Insights from Day 15 of the Donald Trump hush money trial

One of Donald Trump’s closest White House aides finished her testimony on Friday in the former president’s hush money trial. This paves the way for the prosecution's main witness to testify on Monday.

Michael Cohen, who was Trump's former fixer and lawyer, is anticipated to take the stand on Monday. He will discuss the hush money deal he assisted in negotiating with Stormy Daniels in 2016 and how Trump reimbursed him the next year.

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump is seen in the courtroom in New York City. He is facing a criminal trial for allegedly falsifying business records to hide payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. The trial is ongoing as of May 7, 2024.

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on in the courtroom, as his criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 continues, in New York City, U.S., May 7, 2024. REUTERS/David Dee Delgado/Pool

David Dee Delgado/Pool/Reuters

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Michael Cohen is scheduled to testify at the Trump hush money trial on Monday. His testimony is crucial for prosecutors as they believe it is the key evidence to support their charges against Trump. They claim that Trump broke the law by hiding the reimbursement of Cohen in order to conceal the payments before the 2016 election.

Prosecutors presented a large amount of text messages and phone records as evidence for the jury through several witnesses before contacting the ex-president's former lawyer.

The prosecutors mentioned that there is a chance they may finish presenting their case by the end of next week.

Here are the takeaways from day 15 of the Trump hush money trial:

Cohen is on deck

Cohen will be testifying on Monday, coming face-to-face with his previous employer. He is set to discuss his involvement in arranging the payment to Daniels on behalf of Trump, and how he was repaid through retainer fees in 2017, which are central to the charges against Trump.

With Cohen's testimony pointing towards Trump, it also brings up all the issues related to his past actions. Cohen has faced federal charges for campaign finance violations, tax crimes, and lying to Congress in the past.

As Cohen switched from being a loyal defender of Trump to his main opponent after admitting guilt to the federal charges in 2018, he also changed his story.

Cohen's testimony in Trump's civil fraud trial last fall hinted at the difficulties prosecutors may encounter with him on the stand. It seemed like he altered his account regarding the instructions he received from Trump about his financial statements.

The credibility of Cohen with the jury could determine the success or failure of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case. Therefore, when Cohen takes the stand next week, the stakes will be high for the prosecution.

Judge to Cohen: Please stop talking

Ahead of Cohen’s expected testimony, Trump attorney Todd Blanche urged Judge Juan Merchan to order Cohen to stop talking about the trial and Trump.

Trump is currently restricted from discussing Cohen due to a gag order. However, Blanche mentioned that Cohen can still criticize Trump. This was highlighted by a TikTok video where Cohen wore a T-shirt depicting Trump behind bars.

Blanche emphasized the need for the court to direct the government to advise Cohen not to mention President Trump or the case until it is concluded.

Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass explained that he and other prosecutors have reminded Cohen and other witnesses not to discuss the case publicly. He acknowledged that despite their instructions, they cannot control the actions of the witnesses.

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Merchan has stated that he cannot silence witnesses in the case. However, he understands Blanche's perspective and mentioned that he will ask Mr. Cohen to stop talking about the case or Trump.

Merchan advised the prosecutors to communicate the message as if it is coming from the bench, representing the bench's stance.

Cohen has been active on social media criticizing Trump ever since the trial started, despite stating that he would stop at one point. As a result, Trump has frequently violated the judge's gag order due to his responses to Cohen's comments.

Trump was seen smiling during the testimony of his former White House aide, Madeleine Westerhout. She finished her testimony on Friday, after starting the day before. As she left the courtroom, Westerhout exchanged smiles with Trump, who also smiled back and said something to her.

During cross-examination, Trump's attorney Susan Necheles asked Westerhout to confirm that she believes the former president cares about his family.

Westerhout recalled that Trump was upset when the Stormy Daniels story surfaced in 2018. Although Trump admitted that he didn't directly mention his family during their discussion about the story, he indicated that he was aware it would be painful for them.

Westerhout mentioned that Trump signed many documents daily while also handling phone calls and attending meetings. She also observed him signing checks without checking them.

Allen Weisselberg, the former Finance Chief of the Trump Organization, appeared in court for his sentencing hearing at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 10 in New York City. He was photographed in the courtroom during the proceedings.

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She mentioned that personal mail, including Trump's checks, were sent through an employee's home address for quicker handling instead of going through the White House's slow system.

After assuming office, Westerhout made it clear that Trump had no connection to Allen Weisselberg, the former Chief Financial Officer of the Trump Organization.

“In fact, you really don’t recall any calls specifically between him and Allen Weisselberg?” Necheles asked.

“No, he spoke to so many people,” Westerhout said.

Trump's former assistant expressed doubts about the truth of Trump's conversation with Weisselberg regarding a check, as suggested by prosecutors in relation to the Cohen reimbursements.

Prosecutors presented important text and call records as evidence.

After Westerhout finished testifying, the prosecutors brought in a number of witnesses who work in custody to present cell phone records as evidence.

While the testimony may have been a bit dull, it was crucial in providing the prosecutors with important evidence to support their claim that Trump falsified business records.

The records contained a summary of the 34 charges against Trump, which consisted of 11 invoices, 12 vouchers, and 11 checks. Prosecutors, with the help of a paralegal from the Manhattan district attorney's office, provided an explanation of how the charges aligned with the documents presented as evidence.

Furthermore, prosecutors presented a collection of text messages exchanged in 2016 between Stormy Daniels' former manager Gina Rodriguez and National Enquirer editor in chief Dylan Howard.

The messages between the two individuals involve discussions about the potential purchase of Daniels' story by American Media Inc. They also touch on the negotiation process and the amount that Cohen eventually paid to Daniels' attorney in late October 2016.

These text messages are significant because neither Howard nor Rodriguez are anticipated to testify in the trial. While some of the texts were presented through David Pecker, who was Howard's superior, prosecutors utilized a paralegal to introduce more of them to the jury this week.

“We’re not doing the Trump deal,” Rodriguez texted Howard on October 17, 2016.

“Keith (Davidson) gave me a heads up. What happened?” Howard responded.

Rodriguez responded, "They didn't stick to their payment timeline and are constantly looking for extensions."

The texts support the testimonies of Daniels and Davidson, revealing that the agreement hit a snag in mid-October. This evidence will further strengthen Cohen's credibility for his upcoming testimony.

Prosecutors are close to wrapping up their case against the former Trump Organization CFO. According to Steinglass, they plan to call two more witnesses before resting. He mentioned that there is a possibility they may conclude their case by the end of next week.

When the prosecution finishes presenting their case, it will be Trump's turn to defend himself. It's uncertain how long his defense will take, as it will depend on whether Trump decides to testify or not.

On Friday, the judge surprised everyone by raising a potential issue when Trump's lawyers objected to including Weisselberg's settlement agreement as evidence.

Trump’s lawyers claimed that the severance agreement was unfair to the jury, labeling Weisselberg as an "unnecessary government witness" due to his current imprisonment for perjury charges.

In response, prosecutors stated that the settlement agreement would clarify why Weisselberg was not summoned and anticipated that Weisselberg would use his Fifth Amendment rights to avoid self-incrimination.

Merchan asked the prosecutors if they had forced Weisselberg to testify, but they had not.

Merchan then suggested that instead of avoiding explaining why Weisselberg was not present, they could bring him in to speak without the jury present to see his response.

Trump's attorneys pointed out that he was not initially on the prosecutors' witness list, which did not seem to excite them. However, his unexpected appearance could prolong the trial.

Editor's P/S:

The upcoming testimony of Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer, is a pivotal moment in the hush money trial. Cohen's account of arranging the payment to Stormy Daniels on behalf of Trump and the subsequent reimbursement through retainer fees is crucial evidence for the prosecution. Cohen's credibility with the jury is paramount, as his past legal troubles and shifting narratives could impact the outcome of the case.

The trial has also revealed the complex relationship between Trump and his inner circle, with former White House aide Madeleine Westerhout testifying about Trump's concern over the Stormy Daniels story and his lack of direct involvement with Allen Weisselberg, the former CFO of the Trump Organization. The presentation of text messages between Stormy Daniels' former manager and the National Enquirer editor in chief further supports the prosecution's narrative of a negotiated payment. As the trial progresses, the stakes are high for both the prosecution and Trump, with the outcome potentially shaping public perception of his conduct and the legal consequences he may face.