Takeaways from the Trump hush money trial: Ex-publisher details tabloid tactics

Former American Media Inc. chairman David Pecker took jurors in Donald Trump’s hush money case inside how he paid for Karen McDougal’s story to keep her quiet about her alleged affair with Trump – and how his decision not to pay for Stormy Daniels’ story led to Michael Cohen ultimately paying for it.

Prosecutors on Thursday wrapped up their direct testimony with Pecker, who was on the stand for three days describing in detail how he worked with Trump and Cohen to buy up damaging stories about Trump throughout the 2016 campaign. His testimony laid the foundation for the rest of the Manhattan district attorney’s case against Trump that focuses on the payment to Daniels.

The former president, who has denied affairs with both McDougal and Daniels and pleaded not guilty in this case, didn’t want to be in the downtown Manhattan courtroom on Thursday. But Judge Juan Merchan last week rejected his request to be in Washington for Supreme Court arguments on presidential immunity – so Trump instead went to a New York campaign stop Thursday morning, and he attacked the case when he left the courtroom at the end of the day, while calling the testimony “breathtaking and amazing.”

Later Thursday, when Trump was asked on Newsmax if he was now “more or less likely” to testify, the former president said he would “if it’s necessary” – softening his earlier, more definitive statements about taking the stand.

On Thursday, Merchan did not issue his ruling on whether Trump has violated the judge’s gag order. But prosecutors provided four more examples to the judge of alleged violations – including one when he commented on Pecker Thursday morning before he went to court.

Trump’s attorneys began their cross-examination of Pecker Thursday afternoon and will continue on Friday.

Pecker’s testimony included the nuts and bolts of how AMI paid McDougal on Trump’s behalf, Pecker’s private conversations with Trump about the catch-and-kill deal and the fallout when her story became public.

Pecker’s testimony to prosecutors spanned more than seven hours over three days. He described how he put up the money for a catch-and-kill scheme to suppress McDougal’s story – and it was Pecker’s refusal to pay for Daniels’ story that led to Michael Cohen, Trump’s then-fixer, doling out $130,000 himself.