Trump trial live updates as David Pecker testifies for third day

As proceedings got underway, Chris Conroy, an attorney from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, told the judge that Trump had violated the gag order limiting what he can say about those involved in the case four more times over the last three days. One of those violations included an interview Trump gave that aired on Tuesday, in which he called Michael Cohen “a convicted liar.”

As Conroy read the alleged violations, Trump sat emotionless at the defense table, staring forward. 

Conroy cited Trump’s campaign event earlier in the morning, where he was asked what he thought of Pecker’s testimony. Trump said he had been “very nice.” Conroy said this was a message to Pecker and other witnesses to “be nice.”

Merchan did not issue a ruling on the matter, and Pecker soon entered the courtroom, followed by the jury.

The former president arrived at the courthouse and, in a now-familiar ritual, stopped to speak to cameras before entering the courtroom. 

He blamed President Biden for weaker-than-expected economic growth numbers released earlier in the morning, and talked about his campaign stop at a construction site. He also briefly commented on the immunity arguments before the Supreme Court. The judge did not allow him to miss the trial so he could attend.

“I think that the Supreme Court has a very important argument before it today. I would have loved to have been there but this judge would not allow that to happen,” he told reporters. “I should be there, but he wouldn’t allow it to happen. I think he puts himself above the Supreme Court, which is unfortunate, isn’t it?”

He repeated his contention that former presidents should be immune from federal prosecution. If not, he said, presidents “aren’t going to take any risks, both good and bad.”

Judge Juan Merchan may also rule Thursday on a motion by prosecutors seeking to hold Trump in contempt for a series of social media and campaign posts they say violated a gag order in the case. 

The order limits what Trump can say publicly about many of those involved in the case, including witnesses like Cohen and Daniels.

Merchan held a contentious hearing on the motion Tuesday. Prosecutors have asked him to impose a $1,000 fine for each post and order Trump to take them down.

“His attacks on witnesses clearly violate the order, willfully and flagrantly. The court should now hold him in contempt for each of the 10 posts,” prosecutor Chris Conroy said. “No one is off limits to the defendant. He can attack and seek to intimidate anyone he wants to in service to himself.”

Todd Blanche, an attorney for Trump, argued that his client was responding to political attacks in his posts, and did not believe he was violating the order when reposting or quoting others. The judge seemed unpersuaded, but did not make a ruling immediately.

“Mr. Blanche, you’re losing all credibility. I have to tell you that right now. You’re losing all credibility with the court,” Merchan said at one point.

On Tuesday, Pecker told the court that he agreed to be Trump’s “eyes and ears” in 2015 and alert Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, to damaging stories that might hurt Trump’s presidential campaign. Cohen is now an ardent critic of Trump, and is expected to be prosecutors’ key witness against him.

Pecker described a tactic called “catch and kill” that he used to buy the rights to stories about Trump, without publishing them, effectively keeping them hidden. He described a meeting with Trump and others in 2015 where Pecker agreed to be on the lookout for damaging material.

“I said, ‘I would be your eyes and ears,'” Pecker told the court. “And then I said that anything that I hear in the marketplace, if I hear anything negative about yourself or if I hear anything about women selling stories, I would notify Michael Cohen.”

Pecker said he thought there would be “a lot of women com[ing] out to try to sell their stories because Mr. Trump was well-known as the most eligible bachelor, and dated the most beautiful women.” He said the arrangement was “a mutual benefit — it would help his campaign, it would also help me.”

Asked how Trump reacted, Pecker said, “As I recollect, he was pleased. Michael Cohen was pleased.” He said nothing was put into writing, describing it as “an agreement among friends.”

Trump visited a construction site in New York City early Thursday morning, before returning to court for his alleged “hush money” trial. 

The former president met with a group of workers at the corner of East 48th Street and Park Avenue, near the JP Morgan Chase Building in Midtown Manhattan. 

Trump showed up around 6:30 a.m., and the campaign stop lasted about 15 minutes. He shook hands, posed for photos and signed autographs for people who went through a security screening to enter a penned-off area.

Some supporters said they woke up early for the chance to catch a glimpse of him. 

Read more at CBS New York.