me. dylan howard was david packers primary lieutenant, probably not going to testify in this case, but we're going to hear that name a lot. >> but here's why it becomes important this august 2015 meeting, right? all goes back to now only his job description, but whether he was the eyes and ears of donald trump before these moments, which lays the foundation for why he would be called first by this prosecution team, right? the he wanted somebody to say this is all part of an overarching scheme to try to prevent this from harming the election eyes and ears key phrase relating to david and look today for testimony from david about this crucial august 2015 meeting, the participants included david, donald trump himself, and michael cohen, who of course will be testifying later in the trial. this we believe is the meeting where they first got together and discuss. okay. donald trump's
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throwing his hat in the political ring is going to be running for president. we need to work together to find stories that might be harmful to him and to suppress them. and also by the way, to put out stories that might be harmful to his opponents. so when you hear reference to the august 2015 meeting, this is what they're talking about but really important here, caitlin, is that the prosecution has to actually establish not do innuendo or intimation at there was some sort of an agreement. remember michael cohen famously testifying on the hill and beyond to suggest that donald trump does not give explicit orders more along the lines of this, the nice place you got here, hate him. anything happened to it? they've got to actually prove some kind of connection here to give this witness the most gravitas kaitlan yeah. >> it'll be fascinating to see what david could say that he heard from trump directly what came out of his mouth than other firsthand witness here. and obviously, paula and fill is the trump team is looking at david. they found out later on sunday afternoon about 3pm, the david was going to be the first witness. they didn't really get a sense of what he's going
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to testify yesterday, so they haven't really had the opportunity to kinda comb through that. think about it. they will obviously have the opportunity 30 to cross-examine him, but they know what david can get to vr because he had multiple one-on-one meetings with donald trump yeah, absolutely. >> i think for the first witness for the prosecution, this is kind of a de of course, you're going to start with david. of course are going to lay out why is it a dove for people who don't know who to ask why is it obvious from this? can i help frame the prosecutions argument that there was this concerted effort with trump's active participation to suppress negative stories about him ahead of the 2016 election, to help him get elected to the white house? >> and we'll david was not directly involved in paying stormy daniels. he had previously paid another woman, karen mcdougal and to be quiet about an alleged affair and a doorman falsely accused trump of having a child out of wedlock. so we know there are at least two stories that he paid to suppress and then he got wind of the stormy daniels case pass that information off
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to michael cohen, and we all know how that ended right with him, michael cohen facilitating this hush money payments. so is the perfect place for the prosecution to start their story. well, and he's someone who he's not a michael cohen. >> he's not this hostile witness. >> tweeting things that we can't even say names these colleague trump on air, he was actually kinda jovial. understand yesterday he accidentally gave up his phone number. >> he said hi to the defense table, and i should note there there's trump holding a newspaper. >> i believe he doesn't look very happy going into back into that courtroom, that same courtroom or they said the hearing fill that did not seem to go well for his team. we'll see what the judge ultimately decides. but trump is now returning to the defense table or table. hill said david, on the witness stand again, talking about their interactions, and we'll see if david tries to exchange pleasantries as he did yesterday with the former president, you make a great point in terms of setting this stage at the start of this trial, there are going to be so many witnesses that will have a very fiery and probably aggressive back-and-forth between the defense and the
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witness, but also prosecution the witness very heavy moments in the weeks ahead with some of the witnesses, in particular, michael cohen, who are likely to come up. david is not that individual. not only was there some levs yesterday, some laughter as well, but it's also a fascinating way. this season drive a narrative at the very start. >> given the types of things the tabloids do for their business, the catch and kill checkbook journalism stuff that normal people probably aren't super familiar with is awfully tawdry and has a lot of famous people involved in it. >> but i think topology point the accordance. i think we saw it in the early stages yesterday, is how it starts this process for the prosecution laying out the picture that know these weren't just legal fees, this wasn't just paying your lawyer. this wasn't just the normal course of doing business. there was a conspiracy here. there was something involved that was much deeper for i think that's what we saw the start of yesterday. and certainly i think they're gonna continue today yeah. >> and of course, jake and the national enquirer, everyone sees it when they check out at the grocery store, you can see this sensational headlines on it. >> david, yesterday shedding light on how those covers mated
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once it often helps trump and hurt his republican rivals. and now we'll see him testifying against trump on the witness stand today. >> all right. kaelyn, thanks so much. appreciated. my panels here with me and just the latest update from inside the courtroom were told the defendant, mr. trump, has re-entered the courtroom holding a stack of papers, some held together by binder clips. one can only imagine what those are at law codes. let me just start with before we get to david and the witness who testimony, we're going to hear to review the gag order hearing that happened this morning and whether or not mr. trump has violated the gag order, no one can argue that the gag orders shouldn't exist, and mr. tom, i should have the right to say whatever he wants about the jury are about witnesses. and one could argue this case is not a good case, whatever i'm not going to take a position on that. that's my job. but it seems pretty clear that he violated the gag. i mean, these truthsocial posts posts that were introduced in court today, april 10, he calls he calls two of the witnesses, sleazebags he
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also refers to michael cohen, one of the witnesses as a serial perjurer, time and time again, over and over he missed quotes. a fox news host who said quote, they are catching undercover liberal activists line to the judge in order to get on the trump jury. apparently, jessie waters never said in order to get out in the trump jury, either way, that's going after the jury. and then last night on a channel called real america's voices. mr. trump said, this that's you is picked so fast 95% democrats the areas mostly all democrat. >> you think of it as just a purely democrat area. it's a very unfair situation that i can tell you now we don't know the political affiliation of members of the jury, so his saying that 95% of them are democrats is not necessarily true. we're based in fact, in any way. but again, he's talking about the jury and he's been told by the court, you're not supposed to talk about the jury he knows very
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clearly what the parameters are as talk about why you have a gag order more broadly though, it's to ensure a fair trial. fair in terms of the witnesses not being intimidated into not testifying are feeling as though they have to shape their testimony way that will not get them incurring the wrath of say, a huge following leg drum pads. >> or if this was not a infamous defendant, instead, and somebody who would feel they could not testify openly and truthfully. it also protects the actual staff of the courtroom. and of course, the prosecution team. now, you can talk about the judge. the judge let him talk out of him as well as alvin bragg, the da. but if you think about the philosophy saying, the more you talk, the more likely they is you're going to have a witness who will not feel comfort testify or a jury by the way multiple times we had before the even the trial began, a juror saying, i think my anonymity has been compromised. i can't even sit on this jury, let alone a gerges yesterday before opening statements began suggesting that they too had concerns about it. remember the actual jury selection. we knew that there were members, at least me, alternate pool of
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jurors, who actually were supporters of donald trump, who were saying that they believed in his policies for one, we can assume maybe their policy or their pocket, but we didn't we weren't actually able to hear because the jury questionnaire explicitly did not include statements about how one votes or how they voted in the elections, only about their feelings more bodily about the defendant, others. and so all of this was the concern that the judge to say, if you do these things, there'll be threats or intimidation, and possibly worse, and not a fair trial. >> so trump and his attorney right now inside the courtroom are whispering before the judge enters dana bash as we wait for the david testimony to resume, i just want to kind of take one half a step back on what happened this morning and how we have covered donald trump in the political realm. >> one of the hallmarks of him as a candidate and as a president is that he can say what he wants without much political consequence. i mean,
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there are certainly people who despise him. but when it comes to quarters, the election, okay. but he also got yes, he lost the lemon. that's a political consequences. >> he lost the election. i'm not going to argue that for the record. >> but from his perspective, i'm talking about he feels that he needs to say whatever he needs to say to get his message out in his mind. >> he doesn't think that there are consequences to this. >> this forum. this courtroom pushes back on that and width that he has never experienced in his adult life. and we're going to continue to see that. >> so trump were told inside the courtroom has been veering from speaking with one attorney to talk to the other, emil bove, who's now sitting in the first chair and let's set the stage for the testimony we're going to hear today. if we can't elie honig because david obviously played a crucial role, at least in trump's mind, in his 2016 campaign helping to suppress stories that would be
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damaging and helping to push stories. however nonsensical against donald trump's opponents. and right now, i'm thinking about the story about ted cruz's dad right? somehow being involved in the kennedy assassination and completely deranged story pushed by the national enquirer that donald trump in may when he of 2016, when he was still facing off against ted cruz, was pushing when he would do the interviews. >> david is the ultimate insider here and he and trump, it's important, understand, they go way back. >> they used to hang out in manhattan and hit the party siem together and they had been doing this caching kill tactic well before donald trump was even a candidate, which by the way, may come into play when it comes to his motivation david, is there from the inception of this particular scheme, august 2015, we're going to hear a lot about that meeting donald trump has now decided he's going to be a candidate. he had announced his candidacy a couple of months prior to that, and there's a crucial meeting. david is there donald trump is there, michael cohen is there and they sort of discuss version 2.0 of catch and kill
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according to the prosecutor's basically now he's a candidate. now we need to put out stories that might damage anyone who gets in our way, whether it's ted cruz, whether it's hillary clinton, they did stories on hillary clinton two. >> and more importantly, perhaps we need to catch and silence, catch and kill any story that may be damaging to us. >> now it's important for stan he is crucial to understand how this all works. but david is probably not going to have any information as to the financial the front end of that how the repayment was made from donald trump to michael cohen to stormy games. he doesn't have to know everything, but he's still a crucial witness. so jim trusty, let me ask you, donald trump is sitting there in court whispering with his lawyers. >> we have no idea what he's saying, but i've never been a defendant. what what are defendants? >> you're young not really. >> really. give it time but but what what kinds of things are defendants talking about with their attorneys? >> obviously, we don't know what he's talking about at this moment. but in this
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theoretically what kind of conversations happened? >> oh, look, i mean, anytime you have a client who's high-energy in highly interested in an intelligent person, they're going to have questions about it every step of the way they're talking about the gag order hearing, they're talking about what the judge had to say towards todd they're talking about what's what's coming up this afternoon in terms of witness testimony, i mean all of the above, it's all on the table. i suspect that right this minute because it's so fresh, they're talking a lot about the gag order as opposed to mr. and what does this mean? and i have to say if you're an attorney, no matter what side of the aisle you're on? the seaward is a terrible word to hear about yourself. and i mean credibility. when you start hearing a judge look, this could be a tongue lashing that's not followed by a whole lot of damage, but if the judge starts saying you've lost credibility that's a bad moment for anybody. and you've really got to figure out a way. how do i patch this back? and most of us we feel like our reputation precedes us when we go into a courtroom anywhere, whether it's home territory in
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new york or somewhere else you know what your reputation is with the bench and you don't like here in those moments, so that to me that's almost a more powerful thing than anything. house this debate about re-posting and stuff that's a losing debate. you should probably just frame it like this is a passive violation as opposed to saying this is innocent and anytime last thing, anytime we tell the judge hay your orders kinda be ambiguous good luck because even if it is, that's you're going right into the ego the heart of things with the judge by saying, you weren't really clear, we don't know if we've broken any rules. that's that's tough sledding no matter who the judges. yeah. >> can i just quickly and this is one of these daughter of a judge moments, but it's you cannot overstate what jim just said about the importance of credibility for lawyers. you do not want to be attacking the judge and judge merchan is known for his judicial temperament. he is soft-spoken.
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this for the word to come up that he's exasperated in this situation or for you to see that emotion that's todd blanche whether it has a consequence or not, i would say he went too far. could i just add one thing on the gag order? a republican senator once told me that in talking to trump trump said to him, i can't help myself if someone punches, if they punch was the quote, i have to punch back. of course, he also likes to punch first, but this gag order just goes to the heart of the man as well. >> yeah. i mean, judge merchan is going to expect that the lawyers zealously advocate on behalf of their client. he welcomes that he welcomes a defense that is puts forth legal arguments that are strong, but there are legal arguments that are being made here that just fly in the face of any credibility and two,
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that come to mind was one when the lawyer said that trump that the prosecution waived waived, enforcing the gag order because they only brought certain certain tweets to the court's attention by not bringing others. they've somehow waived. now the the gag order it doesn't stand. that makes no sense. and only the judge, by the way, can say whether the gag order is enforced or not, and then the other thing that they said i think was when he said that donald trump is trying to comply with the gag order i think that was the statement that really put the judge over the edge saying, look, you've lost your credibility here. you can't, that's not even a strong legal argument that that really doesn't even pass muster of you talking about this gag order as the prosecutors would be furious with my witness, michael cohen, as well. talk about the muzzle that i'd want to actually have. the fact that donald trump is punching back. that's one thing for his defendants. his clout has council one thing has own
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issue. he he's the one who is the subject of the gag order. but the unspoken thing is everything that michael cohen is saying might have an opportunity for it to be used against him in my own presentation that includes daniel's as well, who has often been very infamous in her response as well. so that that muzzle so donald trump just posted on his social media say, in all caps highly conflicted to put it mildly judge, juan merchan has taken away my constitutional right to free speech. everybody is allowed to talk and lie about me, but i am not allowed to defend myself. this is a kangaroo court and the judge should recuse himself and he's allowed to he's allowed to go after the judge. so that is within the bounds of the gag order. it's not going to help. it's not going to help with what jamie and what you all were just describing as on day two of this trial, the judge clearly being incredibly annoyed and just to add a little bit of color to that about how the politics that
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trump thinks worked for him outside the courtroom are landing with a thud in the courtroom his lawyer said, well, there are two tiers of justice he needs to fight that. and the judge said, i'm sorry, you're saying there are two tiers cheers of justice in this courtroom that didn't go over. well, i'm looking to see what happens next now. >> i think it's fairly predictable what will happen in the immediate future. the judge is going to come back at some point and say, i find these statements you made. do violate my gag order. maybe all 11 of them, and therefore, i find you $11,000. the maximum allowed me find somewhat under new york laws $1,000. but my question is, what's the judge going to do about the next time? i mean, he's clearly going to reprimand donald trump, but he has such limited tools. all we can do is keep finding them $1,000 per instance trump doesn't care about that or ultimately he can lock them up for up to 30 days, but i just think donald trump has calculated probably correctly that that's just not in play here. so how is the judge going to keep this from spinning out of control? well, he's not going to lock them up.
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>> i'm that's the yeah, that's clear. but like, i mean, jim, is there any way to first of all, we should know if if i didn't make it clear enough that truth social post saddam trump did is not a violation of anything. he's the judge said he's allowed to go after the judge and the district attorney. you're just interesting that he's sitting there in court. if there's all caps truth, social post saying it's a kangaroo court, but is there any way to control him or is this just gonna be the way that going forward, the judge and everyone's just going to have to deal with it and maybe find after fine, after fine well, i think the greatest look, there's two things. >> one, don't underestimate how much cohen is affecting this equation. laura is, right? i mean, as a prosecutor, if i had a witness who kept saying having a go on tv and give them more crossings examination against me, i would be like, why don't you come over for dinner and i'd lock them in a room like he not getting an opportunity to go on tv every morning or every night and say the stuff that this guy is saying, we're going to see all the greatest hits of michael cohen clip after clip after clip in cross-examination. so i think some of these issues take care of themselves over time as
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you focus on the trial and you tell the president don't alienate the jury. we don't care what you say about the kind of political lame, but don't, don't tick off this jury. >> yeah, coming up used to be one of donald trump's biggest cheerleaders, but now david is helping prosecutors make their case against the former president from the wing stand as a somebody who has an immunity deal with the prosecution. we're going to bring you the latest from inside the courtroom after this quick way the sinking of the titanic. how would really happen, especially to our premier sunday at nine on cnn not flossing well, then add the wo of listerine to your routine. >> new science shows. listerine is five times more effective than floss, et reducing plaque above the gum line for a cleaner, healthier mouth this street field, the world sometimes the lows of bipolar depression feel darkest before
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welcome back to cnn's especial live coverage of donald trump's hush money to cover up judge juan wir schon. >> now, back on the bench as we are standing by waiting for david to resume his testimony on the stand, the tabloid king start part of yesterday, but did not really get to any substance back with my panel. now, fill and paula, as we are waiting, the judge is a little delayed coming back on the stand, this is just the start at 11, paula, but they just have that very dramatic and contentious hearing over whether trump violated the gag order. is there any chance? whether or not the judge rules on that in these moments, i think that's probably the best guess as to why he eight up 20 minutes of the precious three hours that we have today to hear from david. but it's unclear. they have that hearing outside the presence of the jury both sides got to make their arguments clearly clearly it is extremely frustrated with the trump defense team. he said he would reserve his decision, give no indication of when he
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would reveal what he was going to do about these alleged violations of the gag order. so definitely watching right now, although it appears that david has just entered the courtroom. so perhaps we will not get that it's just unclear right now. we'll get a decision on the gag order today. >> maybe you'll wait till tomorrow with there's no court. david is back on the stand yesterday was really just introductory the sense of of what he was, getting into. he was saying that he personally approved stories that they did pay over $10,000 or he referred to it as checkbook journalism term that i'm not really a fan of, but he was saying essentially that he cared the most about the covers of the national enquirer and big stories that they had to pay a lot of money for which the story is at the heart of this with karen mcdougal, those qualify as that. the question is what he says about his conversations with trump and i should note the jury is now entering the courtroom, so everyone is in the courtroom now. david, judge, juan were sean, donald trump and his team prosecutors. and now mr. reportedly, the jury is in that room, phil and a continuation of what we saw yesterday, i think you hit the key point. ali was laying this out
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earlier. it's what actually happened in these meetings when you have a first person witness with michael cohen, with donald trump in august of 2015 and then i think progressing from there read there was a meeting in the white house as well that happened after the former president was elected and how the prosecutors are able to use what he can say from those meetings as a first-person witness to them to help drive what's going to be happening over the course. course of the next couple of weeks. i think paul, me at this point earlier, it's a valuable one in terms of the front end, how the financials actually played out here, david is not the best or the most central witness of things in terms of the payments themselves. but in terms of explaining how this process works, we saw the start of that yesterday. you're talking about how the national enquirer we're works over $10,000 is when he weighs in, friends david is what he's most concerned about the front page of national enquirer is what drives his attention. now you're going to see the specifics of how that dovetails into the meetings he was having with one of the friends. if david don't trump and trump was told was called flp friend of paula and the reason that they're bringing him out is because prosecutors want to say this is was his effort to
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suppress negative stories about donald trump and the efforts. and when karen mcdougal, the playboy model who said that she had an affair with donald trump was taking her story to them. david actually researched whether or not it was a campaign finance violation for a corporation to buy hi restored because he was concerned about this clearly. and i should note the direct examination of david has begun. these are the prosecutors who are questioning david. where are they going to start with? so i think they're going to pick up where they were yesterday. >> they just got through the mechanics of his job. how do you find a story at the national enquirer? how much does it cost? what was your role? just how much oversight mr. packer did you have as an editor and it was clear that he was incredibly involved in what went on, especially the cover of his magazine. they talked about how that was so important. i think they're going to pick up there. he's such a colorful witness. right? we're talking about a former playboy playmate. we're talking about what was at the time the biggest tabloid in the world. i mean, this is a pretty
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compelling, interesting witness for the jury, really on any day, but he is critical here because one of the things that i know the defense attorneys are going to try to attack is the paperwork right. there's 34 counts they're based on 34 documents. they're going to try to attack any connection between that paper and trump, but david sets up the story and emphasizes that trump was in this from the beginning. he knew there were efforts to catch and kill these stories too. press negative stories going back as far as 2015, i think that's one of the most important things they want to get across is that trump was actively involved and aware of what was going on. >> yeah. and he only testified for about 30 minutes yesterday. so today is really where we're going to see why they're putting putting him first on the witness stand, and how deep they're able to get into it. i also think one of the big questions throughout every witness that we're going to see, what do we not know yet, but i think there's so much that has been revealed over the course of the last several years. you guys have covered so much of every twist and turn, just about every witness that we're going to see here. all were key players at various points.
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>> yeah, it's quite a tip blast. the past, right? it's seasons one through three, i think is where we're at over the course of the next couple of weeks of the trump show and what, if any, of elements that they get into with all the witnesses do we not know what's new what are the elements from the first-person conversations that maybe we have some threads of, but no know the exact details of police no one of those conversations, the one in 2015 and perhaps more through david, but as that progresses, is going to be fascinating. that's a good question because david is now saying he's known donald trump's since the late 80s. >> i mean, these two people go way back, paula, and they had a longstanding relationship in this instance. >> he's not someone who is like michael cohen, who their relationship is really soured. >> trump and david do not speak anymore to be clear, but to phil's point, they had that one one-on-one meeting in august 2015 when he was donald trump, the candidate, david, though, came to the white house. he got oval office tours and contours of the lincoln bedroom kind of trump's spiel that he would do if people who are new to see the white house, he loved to take them through and see it. and i should note, trump is leaning back in his chair and giving a smirk as
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david is pointing at him. >> yeah. he was asked to identify the defendant. >> a basic question you'd ask any witness. but as you were saying, these to menn, they go back a long ways and like you said, it's not like he was someone who worked for trump directly, or that his entire identity depended on trump, but they had a mutually beneficial relationship going back decades. and if you read a lot about david, he truly get trump. he admired the lifestyle. he admired his wives of beautiful women around him. so this was certainly an admiring relationship on david as part. and of course, trump got a lot out of it too, because he loved being in the tabloids, right? that's how many people came to learn a lot about his personal life through the 80s and 90s indies so this is a very unique, very new york relationship that i think we're going to hear a lot about. >> and prosecutors are asking david to explain that relationship with trump. >> he says, i've had a great relationship with mr. trump over the years. so even though they don't speak anymore, i mean, i think that it could help build credibility with the
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jury because this is not someone who who's going to come on and say, you know, what they've been alleging about michael cohen and whatnot david, someone he wanted trump to be president. clearly he helped him with stories that it was in the courtroom yesterday, very clearly making africa say hi to the former president i think their relationship if you think about what's happening in the courtroom right now, him having to identify donald trump, had they been friends for decades? they've probably gone through so much together in terms of their relationship, what they've seen, the things that we don't know about that they've actually seen this is the best part. >> this magazine, if people aren't familiar with it, it's trump's style. david used to publish it and put it in the trump properties are people would go and he says, you're starting in 1989. that's when they had this idea of creating trump style is going through the history of that. he says, i presented presented it to mr. trump and he liked the idea a lot. >> paula, what do you think it's like for trump as he's sitting there because these are fond memories, but david is recalling he's flattering trump right now by saying he
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had this great idea to put this in, in trump's properties. >> but reminder, he is testifying against trump at this moment he is, but i'm sure that he understands intellectually that david first not here of his own volition. he was involved in the federal case. he got immunity to help with that case. he has ami and michael cohen. and here again today as a witness, he really doesn't have much of a choice, but i also one of the reasons that trump was so contentious, their water reasons, but one of the reasons he was so contentious and struggled so much, particularly the white house press pool, because he was used to the david. of the world. he was used to people who would suppress stories that were difficult, amplify ones that were great, right? the were his friends and would carry water for him. he was used to that sort of celebrity journalism. and i think that is one of the many reasons that he was often so frustrated with the white house press pool that does not operate that way. >> and what do you think the prosecutor is doing is they're trying to establish how long have you known trump, what kind of relationship did you have with him? what is their intent? putting that out before getting to what did you hear trump say
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about suppressing negative stories? clearly he had he had a friendship. this was a trump ally who did not explain why he wanted to help trump win in 2016, he was helping a friend. yes, it was mutually beneficial in terms of business this was his friend and he wanted to help him, also laying the groundwork that this is not a hostile, right? this is not trump has many enemies, but he, this is not one of them. now, we have an update here on the side of the screen. i'm told now, prior to acquiring the national enquirer in 1999, pucker said that he had a lot of dealings things, and discussions with mr. trump as a celebrity in his own right. i think that's right. i was in the 80s and the 90s, trump was a celebrity, but in many ways he was a tabloid celebrity. but prosecutors to your question, they really want to set up the fact that is not an adversarial witness for trump. this is just someone who's going to lay out some facts because we're going to see some extremely serious situation specifically with michael cohen, possibly stormy daniels as well. so it's important and says, at that time, he was referring to trump
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was very helpful introducing me to other executives and other people in new york and he would always advised me of parties or events to your point, what we were talking about earlier, fill that this was a social relationship between the two of them before that 2015 meeting that we keep referring to for people who aren't familiar with it. >> that's what went to trump, but said, how can i help your campaign? but clearly, stated back way before trump was running for office. and i think laying the groundwork of how this relationship came to be, how long it is and the depth of it to some degree, maybe not deepen sense of like deeply emotional if you just talking about parties and type thank god, but in the, latest update from our coordinate prosecutor asking about the apprentice, obviously, the former president's show, saying the show was an instant success and he had a number of conversations with trump about the show. >> i think his willingness to be very forthcoming about his view of how awesome trump is. i think is fascinating about this entire dynamic. and i think probably gives a breed into the dynamic of their relationship itself over the course of the last several days, i'm talking
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about what this trial is gonna be like for trump. this must be such an unusual feeling for behe's trump loves flattery. everyone knows his critics would admit that his fans, anyone trump loves to be flattered & right now, david is talking about help trump introduced him to people and had this successful show and his properties, paula, i mean, it was unusual for trump to be at the defense table hearing this knowing where this line of questioning is ultimately going absolutely. >> a new and i've heard him many times. all this hurt him at his rallies. he talks about how he didn't have to run for office. he had a really nice life before he decided to do this. and this is calling back to that time to live let me see on our screen right now, we have this split-screen of the criminal defendant in the middle with these callbacks to the fact that he used to be a star of the apprentice, used to go to great parties. this is the juxtaposition that he has. i think tried to to setup when he argues to people, i didn't need to do this, but he's now arguing that he is paying a great price by being in his worth prosecuted, persecuted by the criminal justice system. now he says that quote, trump
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would share the apprentice ratings and show information with you said, a little four there, but it said it was a mutually beneficial relationship. we've said that a few times to noting that he didn't have to pay trump for it. but trump got publicity for the show in return. so he's talking about how trump would give him stories. he put them in the national enquirer, and they both benefited from this relation. she chip they're setting up of course, how and why would want to help him take the white house? i think he is basically saying that when the apprentice came out, that trump was sending the ratings of the apprentice to david, a david would then publish it in the national enquirer. >> and i think this is fascinated because they're basically showing how david was doing trump's bidding and was at his will was what they were publishing, which their litter going to say is at the heart of this case. and what trump is trying to suppress to get into the oval office. but they're showing how they had this long-standing, beneficial relationship though actually beneficial when one was a celebrity and one was trying to sell magazines or sell
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newspapers and mutually beneficial when one it was running a political campaign, trying to be the president of the united states and desperately needed help killing a story at the absolute worst moment of his entire campaign. i think you see them driving towards that point right now and establishing this relationship over the course of decades in the idea that is said it's mutually beneficial, i think is very much part of the plan and the strategy here from prosecutors. >> yeah, absolutely. and shows that trump was involved in this, right? this was a friendship. this was an ally ship. all right. so the prosecutor is walking through the mckend annex of the show, noting that contestants would compete to be hired and trump would say, you're fired as they were eliminated. of course, anyone who's round at the time remembers this, remembers what a big deal this was. a lot of people were interested, so it's probably great for to get the inside scoop yeah, it's quite a trip down memory lane. jake walking through the beginning of the apprentice, the deaths and what it looks like. and of course a reminder, these two don't speak anymore. donald trump and david haven't spoken in years. this
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interaction in the courtroom is fascinating. it is one of the first times that they have been this close to one another as david in is laying out the origins of this relationship that he had with donald trump? >> yeah, a fascinating stuff, kaitlan, thanks so much and the updates keep coming in packer said before 2015, he saw trump monthly or maybe quarterly. they had a real symbiotic relationship. dana bash, where would praise donald trump in print and donald trump would give him copy? >> yeah. i mean, symbiotic transactional. >> this is something that he clearly still has kind of in his, in his dna is his muscle memory i talked to me to see this. so jacob doctor said after trump announced he was running for president, quote, i saw mr. trump morph frequently, maybe once a month. so they had a symbiotic relationship before he announced his candidacy. and then he announced his candidacy. and donald trump saw david publisher of tabloids, even more after he announced
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his presidential run. >> yeah, i mean, why wouldn't he if donald trump, because he's the publisher of the national enquirer true. >> but you're also again, not putting yourself in the mind and in the sort of headspace donald trump, where he finally got to this place, the ultimate place he never thought he would get. why wouldn't he bring david just as he did all of his friends around to brag to show off, you could do all the things that he had it's done in franklin. a lot of times, gutterman to some trouble. >> okay. donald trump knows how to sell magazines and wanted to sell them. >> this makes sense. but i think even more interesting than trump feeding him the ratings of the apprentice the fact that he fed negative stories. >> soccer is explaining that he and trump would communicate by phone and frequently through their offices and assistance. >> sorry no, i we don't have cameras in the courtroom. we're just trying to bring updates to the people jamie, i really wish
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we had kept because like i said, there were times at trump's body the guard would pass messages to trump from now, we've heard that before. >> also the importance of donald trump's body guard. >> it just shows the extent of the communication between them. and also, what do we know? donald trump is a great consumer? >> of media. he loves it when people write about him preferably, he likes it if it's positive, this was a way to know it was positive. >> it was always positive and don't forget, we have a timing of this is so important. you also said that they were friends until 2017. think about the timeline of all these things that we learned in the oral opening statement what happened? >> have we done in terms of an email exchange between and somebody else about falling the election knows it was between the stormy daniels lawyer and dylan howard becker's, right-hand man. right now describing sitting in trump's office when trump's assistant walked in and gave him invoices, quote, i noticed that he reviewed the boys and looked
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at the check and he would sign this is important for the building of the actual testimony here. you want to establish that david had some level of communication, but it increased in frequency around the election. this is the whole idea of why the caching goes and creates also donald trump now only has to be in the room where this happened, but had to have some knowledge the actual invoice is being signed and the way it was being done in accordance. he said that he visited trump and trump tower on multiple occasions over the years. but again, if an increase in frequency during during an around the actual election, that's a whole different ball game to establish that there was some motivation of the caching kills for the purpose of influencing the election. although we should remind everyone, elie honig, catch and kill david. >> finding stories that were damaging about donald trump paying for them. and then burying them, not illegal, not a crime, sleazy, but not illegal. >> and this is why this testimony that we're seeing right now is really important. david said, i saw with my own eyes donald trump's assistant would bring him invoices and checks. he would look at them and sign them because one of the key questions, the crime here it's falsification of
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business records. and one of the key questions is gonna be dead. donald trump know that the payment system was set up in this way. know that it was structured as quote, unquote legal fees or did he just do what some ceos do? just sort of i don't know. i signed what my assistant brings to me. that's going to become a point of contention because member the prosecution has those checks that were written out to reimburse michael cohen for the stormy daniels payments, some of which were signed by donald trump. >> yeah. and jim trusty. this is the area that's most important in terms of the actual crime that the prosecutors are trying to prove, which again, we should remind our viewers is not gone. it's not a slam dunk case, it's it's it's a lift of sorts because they have to prove that donald trump new way but he was doing when he signed those checks was false, right? >> i mean, like ellie's right, the reason they brought that testimony out was to try to establish essentially a pattern, a habit. it's really anecdotal, but it's helping them or you eventually, this guy knows what he's signing off on, but i'm kinda struck again by the tactics going on me. the main thing that's happening is the first witness very much bye
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design, is someone who's going to talk about stuff that's distasteful but not criminal. and that's what they're trying to do, is kind of flavor the rest of the proceedings was safe territory with a guy who frankly the defense may not cross-examined very much, maybe a very friendly cross by the end of the day when we were whenever we get to it with mr. because a lot of what he's saying is not necessarily directly hurtful to them so i think it's gonna be really interesting to see where do they sandwich michael cohen, where do they put him in? but right now this is pretty safe, but they're also putting him up there with the quote about him saying that he did notice that trump reviewed the invoice and looked at the check. he's also might not necessarily be potentially illegal. the conversations that they had in the catch-and-kill operations that they did, but are using him as a witness. to the kind of business man he is particularly with the way that he writes check, but don't you think don't you think karen that the defense could just say but just to be clear, mr. you
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weren't there when donald trump wrote these specific sign these specific checks? >> yes. but this case is much more than just about these checks and these invoices, if that's all it was about, then that would be a misdemeanor because falsifying business records in new york is a misdemeanor unless it's done with the intention to conceal or commit another crime. and david he provides that other contexts that other crime when they all got together and conspired to david on trump as a businessman, quote, i would describe him as very detail. the prosecutor asked about trump's approach to money, says that trump was very cautious, very frugal. >> so the prosecution theory here is that there was a conspiracy and the conspiracy was to plant negative stories about trump's opponents and to suppress negative stories about trump between between david, michael cohen and donald trump. and so david is going to provide that important context
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when those, those conversations and in furtherance of the conspiracy occurred. and frank it is true that paying hush money payments is not illegal. >> describing how we first met michael cohen at a bar mitzvah in 2000 and how trump introduced cohen as his new hire to in 2007, just establishing here, this is a web of people who knew each other but david was when trump announced his candidacy and they formed this criminal conspiracy to suppress stories at that point when david was paying people off to suppress those stories. that is considered an in-kind campaign donation, which is illegal and don't forget the fed's gave in immunity because they found that he had committed crimes. so to say that had committed crimes by doing this prompt and not declaring it actually. so it's not, it's not fair to say that it's completely okay
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to do this and that it's unseemly. >> it actually is criminal activity. it makes them coconspirators, which in certain statements come in, et cetera. it changes the tone of it also, this is actually a really important witness to set the stage here and then we wait, we can't go. we have to, we can't overstate this point though, because there is a point in time. i know we're learning more about telling trump that trump told him that now my contact should go through michael cohen. that's very important. but going back for one thing that he said said, i would describe mr. trump as very knowledgeable. i would describe him as very detail-oriented. i would describe him almost as a micromanager. he looked at all aspects of whatever the issue was. that's extremely important if i have a little bit of a checklist in my mind about what they need to get out of david& is testimony i want to go to it and that's part in part here. this catch and kill pattern, right? >> there was an issue. it could be daily. said contact with cohen, so he would talk to michael cohen, david talked to michael cohen if there was an issue, they could talk every day. >> exactly. we need to know that there is some sort of
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catch and kill pattern which aren't to establish that already. we know that there was some sort of maybe awareness if not, of the cook, the books, but at least awareness in terms of the micromanagement that he would have had or knowledge about what was actually on his different invoices. >> the prosecutor asked david if he knows. hope hicks? yes, i do. packer said so this is the first time the trump campaign aide and white house aide, hope hicks her name is brought up are expecting hope hicks at some point to be called as a witness. she was involved according to the prosecution in some of these conversations in one way or another, when it comes to paying michael cohen two after he paid allegedly stormy daniels. >> so while i hope hicks is so important is about the fallout of the access hollywood fall out. other allegation patients. what was the containment principles about where they trying to make sure that in furtherance of trying to support the election, they were acting. that's gonna be the big part here. david has gotta get testimony and to the prosecution is where it's not just a catch and kill scheme, but one intended to try to
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influence the actual presidential election whether trump gave direct orders, whether he was aware that these invoices were somehow fraudulent is the key what the prosecutors is doing here is they're drawing connections between their witnesses. prosecutors know everything that david is saying and about to say, they know everything michael cohen will say, they know everything. hope hicks will say now, it's not all going to line up 100% that's impossible, but they are mindful of where does the testimony overlap and reinforce one another and they want the jury, when michael cohen testifies or hope hicks testifies week or two from now to go. oh right. david said something very similar. they want to prepare the jury for that. >> dana bash, remind us who? remind our viewers who hope hicks is and the significance of her hope hicks was soccer says he knew hope hicks when she worked for ivanka is company and did pr before becoming trump's campaign communications is david for bio characters when it comes to donald trump she was his gatekeeper. she was his comms
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director. she was at his side, particularly during this period of time always always. and so she was very involved in everything that happened. and that was true during the first of all, with the beginning of his presidential campaign, it was basically her and kory lewandowski's and that his family and that was about it. and i should just say that since then many, many years later, she would say that she has become a strange, she's not in michael cohen territory. she's not in the territory of others who have very much turned on him, but she's not anywhere near as close to him by all accounts that she was she is the ultimate inner circle, right person. she was with him most of the time. she was on phone calls with him. she is known for steaming the wrinkles out of his pants on, playing she was very close to
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the family when she takes the stand, depending on what she's i think you have an update, jake well, david said after trump's campaign began in 2015, interest and trump through his magazines, skyrocketed. >> so again, here we have the symbiotic relationship between the two men. donald trump would provide him with copy and access and he would provide donald trump with very glowing coverage. >> just if he can hope hicks, we don't know what she's going to testify to yet, but she is someone who worker says they did research on covers to see what would sell the best. and it was trump viewed as the boss in a boardroom. that's what would sell the best donald trump as the boss in a boardroom to go back to, i hope pick she was so involved with the campaign in the room. >> we don't know what she's going to testify to, but she is someone who had a lot of first-hand knowledge about what was going on. >> and if i could just add to that, i did say that she was
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one of only barely a handful of people who were involved who was involved in the trump campaign when they got off the ground, she had no political experience at all as david just provided to us. she even got to know donald trump because she worked for for wonka trump in her one of her businesses. and then she was thrown into trump world and to the political world. >> there weren't a ton of experience political operatives in his inner circle and those early days, david says that is trump is flirting with the idea of running for president, the national enquirer poll found that 80% of readership game if positive feedback, and we should remind people here that when we talk about what images cell the best and what the, what the polling result is we're talking about the national enquirer audience that's not representative of the american people as a whole. it is people who consume the national enquirer. david says that he attended donald trump's campaign announcement in june 2015. we all of course remember donald trump going
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descending the down the golden escalator and his comments about immigrants that's that's a subtle but important detail because that will stick into jury's mind and when the argument is made as karen was saying before, the reason they did this was to help his campaign. well, guess you're standing there when trump announced his campaign, david, donald trump watching as he testifies about being invited by michael cohen to a ten and event at trump tower when trump announced he was running for president. and so just a little bit of kahler, donald trump is watching the witness, perhaps not surprisingly, given the fact that he is testifying in the trial of donald trump, kaitlan collins, back to you in new york yeah, jake, it's fascinating what prosecutor seem to be doing is really kind of weaving all of these people. michael cohen, hope hicks into was david is laying the story out. all obviously, we expect both of those individuals those two also be called to sit or david a sitting at the witness stand and paula and fill is we look at what they're doing. they're kind of introducing this cast of characters,
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probably two of whom that may be known to the jury, but maybe not if they haven't been paying close attention. and the prosecutor seemed to be saying, this is who the characters that are going to be here. and i should note that prosecutors have just submitted in email from michael cohen, as evidenced as saying, once trump was running office, i was in touch with michael cohen multiple times a day. >> it really sets up the story well. and then a fun way, right? because in the background, he's running a tabloid and the jury is learning a little bit about the tabloid. business. yes, they've introduced you to obviously david, the witness on the stand. you're being introduced for the first time to michael cohen and also hope hicks, all people who are going to be key as prosecution continues its case. now, i think our colleague, laura coates, referred to this a short time ago, but one of the most significant things i think that we have heard ultimate stop for justice. >> so read that quote. that's what cohen said in the email to asking him to come to trump's campaign announcement said no one deserves to be there more than you. >> oh boy, that's that's such a great piece of evidence for the prosecution because their
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inferring just how much he has done for trump in the past and how much they expect he's gonna do in the future, right? as he goes for the white house. and that's the crux of this case, is that these 34 documents were falsified to suppress a hush money payment to help trump wins the white house really that's at the heart of this argument. but also talked about how trump was a micromanager and very involved in the details. now, that is damning because when it comes to these 34 documents, trump is going to try to a distance now, cohen's email to goes on to say as a friend, i would love it if you could make it. let me know so i can save you a seat next to me on the atrium so he's gonna be seated right next to cohen, who we know at this point is trump's constant. larry, his right-hand man. it puts right in the inner circle at the outset of the campaign in a perfect way for the prosecution to set the stage well. >> and what does it do also, we've been talking about michael cohen in all morning, is trump's going attacking him. obviously, trump's team is
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going to talk his credibility here they're using evidence and emails from michael cohen and david to kinda establish just how in trump's orbit was that michael cohen's inviting people to his campaign announcement. >> i think some of you, there's layers to it right there using david as the vehicle into painting the picture of trump's world, a world in which michael cohen was the point of contact for david, who was very close to the former president. and by the time his campaign came around, was heading over to trump tower once a month i'm for twice a month. >> you know i think what they're doing and i think this email on this actual evidence is underscoring this point to some degree, is they've established very close to the former president now being told by michael cohen, then the consider the area and direct point of contact in this email that it will be very important. >> there's another updates as prosecutor asking about an august 2015 team meeting that's the one trump tower with michael cohen and donald trump. and this is what they have been building up, establishing that the kind of vehicle to trump's world why michael cohen was such a
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critical player here, despite what perhaps the defense is going to say about him all leading to this point. >> can we remind everyone this meeting and why this is? so important if you have a real life and you're not paying close attention to this. this is his august 2015 meeting that is actually potentially really consequential here because as we were just talking about how he met hope hicks and when she did, david is saying hope hicks was in and out of that august 2015 meeting and it involved three people who were in it, the principles, donald trump, michael cohen, and the guy on the witness stand right now, david and obviously that's where they talked about how could help trump and his campaign. >> what could he do using his platform? to help him? it's so significant, this is exactly what prosecutors have been building two because this is where packer promise to be, quote trump's eyes and ears. now says he figured the meeting was to ask for something, but he didn't know what they wanted ahead of the meeting. and here's where they discussed the three of them efforts to suppress negative stories about former president
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trump and amplify positive ones. why? >> to help trump win the white house? >> another update i'm told a says at the meeting, donald trump and michael they asked me, what can i do and what my magazine could do to help we did this a little different than how it had previously been reported, which was that? basically was asking how can i help you what is clarifying on the scatter is really important. one he's saying michael cohen invited him to this meeting. and two, that they were asking, what can he do? to help them? >> yeah. and underscoring that he was invited to the meeting did not know what it was about when he walked in and when he walked in, they were made very clear what the media is going to be about saying as it continues on, i would run or published positive stories about mr. trump and i would publish negative stories about his opponent it's it's explicit the mutually beneficial relationship that they built over the course of decades. now, it's a campaign. now
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they're having this meeting, a meeting that wasn't called for by was called for by trump. >> continue to say i said that i would also be the eyes and ears. >> i said i would be your eyes and ears. i had to bring in someone who knows a lot about david. >> the national enquirer or and covered both of them, the entity and the person in depth. and that is the contributing writer to vanity fair, brian seltzer, who is here and brian, as we're getting these updates, i'm going to read them to you live as we're getting them. just so you know what's going on into everyone knows what's happening inside this courtroom. >> but testifying about this meeting that they had at trump tower in august 2015 is the campaign was getting seeing underway and he just says that he was that he was being asked, what can he do to help the campaign and i should have trump is looking toward but not really reacting she is talking about their meeting, what they discussed, and how they could use the national enquirer to help him yeah. for for donald trump, this is a profound betrayal for david. one of his longtime friends, to be sharing
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all these secrets. it's incredible betrayal, but it is also a long time in the works. we know they have not spoken for years. this relationship broke up in 2018, but right now on this, we're hearing about 25th ten, this incredibly beneficial relationship, almost like a spider web with trump and michael cohen and david all in the middle. and it's really striking to hear about michael cohen's involvement, not just in the payoff, but also in the more mundane matters. i remember cohen wants telling me about how he was the go-between in-between the enquirer and trump, just to approve a quote that trump was gonna give to the enquirer so now is testifying to those exact same details and exposing how this very shady relationship work. caitlin, you just pointed out checkbook journalism is a really uncomfortable well phrase. this has nothing to do with real journalism. this is just about using the checkbook and about using these magazines as propaganda and service of trump and as we're hearing on the stand, they worked really well for a long time. >> yeah. well, and brian does speak to that just recalled
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that that he said and this is a quote from david on the witness stand are now if i hear anything negative or by your anything about women selling stories, i would notify michael cohen, obviously that's the heart of this entire case, is women selling stories, basically, docker found out he called trunk to let him know this is how the enquirer protected rich and powerful people, but only specific rich and powerful people at the same time, the enquirer was being weaponized to help trump win the election. >> it was also being used brian just destroy hilary because i and we're hearing about both sides there's an there's an important update because says that michael cohen then would be able to have those stories killed. >> and another magazine or have them not to be published, or somebody would have to purchase them. basically saying he was this way to tip off michael cohen that women were out there and shopping around their stories about donald trump i
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was once told by a former enquirer executive that this idea of catch and kill was so common, it was so normalized that people didn't even realize how morally compromised they were, how morally compromising it was. >> what we're hearing are really sleazy because he details about the scummy nature of some publishing. but for them it was normal, it was everyday work it's remarkable though, because it's it's a presidential candidate who's getting tipped off by the one of the publishers of one of the king of tabloids really when it came to the national enquirer and the decisions of boosting trump. >> he was talking about popular that covers of trump were and also having michael coe oh, and donald trump's attorney and fixer at the time, be able to go and then pursue those stories to make sure not only that they weren't published in the national enquirer, but anyone else and says, he thought that a lot of women would come out to try to sell their stories because and i'm quoting david now, trump was
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the most, was well-known, is the most eligible bachelor well that's debatable. but i think this speaks to the mood music of today is testimony which is that in the tabloid world, in the tabloid world, knowing where the bodies are buried can be a complement can be, it can be a strategy and michael cohen, david, they knew where some of these proverbial bodies were very, they knew about these secrets. they were trying to keep. now, we know from ronen pharaohs book catch and kill that there was actually a moment and tom and the enquirer office in 2016 where staffers alleged that documents were destroyed, that the documents were being shredded. i'm really curious to see if asked about that on the stand because there's so much about this, the pickers never talked about before in public until right now yeah. >> brian seltzer. that's a great question and we'll see if david does get asked about documents maybe being destroyed. brian seltzer, i would love for you to standby because you do have so much
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insight into this world. and i should note david has just said, and i'm quoting him now. i think it was a mutual benefit. it would help his campaign and it would also help me and paula and fill this is remarkable to see, obviously, we should note this is a relationship that goes back to they were helping suppressed stories back during the apprentice years even and is that stories out, bill and hillary clinton were great sellers for the magazine obviously not once that were often positive for them. maybe if ever positive for them yeah, probably never positive. but this is where this treads into possible criminal conduct, which is fine to suppress or amplify stories while he's a strong the apprentice, it is something completely different once he is officially a candidate for the presidency than their rules and regulations that you have to follow. so if you are, as we know, they will eventually start to change money, right? four, to suppress these stories that becomes a potentially illegal liability. and of course why we're all here today. i'm told there's an update to the prosecutor asked how trump reacted to a
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suggestion. you would continue running negative stories about bill and hillary clinton he was pleased packer said, and that matters because the whole point of the prosecution argument is that they were doing this bill to help donald trump& to hurt his rivals in the campaign, to help usher him into the white house as he was running against hillary clinton. >> that seems to be what the prosecutions getting. >> it's clearly what they're getting at. it's as explicit as it can possibly be that not only did they make very clear that negative stories but opponents would be written positive stories about the former president. >> then the candidate would be written as well, and that the former president was quite pleased when he would see negative stories about hillary clinton a little stuck on the idea that trump was the most eligible bachelor according to given the fact he was married during a lot of this time, trying to figure out exactly what that was referring to, but i think what this builds towards and what it's been making very laying very, very over the course. the last couple of minutes i'm getting these updates, is this was how it worked in a different time in donald trump's life when
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perhaps this was normal and this was how transactional and this was mutually beneficial. what changed in 2015 was it became a candidate for the presidency good, the united states. and when david lays out explicitly through michael cohen, michael cohen, once he was the eyes and ears and pass information along to cohen, cohen would kill a story. how one would figure out a way to make sure a story didn't run. or cone would figure out how to pay off somebody. >> so that story didn't run. that is very explicit of the process that, was in play. it may have been. okay. and how businesses usual operated in the pre candidate days, but a changes when it becomes a candidate. >> well, and that goes back to what was saying about this being mutually beneficial, that it would it would help him because they'd have stories to sell if negative stories about hillary clinton and bill clinton did well. and also he's making the case that would help trump as he is running this campaign for the white house? >> exactly. and most of this is probably going to fall under business as usual, even in the context of a campaign until money starts changing hands,
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changing hands between the national enquirer and karen mcdougal, a woman who alleged to have an unfair between the national enquirer and a door man falsely alleged trump had an out of wedlock child and then of course, cohen giving money to stormy daniels and then the crime that prosecutors alleging here as they tried to cover up what that actually was. there really violating campaign finance laws. so that's why this exchange is so significant. >> do you think it's headed right now where i apollo with your familiarity with the courtroom, i mean, where are they headed with this line of questioning? >> so we're gonna get through the 2015 meeting. we're probably going to go through the other stories that they help to either amplify negative stories about his opponents, stories that they helped to catch and kill related they did to work. then candidate trump and then i think his testimony will probably not end, but wrap up in and around when he hands off the idea that stormy daniels is shopping her story. i mean, that's really where his usefulness as a witness kind ceases because he was not directly involved in payments to her, but like phil said
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earlier, there's always things we don't know. there might be additional questions that take david further. >> and what about how they purchased stories and how that works? because i imagine that line of questioning is going to come up because david was saying yesterday with the threshold was ten grand and above, he had to personally review what's at the heart of this is how they bought karen mcdougal's story about having an affair with trump and so i imagined prosecutors want to ask, well, did you do that before when you were helping him with these stories where you bind stories then or was that something that you did when he was running for president and is saying that when he told michael cohen about a negative story, michael cohen would met the store sorry, and then he would go to the individual publication to make sure it wasn't published. >> and let's be abundantly clear, i'm pretty sure all three of us have examples or have been through the process of michael cohen trying to kill a story back when he was working very closely with the former president, was very aggressive, was often somewhat threatening and that was part
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of the process. the way that is weighing it out and making very clear that that's one of the ways that cone would work, but that it was dual pronged to some degree. continuing to save his agreements with trump were not put into writing. it was it's just an agreement that brands that's i think tracks with everything that we've heard about how trump operates to some degree, but also they're basically saying there may not be a written document. it doesn't mean there wasn't an agreement, right. >> and that's the importance of the meeting and supporting these conversations. >> it's important. it underscores the importance of making very explicit one that this was a trump cohen idea for the meeting. and two, very explicit what they wanted, what he thought he could deliver it and why that's mutually beneficial. >> and when you get to the point where it's just suppressing negative stories about trump. it's unclear how this benefited the national enquirer. that's one thing i think prosecutors are going to start to really zero in on that. this was really solely done to benefit trump in the campaign. >> oh, so you're saying that you believe that they'll they'll get to the point where
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it's saying what you were doing this, but it wasn't actually so helping you has only helping the candidate for president exact. there's not a lot of business benefit to them. it just buying and suppressing a story, right? it's beneficial to them if they have a little scoop or an exclusive picture or the ratings of their readers are interested in it. but if you're just catching and killing a story, what is the benefit to the national enquirer, but also pull up the significance of these agreements it's not being put it in writing because we've talked some about the evidence here are the documents. you know, if this isn't put in writing, prosecutors seem to be trying to say, well, there's a reason for that because that was the history of it and dylan and david testifying that he told dylan howard, who was editor in chief of the national enquirer the agreement that i made has to be we highly highly confidential. >> oh, dear. >> well, it's not as if trump's identity was i'm a family man, it's not like that can be the argument for why this had to be highly confidential. they'll try to argue that, but it was well-known that trump was not monogamous, that he had mistresses. so it's going to be really interesting to see
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what prosecutors do that comment we learned that trump is sitting forward and a seat, but he's not really reacting to any of packers testimony at this point. i think prosecutors kinda lay the groundwork for this highly confidential idea yesterday because they were talking about how he the secret email address said i told him we're going to try to help the campaign and to do that, i want to keep this as quiet as possible. >> i think the jury read is taking because they're saying basically we had to keep it a secret because they knew it would be problematic yeah. >> you don't keep things quiet if you think everything's on the up and up. and as i was saying, i think this is also what prosecutors were doing yesterday where they were talking about his email, but he didn't even want his assistant soon to have access to either, suggesting, again, a cover up is a key part of this. this is just one little part of the overall narrative for the fact that he wanted this to be highly confidential. keep it as quiet as possible. and again, what they suggested yesterday, the email address that only goes to him and how involved he is this is all setting up the idea that there was this effort to help trump going into the
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2016 election. and they knew this may not be on the up and up, and it also seeks to foreshadow on some level the idea of, hey, if it's not in writing or if perhaps it wasn't openly discussed or it was kept very quiet that's actually the norm for him over the course of this entire process. so in future, when future witnesses talk about how well we don't actually have evidence on paper. we don't have a signature on something think saying this is going to happen they've already established that this is how he operates in this specific case going forward brian still her you're still with us listening to all of this and you have done a lot of reporting on the guy on the witness stand right now, david and the national enquirer, i mean paul's point about he had an email that even his assistant couldn't see. he had told the editor in chief dylan howard, right? you covered as well that this was all had to be highly, highly confidential they need do that. this is something that could be problematic if it became as public as it is coming up becoming right now yeah, that's exactly right. >> that was news to me by the way, that secret, a hidden the
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email address that revelation yesterday, that was not known among staffers at the enquirer, for example, i was thinking about some of the targets of the enquirer are some of the victims some of the people who have been smeared by the tabloid in the past, they have like into these tactics to blackmail, to bribery. but what we're also hearing about it, some of the more run of the mill work, the enquirer would do right? dirty up pictures of hillary clinton and make donald trump a celebrity. it was that kind of run of the mill work that was helping trump as well as as this more sensitive work that we're hearing. now confessed to now admit to in real time. it's all comes down to three letters. kaitlan within the enquirer, these people were known as f o p is friends of donald trump was on the list. he was an f0, p0, and so was treated very kindly. and as we're hearing, he was treated in ways that were not be fitting a presidential candidate, but instead, just a friend from florida well and what do you make brian, of how secret they tried to keep all of this because david are just
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testified that leaks were very prevalent in the organization and he didn't want anyone else to know about this agreement. >> that he, donald trump and michael cohen hatch into. that's why he wanted to keep it very confidential. and as the prosecution is highlighting, now, they say the evidence that presenting is it collection of headlines that are in the national enquirer or not the actual articles themselves. but what you're hearing from david is he was worried this would get out yes. >> and maybe a good reason to be worried. i mean, he recognized that his friend who was running for president was vulnerable, that he had many secrets and so he was enlisted in a campaign to help keep those to cover those up. it's not just the hush my trial, it's a cover up trial. right? i think it was revealing yesterday when we heard from for a few minutes that's talked about how all he cared about where it's covers the covers of the magazine. that's the kind of thing you hear, not from a journalist, not from a newsman. you hear that from a marketer. you hear that from a campaign strategist. and what we're hearing from today is more of the same that he's a marketer, that he's a campaign
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strategist, but look more at gotten, right, look where it got him. he has lost his role, right? he's lost his magazine. in some ways, he's been disgraced by all of this. and now he has to testify against his longtime pal so maybe there were reasons to try to keep these secrets yeah. >> he needs got an immunity agreement with the government, brian seltzer, standby. we just got another update. it says among the headlines with the prosecution is showing is donald trump healthiest individual ever elected. jake. i think that only rivals that he was the most eligible bachelors also the healthiest individual ever elected? >> yeah. it certainly is an interesting headline. >> and rather and journalistic. let's continue talking about this because i think that there is this temptation because it's david and the national enquirer and such silly headlines is healthiest individual ever elected to take this not seriously, but i'm looking not by people here, but maybe some people watching outside this room. and i'm
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looking at some of the headlines about ted cruz. and if you will permit me to defend ted cruz for a second ted cruz was completely slimed by the national enquirer on behalf of donald trump, whether or not donald trump was directed to do it or i was directing david to do this, or just was enjoying it if you google ted cruz and national enquirer, you'll see ted cruz, father linked to jfk assassination, complete and utter nonsense and even worse, there's a different cover from around that time, ted cruz's five secret mistresses which not only slime ted cruz, but slimed five women that did not have relationships, inappropriate relationships with ted cruz. judge merchan telling the jury the exhibit is being entered for the limited purpose of showing the articles were published and when they aren't in evidence for any other purposes, we're talking about the national enquirer headline about donald trump being the healthiest president meant to ever. but beyond that,
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silliness, dana bash ted cruz did not deserve this. the five women and his family, his wife and two daughters, did not deserve this this nothing funny about this. it's disgusting. it's certainly in the realm of freedom of the press we have a lot of wonderful freedoms, but people like david test those freedoms by printing libel slays, right now explaining how michael cohen played a role in the negative stories, the national enquirer ran about trump's political opponents, such as the ones i'm talking about right now, and whatever people out there think about ted cruz, ted cruz should be criticized for his idea he is, he should not have his personal life lied about on behalf of this gentleman's agreement between donald trump and david, which without question played a role in donald trump becoming the republican presidential nominee in 2016 now when you google ted cruz and donald trump you're going to see all the funding, things that ted cruz says about donald trump putting that aside these are
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the personal issues. >> you also remember some of the really ridiculous things at the national enquirer would do, like saying that ted cruz is father was involved in jfk's assassination. i mean, they were laughable, having said that, there's no question that they did. as you said, jake played a role as the nominating process was happening? >> when it. was at the end of the day, just donald trump and ted cruz left running for the republican nomination. >> so david, right now explaining on the stand how michael cohen played a role. quote, michael cohen would call me and say, we would like you to run a negative article in a certain, let's say for argument's sake on ted cruz, let me bring in brian salter, who works for vanity fair and is familiar with the david story very well. and brian is saying that cohen would send him information and that was the basis of our story. and then we would embellish it from
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there basically, he was a tabloid magazine hitman on behalf of the trump campaign that's a great way to put a great, great to see you, jake, i think we are seeing how it's not even sausage. it's worse than sausage. it is how the scummy is kinds the media clickbait content are made, in this case made and then printed, then put on newsstands in front of millions of people would say that in mind as we think about healthy enquirer, would say that cohen told him that he wasn't part of the campaign he was on the outside as trump's personal attorney. so this wasn't the campaign doing it. it was michael cohen when as trump's attorney doing this on behalf of trump and his campaign freelancing, right? we're working as the attorney. it was striking to hear trump yesterday say actually michael cohen had lots of clients, many clients. that's not really true. you might remember, fox sean hannity was once named as a client and then hanadi denied it. trump was really cohen's main client and doing his
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bidding for years. and we're seeing exactly what those dirty details we're now just said that michael cohen seem to have an informal role in the campaign, or he quote, injected himself into it. it doesn't really matter if he was doing this as a man, as manifestation of being on the campaign or not. he was doing this on behalf tim, again, girl, he was doing this on behalf of donald trump absolutely. >> and you call these negative stories lies. but there's another issue. people believed them, right? that's the real problem here. and that's why i donald trump was able to get rid of someone like cruise for many other reasons. i'm also curious what the impact on the jury is right now listening to david, we were talking yesterday about whether donald trump is larger than life, or as some potential juror said, just some guy. i think listening to this may very well
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diminish donald trump david. >> i mean, i know everyone is i'm not a avid reader of the national enquirer, but it was first published back in 1926. >> there has been an audience for it for that long. and so although we talk about at the salacious headlines, the negative headlines, the false headlines as well, remember you're talking about the credibility of david compared to the credibility of the stories. these are two different propositions here. he's well aware, of course becker's all same and michael was physically in every aspect of whatever the campaign was working on, at least when he was physically, they're tying again, michael cohen and the knowledge of his actual tabloid magazine. but i think this is suggests the jury is going to look at this through the lens of do i think david is credible, not do i think that bubbles the monkey was married to somebody? >> not do i want to ask about the other connection that which is actually really headlines of him. >> so that the jury has to focus in the prosecution has to by bringing him out, there has to focus i guess on do you believe that he had this relationship with donald trump who is part of a catch and kill pattern, those kind get to somehow 2016 campaign, don't
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lose sight of the headlines of the enquirer when you're trying to assess his credibility. >> so david just said michael cohen was physically involved even though he wasn't necessary certainly a member of the campaign, speaking toward the jury, many of the jurors heads are turning to look at him as he answers questions and then back toward the prosecutor of bouncing back and forth like a tennis match. karen, this is how the prosecution is going, is corroborating what michael cohen is going to say because don't forget, michael cohen was convicted for lying under oath and in their opening, they even said both sides talked about how michael cohen is such a flawed witness in the prosecution said there's gonna be a lot of corroboration of michael cohen. >> this is exactly how they're doing it by putting david on the stand because so much of what michael cohen is going to testify to won't be for the first time that jury hears it. it'll be the second time. so it it will reinforce the credibility of cohen steinglass, the prosecutor, now
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showing the negative stories at the national enquirer ran i'm sure we'll hear which ones they are, but i'm just looking online right now. let's hillary clinton, six months to live. hillary clinton brain cancer drama ted cruz, father link to kennedy assassination hilary frame to trump family and on and on and on. >> i think the sleeves factor is going to cut both ways here. on the one hand, if you're a prosecutor, the da's office, you'd like it because the jury, this is gross grotesque, offensive stuff. >> that's good. you want the jury feeling like all these guys, including most importantly, the defendant, were involved in this gross business. >> on the other hand, they can't let the jury think that this is a trial about morality. >> donald trump is not on trial here for sleeves in the fourth degree. >> now looking at headlines about ted cruz, including from february 2016 crews shamed by porn star yeah, i'm not sure which one that is. also remember these. this is about catch and kill as well. so of all the negative headlines are
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going to see as disgusting as you're talking about there were stories that they felt could not be published because it would have an impact on the campaign of donald will trump. and so for the jury to hear that, there's a little hold on. you wanted to catch and kill that story, not because they were not used to having bad headlines it because this was the timing of it. it happened in 2016 after the fallout of the access hollywood tape, there was a reason that suddenly these could not be piloted published. >> there was an offensive element to this in a defensive element, this ted cruz stuff, the hillary clinton, that's the offensive stuff they're attacking their opponents what's more relevant? they're both relevant, but what's more relevant here is the defense of the caching kill. let's find damaging stories and take care of becker says that while they were preparing an article like the one on ted cruz, they would communicate with michael cohen, the story about the porn star, by the way, just has to do with an actress who showed up in a casting call, was in a ted cruz commercial and then it came out she had done some adult films and that was the big scandal. >> but of course, if you if you didn't read the story, you would know that there really
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wasn't much to it. david would said we would also send cohen the pdfs of the story before it was published. so they would send the entire a tabloid cover in pdf form to michael cohen to give them a look, a little preview of what's going on. tim parlatore, the problem that the defense has with this is all of this conduct is grotesque it's a moral, it's not something you can defend. but the issue that they have to really confront us, how did they present that in front of the jury? >> because all of the stuff we're talking about is legal, right it's none of this is a crime. >> well, except unless i mean, the argument, karen, you correct me if i'm wrong with the argument, is that david doing this was a campaign contribution exactly. >> that it's an in-kind campaign contribution if you're paying for, if it's part of the campaign as laura was saying, this is the whole strategy, the timing, it's about the look david says michael cohen would look at the pdfs, comment on them. so they would add content based on what michael cohen was
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suggesting and there's all sorts of limits on how much anybody individually can contribute to a campaign and corporations can contribute to a campaign if at all. >> so they're bye, bye hang these large sums of money that's considered a donation. >> although ten, we should note, said he does not recall cohen saying he was sharing these pdfs are headlines with the boss, which according to packers, how cohen referred to trump, that's interesting because that is something that a lot of people that i have found like to do where they say, oh, the boss wants it's this, the bosses and whatever they're saying that there's 50% chance of whether he actually knows that in trump world. yeah. yeah yeah. if there's a good chance that they're just making it up and using his name to get their own way. >> but the fact that he's not using it is interesting because that does raise a level of separation. so porosity uterus another negative headline from march 2016, ted cruz sex scandal five secret mistresses, which is what the one i
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referred to a few minutes ago and dana bash, these are not five missed. these are not women that ted cruz had relationships with. this was just out and out slamming and they used pictures of these women and it was really offensive steinglass, a prosecutor asks becker if he discussed this article about these five alleged mistresses with michael cohen quote, we would have discussed that. yes says i feel compelled to say this, and hopefully everybody out there watching understand this, but it's worth saying out loud. >> this is not how journalism works. >> what's not journalism? it's by the way, it's not, it's not politics either normally, like in terms of accusing people layers yeah. >> well, there's that, but also just in terms of the symbiotic relationship, the transactional relationship that and donald trump and michael cohen and people we're working for donald trump had these are not conversations that ever, ever had. so when we're talking about well, it's there the national enquirer and its a
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first amendment right. and it maybe that's true that it falls into that category. but that's not journalism it's also not the point though. >> i mean, you've talked about the jury. all i care about is do you think this is how it works and can i illuminate the fact that this is actually a crime that's what i have to show to you. i have to say, you might think and of course are going to come down to this as the defense and saying this is the way things work. people wake up. we published bads, door for exactly to undermine people. but the prosecutor has to go in and say, okay, you might think that, but here's a statute, here's why he had a responsibility to not falsify business records as a result. here's what they did wrong if the prosecution cannot get over that hurdle of the jurors thinking this is how scum bag or rework that's a new word, scum bag and work then you have a failing case. you have to get past the idea of the pearl clutching of the headlines and onto the idea of cooking the books. >> did you prove it? >> and here's the prosecutor showing a may 2016 headline,
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donald trump at blasts, ted cruz's dad for photo with jfk assassin. it was not a photograph of ted cruz is dead add with the jfk assassin, lee harvey oswald steinglass, the prosecutor asks david whether the articles were published in the spring of 2016 and of cruise was gaining popularity around that time? i believe so says and this is significant. karen, because ted cruz was a threat to donald trump's candidacy. so the national enquirer sprung into action to destroy ted cruz and help donald trump one small point that i think you're going to hear come back up in summation when the prosecutor sum up is something that said he says, i don't recall michael cohen saying he shared the headlines with trump. >> and they're going to say that shows you that, that david is telling the truth because if he were lying, he would make it better. he would make it stronger. he would say things like that, but he's telling you the truth, how he remembered. >> here's a steinglass showing headlines about marco rubio and asking whether they ran when rubio was gaining popularity and says he believes so as
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well, i forgot, forgot about the national enquirer slamming marco rubio. there were doing a whole bunch of stuff they're alleging and all sorts of wild parties. tim, there's a risk for the prosecution because again, a lot of this stuff is not criminal and i disagree that some of this would be in-kind can campaign contribution because the supreme court's holding in citizens united did kind of move this outside of that and so if they spend too much time on this, especially right at the beginning and an appellate court looks at it and say you've prejudiced this jury by presenting all this information that is salacious, a moral, but not criminal then that is the type of thing that can improperly sway the jury to the other sides. >> i think that to me this may actually turn out to be a misstep by the prosecution, by spending so much time on this when really this case is about the business record entries of the payments to michael cohen, which have nothing to do with any of this. >> i agree with that. they have to be careful as they're putting up their fourth and
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fifth headline. they better put the brakes on that. there's an important point about credibility when it comes to david the southern district of new york, look very carefully at this case ultimately decided against charging donald trump. but in the course of doing that, they assess david and michael cohen. they gave david a non-prosecution agreement, which means they trusted him. you don't give them and prosecution agreement unless you're comfortable putting that person on the stand, they rejected michael collin. they wrote a sentencing letter. the judge saying we did not find him fully credible. keep that in mind, not binding on the jury, but important indicator, but just just and just jamie out, i'll see you in a second. but just like december 2015, national enquirer has a headline, family man, marco rubio's loved child, stunner. i mean, just complete and utter filth and complete and utter nonsense. and again, these are not victimless crimes. marco rubio is a family man. he is a father with a happily married wife and four children. it's absolutely disgusting and this is not just fun and games and what politics or journalism or about at all. >> i'm not the lawyer. so you
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guys may be right on that, but let me play the part of the jury for a juror for a minute to me, what this goes to is the context and the timing that there was a pattern of behavior here. against political opponent originally against republican primary opponents. and then where are we at in the end, october 2 weeks before the general election. so is there a juror i mean, we don't know what other testimony is coming, but this sets up to me that there was a long repeated pattern. and look at this, says that trump introduced him to steve bannon and october 2016, the next year. and trump told him he thought all of us could work very well together. >> we got away take a second to& to your point, jamie, to refocus everyone. i do want to go to my tablet on this very point to just make sure everyone realizes what you're
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trying to get out of the david testimony. it's important to think about that. >> what you have to find is that there was this pattern that you're talking about, this catch and kill pattern that's gonna be the most important found facial aspect here. >> there was a pattern of behavior to try to do just very, this very thing. we also learned that is recalling personally sending a box of magazine issues with negative headlines about trump's opponents, including hillary clinton, to ban and thabet, the new gift basket first to talk covered strawberries. and now there's this and politics. then you have to actually show there's a connection to the election, the 2016 election that's the most important part you're not there were just the ideas i've saying that this was tied somehow, but that it had a point in the election. the idea of trump giving the direct orders, though that's the problem we're all talking about here. whether the boss so to speak, was notified or otherwise. and then it's cooked the books scheme, whether it was it's nefarious or otherwise, where he was aware. we've heard testimony today that michael cohen or that donald trump signed different invoices, but wasn't geared towards knowing that this was
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actually a fraudulent or false business records that is still important to have here right now. but you have this pattern established& you got to keep in mind why you're calling this particular witness for this purpose. it's not everything, but it's a start to your first and second bullets there. the connection to the 2016 election. that's all steve bannon did, right? that's the relevance. now they've brought in a campaign guy, but one of the things that's interesting though tim is this idea of a journalist or publication doing favors for candidate that's, that's not never been done before. >> the prosecutor's asking packer if steve bannon ever asked him to run any articles the defense objects as the attorneys are at the bench, trump is shuffling through the papers in front of him and looking at them, but the defense is objecting. why do you think are objecting just because it's not relevant to the case? >> correct. and i think there's probably some measure of hearsay objection that steve mann and gets slightly outside because he's not a witness in this case whether it's a good objection or not. i don't know. >> let's just let's just pause it for sake of argument, that
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president x has a political operation that does leak negative stories about opponents to publication. why? correct? as i'm sure everybody we've knowledge is not unheard of. what is the difference between that? well, let me ask karen because you guys disagree on this. what is the difference between that and what david is accused of doing? >> well, i think when david goes out and actually pays people, the miami, i i think that's that's where the differences that's where i interpret the difference to be. when you're giving it's like a campaign donation because you're actually paying a smaller numbers that they paid. karen mcdougal and the doorman. then stormy than they paid stormy daniels, but still to me, this agreement this criminal conspiracy, they got together and said that they were going to do this and then paid people off to me. that's the difference as the attorneys are at the bench, trump is shuffling through the papers in front of him and looking at them the courtroom. so quiet that cnn's reporters say they
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can hear the pages trump is shuffling, tim well what is your take on what karen just said and it is one of those things where i don't think that if i were cross-examining, i probably would not attack his credibility because i think a lot of this stuff it is it's probably all true what i would actually cross-examined amman is more of the pattern of how this happens across campaigns. >> i would be cross-examining him on the steele dossier. the allegations of a trump p. tape, and all of those things, and the fact that this was happening across the board of false stories being being put out and that's still does here is something where a campaign paid somebody to put together a false document putting forceful, false statements about the opponent. so i think i would try to bring that out and then try and say, look, yeah it is unsavory. it is immoral, it's not something that we want the people to know about when we do. but it's not
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a crime. interesting moments ago, a quick break and the trump hush money trial, we're gonna have much more on what david is telling the jury in minutes, you're watching and in special live coverage, we're going to squeeze in a quick break. >> we'll be right back riyadh, say new album is breaking records start your de, with nature. made the number one pharmacist recommended vitamin supplement brand make your first move with battery power made by speed right now, saved
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over the last 90 minutes prosecutors trying to connect the dots, trying to show the closeness of the relationship between david and donald trump. david of course, the publisher of the national enquirer that includes how agreed to help trump by stories that were potentially damaging to his 2016 presidential run. stories before they were published. and to bury them as well as to publish unflattering headline after headline about his then rivals. many of those headlines just completely made up the prosecutors to own the judge right now in court, quote the entire case is predicated on the idea that there was a conspiracy to influence the election in 26th, 2016 laura coates and then karen, i'd love for you to weigh in on the objection going on right now. what exactly is going on inside that courtroom and why? >> so there was a question that asked of the witness david ahead. steve bannon ever ordered you to publish any stories or to have any particular articles that drew an objection from the defense,
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the man in the form white house aide yeah, exactly. this jury from the defense out, one thing to keep in mind is in front of the jury, they're not going to have what's called speaking objections. we're going to go at nauseum and say, here's why i'm objecting, here's a criteria for it. they don't want this in front of the jury. they will then approach the bench and then argue what their points are. we believe that the point they're trying to argue is that the next question that would have been asked, that line of questioning when it tried to elicit hearsay, which is trying to get information from somebody who's not in the courtroom to prove it. the actual substance at the statement is in fact true. and so that would be the reason they would say, i don't want the questions to come up here at all and then we hear it half your after injection. prosecutors say that he's making the larger argument about the case, including a conspiracy because this is an issue he expects the defense will raise, again, carrying what do you think about the reason? >> yes. so here's is if you hear someone say objection, hearsay. hearsay is an out-of-court statement being offered for the truth of the matter asserted, which is not allowed in a criminal case period, full stop. there are certain hearsay exceptions,
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however, and so they are trying to fit this into one of the hearsay exceptions, which is if there is a coconut spirit or statement, if there's a conspiracy, it doesn't have to be charged and a conspiracy is defined as two or more people agreeing to commit a crime together, right? >> and trump's attorneys right now are pushing back on prosecutor saying anything involving steve bannon was very normal standard campaign works. you've made and i think was the campaign chair of the trump campaign at the very toward the last few months of the campaign. >> so what they're arguing over is, are the words actual words, or the words evidence of a crime. so in other words, are they just words of we're working on the campaign. i'm just doing my job or was those words that were uttered in furtherance of the crime part of the conspiracy that would make it an exception to the hearsay rule and the defense is saying, but we didn't have notice of that. trump isn't charged with conspiracy but the law in new york does not
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require that you do not have to be charged to establish it, the prosecution was very clear in their opening statements to talk about the fact that this is a conspiracy because that is their theory. >> you see donald trump walking inside the courthouse there are no comments to the press. meanwhile, trump's attorney pushing back on prosecutors steinglass saying that widths steve bannon, the former campaign chair for trump in 2016, and then a white house aide. what steve bannon, they're prepared to move on. judge merchan says that the issue right now is moot. so what does that translate? that rescue essentially because they're going to not continue this line of questioning. there's no need for the judge to actually run this trick. the objection, trying not to go down a particular rabbit hole undertaking a break right now is trump is actually leaving the courtroom. but the idea here, they do not want to go down a rabbit hole and remember, a jury though they're not listening to the sidebar conversations and hush years are on. they are tuned in and watching every minute detail that's happened. they're wanting to wondered if figure out is there an issue. why do
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they want to talk about steve bannon? it might make people think are what's the issue here if that's what you don't want to the jury to be distracted from the testimony you're already hearing about a catch and kill about a path i don't know if behavior about this trying to influence an election that's where you want this jury focus for this witness. i believe there'll be plenty of time to talk about a steve bannon was like josh steinglass is a very seasoned trial attorney and he's tried cases in front of judge merchan before. in fact, he was one of the lead prosecutors when they prosecuted the tax convict, but they got the tax convictions against the trump organization. he's reading the room two at the same time. so he saw that this wasn't going exactly how he wanted to the judge was asking questions and he he made a choice to pick his battles and not to just argue for for everything. and that's a seasoned trial attorney to realize this point isn't that important. let me move on. and as long as laura was saying the jury's watching two, so let's go back to kaitlan collins up
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in new york thanks, jake and obviously they earn a break right now. >> trump has just left the courtroom for the first time since it's got started. typically, they'd be taking a lunch break, but it is a shorter day. and paula, david, as he's been on the stated in talking about the relationships that he had with people who officially worked for the campaign. steve bannon as the prosecution just said, there moving on from him, they're not really going to talk about steve bannon much more. but michael cohen, who didn't have a formal role with a campaign or at least that's what he told david. at the time. but he certainly was from david is understanding involved in every for facet of the trump campaign life absolutely. >> and everything he was doing during this time period was part of an effort to get trump elected to the white house so that is why he is such a significant character, right? in the story. he's going to be a very common located witness because he was the one who celebrated this hush money payment. but they're trying to set up how was working with all these key figures in and around
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trump in the leadup to the 2016 campaign with a very clear, objective, amplified bad stories about trump's opponents as surprise, any bad stories about trump and trump was clearly counting on david to continue potentially helping him with this if he if he did win the election because this is october 2016 that he's introducing david to steve bannon you've been and obviously went on to be a senior strategic adviser inside the white house. and obviously we saw the relationship with david later unraveled, but at least that first-year, the white house, it's certainly had not yet know to the point where as you mentioned earlier, did a was coming to the white house? scott, the tour had met with the former president. i don't think there was any sense at the time. certainly, even after he wanted november of 2016, that this was a relationship get those going anywhere anytime soon. why would it give him how mutually beneficial it appeared to be in as david continues to say, it was also, i think from a political perspective, when you look at the very unseemly and i think unusual warfare that was being carried out by david in the
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republican primary and then in the general election against hillary clinton michael cohen was drafting article was basically getting copies of pdfs of articles about trump's political opponents and getting notes to them adding things that should be talked about would check with sam, who should we be going after now basically, and conan be able to say that if you're truck you want that on your side going into the white house? >> yeah, this is clearly clearly an effort to influence the 2016 election film paula standby, because we are in a break right now, we are waiting for donald trump and the jury and the judge to return to the courtroom. trump's just left moments ago. they've been going through the gold testimony from david the tabloid king. we are expecting him to return to the witness stand will be back with more of cnn's special live coverage in just a moment. >> the sinking of the titanic. >> how would really happen, especially to our premiere
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maybe we'll even get married one day. i wonder what i will be doing? probably still living here with mom and dad. fast reliable speeds right where you need them. that's wall-to-wall wifi with xfinity. with custom gear, get started today, accustoming.com this is cnn the world's news net. moments ago, donald trump returning to that manhattan courtroom where he has been seated. all work morning listening one-sided jury of his peers here and very important testimony. from the first witness and his criminal hush, money trial. the judge also has just returned to the bench, and so we are expecting david to continue providing is key insights into his relationship with the former president and those around him in the 2016 campaign in the lead up to it. and also how david put the entire apparent apparatus of the national enquirer to work for donald trump's presidential campaign. we still have brian
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seltzer with us a contributing writer, two vanity fair and brian, you have covered david, the national enquirer for so long. you knew about so much of this, but to sit there to listen to david talk about this environment, it's also incredibly revealing, not just the national enquirer, but also have held trump views because the media and how he believes that essentially the media should work for him but such a great point, kaitlan, that's under again, that's an her current of this entire story. >> donald trump was being aggressively covered. fact checked for his lies during the campaign by the real reliable mainstream media so we went out and he found an alternative media. he found his own press corps, places like the national enquirer that would cover him in a gazi story light without any of those challenging question sins or pesky fact checkers. that's exactly what he did. and michael cohen helped him do it. i was thinking about how for awhile it was really fun to be donald trump and david think about who
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she's a longtime publisher enjoys the limelight, enjoys these, these magazines that he owned. it was a lot of fun for him to do favors for his friends, to put his enemies he's on the cover, all that sort of stuff to be influencing campaigns. >> it was allowed to fund until it wasn't until the prosecutors came along until the investigation started until they had to sell the magazine and eventually he winds up in court today. >> i don't know about you, but i feel like i've take a shower after listening to all those 2016 headlines, you know, the ted cruz sex scandal that hillary has six months to live all of those allies from 2016 and i would make the argument this is relevant to 2024 now, because we're hearing about how the 2016 campaign happened. we hearing about all the worst smears are 2016, but this is still the trump media environment today. this is still the playbook today. thank you. you about the smears against his his primary opponents against tim scott, against nikki haley. think about the way they smear joe biden today. it's the same playbook they just he was
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different media outlets to do it but also, as we're waiting for david to retake the standard sciutto, the jury is entering the courtroom again, they just had a brief break. >> they probably needed it after during so much information and we know that from our reporters in the room, they say that the jury has kind of been at rapt attention, listening to all of this, but awesome. brian, just looking at those even as you're saying, it's still tied to 2034 marker rubio is on the vp shortlist for donald trump. he is someone who has been asked if he's up for consideration. he says he hasn't had direct conversations, but it is remarkable also to see the relationship the ted cruz and the marco rubio's of the world still have with donald trump. that is quite close, despite what we're listening to in court that's a critical point. what we're hearing and court is the opposite of a greatest hits album. these are the worst tracks, these are the deleted songs. these are the memories we want to forget about from the ugliness of the 2016 campaign and yet involving texas crews, involving mercury rubio. i'm sure they do not forget the way they were mistreated. and yet because of
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trump's cult-like control over the party, they have come, they have come home to trump like so many others, it is, it else, today's testimony even to the extent it doesn't really apply to what the jury will decide weeks from now, it is a harsh reminder of what we all lived through in 2015 and 2016. and that's one of the many reasons why for trump, this is a dread for a moment to have all this dredged up. and for the public's be reminded of all of this prosecutors are now questioning david once again and has not yet reached cross let's examination would have trump's seeing we'll get to question david. >> brian, if you were in their shoes and just use their knowledge of it, what would you ask david i would love to know. >> and again, i don't know how much this is going to apply to the prosecutors, but given that journalist have never been able to interview about this, given that so you and i would never be able to sit down with and learn about this kitchen catch and kill scheme. i'd like to know how many stories were caught, how many others secrets were bought, how much money? was spent? are we talking
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about? millions of dollars are only hundreds of thousands of dollars over time. that was used to catch and kill these stories. and then i'm really, really curious. i don't know if we're gonna get to this on the stand. why did the relationship breakup and how did the relationship breakup in 2018 as the feds were investigating what happened between and trump brian seltzer standby. we will continue to check in with you and i should note just for our audiences, this is getting underway where david is being questioned. he was just handed a thumb drive by the prosecutor's is they are slowly introducing evidence into this, not just the testimony and they're asking david david about business records for ami american media, inc. and if he had access to those business records and paula, when you hear that line of questioning, the prosecutors have for david where do you think they're going with this by asking? what access did you have to these business records? >> well, it's expected that they're going to get into the two catch and kill deals that ami entered into. one with
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karen mcdougal, another one with a doormat who falsely alleged trump had a child out of 6.8 with life for people tuning in and catching up. so am i american incorporated, they owned the national enquirer fire at this time. so this was the larger company that the national enquirer operated with. is that's who he worked for. >> now, ami has introduced to a non-prosecution agreement with the justice department, admitting that these payments that they made again to the door menn and to karen mcdougal. >> were part of an effort to influence the campaign, which is illegal. it's a non-prosecution in agreement as part of that, you'll was someone who cooperated and also as part of that, michael cohen pleaded guilty. i here we have an update. so right now, trump is passing a note with his to his attorney who put it in his pocket after trump gave it back to him, passing notes back and forth. i mean, that's really the way that they can communicate right now. because if they talk, it'll be very distracting to the jury. >> chumps watching this so intently, phil, i mean, that's what it's clear from the most reaction from donald trump. he hasn't seemed very thrilled
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ever since that contentious hearing that he was out for the gag order violation this morning, but but he's sitting there. he's continuously passing notes to his attorneys about the proceedings and about what's happening. >> well, it's also going from the beginning where i think there was a smirk when david pointed to identify donald trump in the lori years of the 80s and 90s, which were kind of an assault. jake walk-through of i think a better period of time in the foreign presence life to now. now, it's real. now these are the real core issues that are play here while he's been going back and forth with his attorneys. and we've been waiting to see whether or not he'd have any reaction outside of court when they took a break. he didn't. once again, you'd have a truth or earlier in-between the meeting this morning but i think one of the questions becomes as they start digging into the business records, as they start getting further down this line. remember what happened after the sandoval hearing last week when it became very personal, very contentious kind of what he could be cross-examined on if he were to testify and he walked out of that courtroom and you could tell he took
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everything very personally had a very different response because of that. and i think the question that i've had throughout is as they get deeper into the weeds on some of these issues, some of these very personal issues issues that make him look perhaps particularly bad based on what the prosecution is saying, what he says, what he does coming out of a hearing if it reflects what we saw at the end of sandoval hearing last weekend, poland, they didn't linger on this earlier, but they did ask david would was last time you spoke to trump, he said it was 2017. >> do you think they'll get to a bride seltzers curious about what, what, what caused the break. >> i mean, it's pretty obvious, i guess hell blick and i should note that they're walking three through that ami recordkeeping and the information on emi's servers, like text messages that they have. obviously, those can be really valuable to prosecutors. >> yeah, absolutely it text messages because it'd be great in this case, especially any text messages between ami and michael cohen, anything related to suppressing these stories for trump? absolutely. pick prosecutors are going to want to tell the story of how this relationship fell apart as it
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