This morning, prosecutors and former President Trump's hush money trial
are requesting he be held in contempt,
claiming Trump violated A gag order 10 times in recent
days.
The list of potential violations includes social media posts that
link to articles calling Michael Cohen,
a key witness in the trial,
a serial perjurer. Prosecutors want the judge to find Trump
$1000 per violation and threaten further penalties.
The judge scheduled a hearing on the issue before witness
testimony resumes today.
Very, very sad day in America,
I can tell you that.
Prosecutors allege Trump falsified business records to disguise a $130,000
payment to porn star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016
election so voters would not find out about Daniels's claim
of an affair. At the time,
news had just broken of the Access Hollywood tape where
Trump is heard bragging about groping women.
And when you're a star,
they let you do it.
You can do anything. During opening statements yesterday,
the prosecutor quoted Trump's words to the jury,
saying the tapes impact was explosive.
And Trump and his campaign were deeply concerned.
When Trump learned Daniels was shopping a story,
prosecutors said he was adamant word of the alleged affair
not come out.
Trump denies any wrongdoing, his attorney telling the jury.
I have a spoiler alert.
There is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election.
It's called democracy. And the defense claimed Cohen has an
obsession with getting Trump that he cannot be trusted.
Their first witness called the stand was David Pecker,
the former publisher of the National Enquirer.
Pecker has acknowledged by negative stories about Trump only to
bury them,
a practice known as catch and kill.
On the stand, Packer was blunt,
saying we use checkbook journalism.
We paid for stories. Pecker made a deal with prosecutors
to avoid charges himself.
He'll be back on the stand today.