Interesting throughline between #Blanche's argument that there’s distance between #Trump & his own reposts & the prosecution's argument against Trump, which is that he repeatedly used others - #MichaelCohen, The #NationalEnquirer - to do his dirty work.
This line of questioning highlighted a longtime Twitter catchphrase - that “retweets do not equal endorsements."
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #GagOrder #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Merchan repeatedly pushed #Blanche to clarify, only to have Blanche deny he said what he said. #Trump was lucky #jurors weren’t there.
"You've presented nothing," Merchan said to Blanche, & that was after he’d been presenting his argument for ~20 mins.
Trump grew more animated when Merchan pushed back on Blanche.
Several occasions when the judge was speaking, Trump turned to his other lawyers at the defense table & whispered to them.
Justice #Merchan noted that on Trump’s post about #JesseWatters's statements, #Trump didn’t quote the #FauxNews commentator directly.
"Your client manipulated what was said & put it in quotes," Merchan said. Blanche agreed that it wasn’t a true repost, but argued that it still wasn’t clear that it violated the #GagOrder. [sure]
Merchan wanted to conclude at that point, but Blanche continued arguing, “This gag order we are trying to comply w/it,” he said.
When #Blanche said #Trump is trying to follow the rules, Merchan interrupted, "You're losing all credibility with the court.” (Yikes, it’s really lucky for Trump jurors weren’t there)
Blanche is in jeopardy of ruining his relationship w/ Merchan at the very start of the trial.
Merchan all but pleaded w/Blanche to make a more substantive argument, "I hate to keep coming back to this, but you’re not offering anything to support your argument.”
DA prosecutor Christopher #Conroy, responded briefly.
#Merchan will not give a decision right away.
The hearing about violations of a #GagOrder, ended up being sort of a challenge to the entire Trump belief system.
Merchan clarified that everything that Trump does is not “#politics” per se & insisted on hearing #GoodFaith arguments, & the #truth.
Then there was a break.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial#CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
While court was on break, #Trump complained about the #GagOrder on TruthSocial. In all-caps he accused Justice #Merchan of taking away his "right to free speech" & claimed that he was "not allowed to defend myself."
[🤬]
Trump, already dealing w/the repercussions of the hearing when he returned to the courtroom, reporters asked him whether he thought #Blanche had any credibility & if he was happy w/his performance.
He didn't respond.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference
Given Justice #Merchan's disbelief at #Blanche's argument that some of #Trump's posts did not violate the #GagOrder because they were reposts, it's worth remembering that Blanche pressed a prospective juror last week about social media posts that were critical of Trump. The prospective juror explained that the posts were actually reposts. "Did you watch this before you posted it?" Justice Merchan asked, before excusing the prospective juror.
#Blanche, after a rocky start in the morning, was seated third-chair after the break.
David #Pecker entered the courtroom & took the stand.
The jurors were seated.
Judge #Merchan announced we will not have court next Monday.
Prosecutor Joshua #Steinglass resumed questioning Pecker.
Pecker was asked to point to & identify #Trump, who he says he's known since the late 1980s. They met at Mar-a-Lago, he says.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #GagOrder #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Pecker specifically said he was introduced to him through Nick Ribis, then a casinos exec for #Trump &, until the early 2000s, one of his long-serving lawyers.
When Pecker ID’d Trump, he lifted his head & smiled tightly.
#Steinglass asked about "The Apprentice," which Pecker called "an instant success."
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #GagOrder #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Pecker said that he's had "a great relationship w/ Mr. Trump over the years," & that he launched a magazine w/him called #Trump Style. When he proposed the magazine, Pecker says, Trump's biggest question was, "Who's going to pay for it?"
Pecker never did say who paid for it.
Prosecutors situated Pecker in Trump's orbit before the jury. He didn’t come across as a combative witness, but as a fan, friend & ally of Trump.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #GagOrder #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference
#Pecker said he came to consider #Trump a friend, including in 2016. "I would call him Donald," Pecker said.
Pecker described a symbiotic relationship between Trump & The #NationalEnquirer centered in part around "The Apprentice."
Pecker said that Trump would tip him off first as to who was going to be fired - "or eliminated," as Pecker put it - from the show, & NE would write about it.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Trump's history of tipping off #tabloids about his life was a known fact well before TheApprentice.
"He was very cautious & very frugal, #Pecker said of Trump's approach to #money.
Testimony from Pecker that establishes Trump's track record of keeping a close eye on his #finances - “almost a micromanager," Pecker said - will help prosecution prove that Trump falsified #HushMoney records to cover up a sex scandal to influence the 2016 election.
#Pecker described what he called his 1st meeting w/ #MichaelCohen, in 2007. He said #Trump introduced them at his office, & he was told to route all communications to Trump through Cohen.
#Steinglass then asked him to clarify: it was their 2nd meeting, they met yrs earlier at a bar mitzvah.
Pecker said after Trump announced he was running for president, his conversations w/Cohen became more frequent. They would check in weekly, even daily, if they had active issue to discuss.
#Steinglass asked #Pecker about #HopeHicks, another intermediary for #Trump.
He’s orienting Pecker in Trump's world for the jury through his connections w/ people who will come up again in the trial.
Pecker is the first witness, & doubles as an introduction to the full cast of characters.
Trump watched Pecker's testimony but perked up when certain people were mentioned, like Hicks or Ivanka.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Pecker said #Trump was "viewed as the boss."
Prosecutors are using him to establish 2 things: that Trump was a "micro-manager," particuarly w/money, & that he delegated point people for others to deal with.
Pecker said his was #MichaelCohen.
This was the jury’s intro to the weird world of Trump's relationship w/ Pecker's supermarket tabloid. It will help establish why Pecker would agree to a #CatchAndKill operation to aid Trump #politically.
The #jurors were being shown their first #exhibit, an email sent to #Pecker inviting him to #Trump's campaign announcement at Trump Tower.
Steinglass drilled down on that key meeting in August 2015 when prosecutors say a #conspiracy was concocted between Trump, Cohen & Pecker.
“I received a call from #MichaelCohen telling me that the boss wanted to see me," Pecker said.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Pecker said he didn't know what the meeting was about before he arrived. When he got there, #MichaelCohen & #Trump asked him what he & his magazines could do "to help the campaign.”
That quote goes directly to the argument that the #HushMoney payments were made to help Trump win.
In #Blanche’s opening, he said Trump's dealings w/Pecker were regular practice in #journalism.
But a #political #candidate flat-out asking a publisher "to help the campaign" is NOT NORMAL.
#Pecker described himself as broker of the #CatchAndKill schemes. He or others would help #MichaelCohen suppress negative stories about #Trump, especially w/respect to "women selling stories."
Pecker basically confessed to creating #FakeNews on behalf of Trump.
Pecker said he expected "there would be a lot of women who would come out to try to sell their stories,” because he was known as "the most eligible bachelor & dated the most beautiful women." (His words)
#Pecker was asked if Bill & Hillary #Clinton's names came up. Pecker said when you run a magazine, you choose the topic of the week. Coverage of #HillaryClinton running for president that described #BillClinton as "a womanizer" was a big seller, he said. "I was running the Hillary Clinton stories, I was running Hillary as an enabler for Bill Clinton, w/respect to all the womanizing."
[disgusting, opportunistic vulture]
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Pecker suggested that there was a "mutual benefit" to running the stories — it would help #Trump's campaign, & "it would also help me."
Pecker basically testified the symbiotic / parasitic relationship between the campaign & The #NationalEnquirer.
Asked about Trump's reaction to the stories, Pecker said, "he was pleased." He said that #MichaelCohen was also pleased about "the way I was going to handle these issues."
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Pecker repeated that "writing positive stories about Trump & covering the election, & writing negative stories about his opponents" helped them both, increasing #tabloid newsstand sales while benefitting the #TrumpCampaign.
★ Importantly, #Steinglass asked him to clarify that suppressing negative news about #Trump only benefitted the candidate, not the tabloid. Pecker agreed.
Pecker’s testimony is incredibly damning.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
🚨 #Pecker asked that the #CatchAndKill arrangement be kept secret.
Steinglass asked him to explain why.
👀 Pecker said he was helping the #TrumpCampaign, & didn't want it to “leak" that his publication was aiding #Trump.
He wanted it "very confidential,' he said.
When #NationalEnquirer covers were shown, #Trump leaned toward the monitor in front of him & squinted to get a closer look at a collection of headlines praising him.
They included:
"Donald Trump - Cruzin to victory! Ted endorses Donald" & "Obama's Half Brother
- Cheering on Donald at Debate."
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
Then #Pecker discussed the negative headlines attacking 3 of #Trump's #Republican opponents in 2016, #BenCarson, #TedCruz & #MarcoRubio, which prosecutors argued illustrated the outcome of the #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference agreement reached during the Trump Tower meeting.
Pecker said that #MichaelCohen would “feed” him negative information & that The #NationalEnquirer would "embellish" & add onto it.
#Trump was all over on the negative coverage of #TedCruz in 2016. The #TrumpCampaign acted like it came about organically & Trump was just reacting to it.
Pecker was asked about #MichaelCohen's relationship to the Trump campaign. #Pecker said Cohen always said he didn't work for the campaign, & that he was instead "Mr. Trump's personal attorney." But he also testified that Cohen fed them negative info about opponents.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #FakeNews #ElectionInterference
"Michael was physically in every aspect of whatever the campaign was working on," #Pecker said. He added that #MichaelCohen wasn't officially employed by the campaign, & may have heard things “informally" or "injected himself into it."
Pecker threw defense a bone when he said he didn’t know who Cohen spoke to, & that Cohen may have been acting of his own volition by getting more involved w/the campaign. [sure]
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #FakeNews #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
Prosecutors showed several examples of the negative headlines about #Trump's opponents, #TedCruz, #BenCarson & #MarcoRubio.
Pecker was being asked about an infamous #NationalEnquirer story linking Cruz's father to the JFK assassination. He said it originated w/ #DylanHoward, The Enquirer's editor.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #FakeNews #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Pecker said that after the #Republican #debates, #MichaelCohen would call him & direct him to focus the negative coverage on whichever candidate had been most successful.
Pecker's testimony isn't just damaging to #Trump. He’s killing his career by going through headline after headline & suggesting he attacked Trump's rivals to aid Trump.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #FakeNews #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Pecker was asked about being introduced to #SteveBannon, #Trump's top strategist, in Oct 2016. He recalled Trump said, "I believe you & Steve would get along really well.”
#Bannon told Pecker that he went thru some #NationalEnquirer articles, liked them, & had ideas.
This all happened around the time of #Wikileaks email dump, after a hack of #HillaryClinton's adviser John Podesta's acct, & the Trump team used that material A LOT.
#law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #FakeNews #ElectionInterference
During #Steinglass’s questioning of #Pecker, #Trump's lawyers often objected to prosecutors couching Trump's relationship w/Pecker & #MichaelCohen as a #conspiracy - saying Trump isn’t facing a conspiracy charge.
🚨⇉ But Steinglass said on record one of the election statutes the case is based on does in fact have a conspiracy provision. That could prove important later when the #jury is instructed on the #laws they must consider in reaching a #verdict.
[PS, squirrels are not low-maintenance]
#Pecker was asked next about #Dino Sajudin, a #doorman who worked at a #Trump bldg & had a story to sell about Trump fathering a child out of wedlock.
[the 1st of the 3 #CatchAndKill deals]
Trump visibly responded when this story came up. Like yesterday, he frowned & shook his head.
Pecker said the love child story would’ve been a big story, & he believed it was important to have it "removed from the market." #MichaelCohen told him "the boss would be very pleased."
#Pecker said #MichaelCohen called him furiously denying the child was Trump's, saying he offered to take a DNA test & bc #Trump was German-Irish & the woman was Hispanic, it was impossible.
FTR, Pecker was saying that #Cohen indicated a child w/a #Hispanic woman couldn't be Trump's. (#Racist 🤬 that he is)
Trump often talks "good genes" & bloodlines. He denigrates #immigrants from #LatinAmerica & says undocumented immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country."
Regardless of whether the story was true or not, the #jury was shown a #contract the #NationalEnquirer reached w/ #Dino Sajudin, the #doorman, in which the words "Donald Trump's illegitimate child" feature prominently.
#Steinglass asked Pecker why he paid so much for the story.
“I made the decision to buy the story because of the potential embarrassment it would have to the #campaign & Mr. #Trump," Pecker said.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #FakeNews #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
This is the epitome of #CatchAndKill & #Pecker said several times in different ways that he was acting on #Trump's behalf.
#Steinglass moved on to the 2nd catch-&-kill deal, involving fmr #PlayboyModel #KarenMcDougal.
Pecker testified that he asked #DylanHoward, the fmr editor of The #NationalEnquirer, to investigate #McDougal's story & that he told #MichaelCohen he had done so.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #FakeNews #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Pecker indicated his conversations w/ #MichaelCohen increased in frequency & they began communicating multiple times a day at that point.
#Cohen recommended they communicate over #Signal, an encrypted app, which is often used for conversations that a person wants to keep private.
Multiple reports say #Trump's body language changed when Pecker started testifying about the #CatchAndKill deal involving #KarenMcDougal.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #FakeNews #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Trump started moving his head, squinting & pursing his lips, & crossed his arms over his chest.
#Pecker said he advised Trump to pay for #KarenMcDougal's story himself.
“I think you should buy it," he recalled saying directly to Trump. He said Trump told him he'd “think about it” & have #MichaelCohen call Pecker back.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #FakeNews #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#KarenMcDougal was selling a story of having had a long affair w/ #Trump.
#Pecker said that #MichaelCohen was becoming increasingly agitated as then #NationalEnquirer editor, #DylanHoward, traveled to hear her story.
“It looked like he was getting a lot of pressure to get the answer, like, right away," Pecker said of Cohen.
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #FakeNews #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
#Pecker finished testifying for the day; he’ll be back Thursday.
Judge #Merchan gave #jurors the usual warnings, plus a new one:
To report anyone who seeks to violate #JuryIntegrity - it sounded as if someone has already approached a juror inappropriately.
#Trump has a documented history of #JuryTampering
#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #FakeNews #ElectionInterference #HushMoney #MobTactics #NodFarter
While talking to reporters, #Trump said, "I'd love to talk to you people, I'd love to say anything that's on my mind, but I'm restricted."
He again criticized the trial as an attempt to interfere w/his current campaign. He complained that President Biden was free to campaign while he was stuck in a courtroom, [don’t do the crime…] "sitting up as straight as I can all day long."
He just said remaining upright is too much for him. #NodFarter
Nonilex
Dawn Adill Pickle