Trump and former ally David Pecker reunite at hush money trial, avoiding eye contact

Former President Donald Trump and his former ally, David Pecker, found themselves in the same courtroom as Pecker took the witness stand at his Manhattan hush money trial. The trial marks the first time a US president has faced a criminal case, making it a historic event. However, what was most notable about their interaction was the lack of eye contact between the two. Pecker, wearing a dark gray suit and yellow tie, avoided meeting Trump’s gaze as he walked to and from the stand. He also entered the courtroom through a side door typically used by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to avoid press cameras.

During Pecker’s brief testimony, which lasted approximately 20 minutes, Trump appeared to be actively listening. He was seen chatting and passing notes to his lawyer. As Pecker left the courtroom, he gave a slight nod towards the defense table, although it was unclear who he was acknowledging. Pecker is scheduled to continue testifying the following day.

The current status of Trump and Pecker’s relationship remains uncertain. Pecker acknowledged that he had been subpoenaed to appear at the trial. Prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office claimed that Pecker helped Trump orchestrate three “catch-and-kill schemes” to hide damaging information before the 2016 presidential election. These schemes involved buying exclusive rights to potentially damaging stories and then never publishing them. Pecker has yet to be asked about allegedly huddling with Trump and his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen at Trump Tower in 2015, where they supposedly came up with the scheme.

Pecker did share some insights into his time running the National Enquirer, explaining that he had final say over the cover of the magazine. He also revealed that reporters at his organization could not spend over $10,000 on a story without his approval. Anything exceeding that amount would need to be vetted for approval.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo stated during opening arguments that Pecker paid $30,000 to a former Trump Tower doorman and $150,000 to former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal to suppress damaging stories about Trump. These payments will likely be further explored during Pecker’s testimony.

Trump is also accused of having Cohen pay $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to prevent her from publicly revealing her alleged affair with him. Prosecutors claim that Trump later logged reimbursement payments to Cohen as legal expenses, which they argue is an illegal cover-up and the basis for the charge of falsifying business records against Trump.

In his opening remarks, Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche insisted that his client was innocent. Blanche argued that there was nothing wrong with trying to influence an election and called it democracy. He also criticized Cohen and Daniels, painting them as unreliable witnesses.

The trial is expected to last six weeks, with Cohen and Daniels likely to testify as the prosecution’s star witnesses. However, Blanche dismissed their testimonies as untrustworthy. At the end of the trial day, Trump left the courtroom without saying anything but gave a speech outside, expressing frustration about the trial hindering his ability to hit the campaign trail.

Overall, the trial brings together two former allies who now find themselves on opposite sides. The lack of eye contact between Trump and Pecker speaks volumes about the potentially strained relationship between them. As the trial continues, more details about their involvement in the alleged hush money schemes will come to light, shedding further insight into this high-profile case.