Trump defense cross-examines Michael Cohen in hush money trial

More of Donald Trump’s GOP allies spoke outside the courthouse, criticizing the Manhattan district attorney, Judge Juan Merchan and the Democratic party as a whole. 

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum called the proceedings a “scam trial” and “election interference.” It is tying up Trump from being on the campaign trail, he said. 

Florida Rep. Byron Donalds called the trial a “joke,” adding that “there is no crime.”

Entrepreneur and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said the court is “one of the most depressing places I have been in my life,” adding it is “straight out of a Kafka novel.”

“The prosecutors' main strategy is to bore the jurors into submission,” he added.

Ramaswamy said he has not heard a good answer about Trump’s alleged crime, and now it less clear than ever as Michael Cohen testifies. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson gave similar remarks earlier in the morning.

Once their time at the microphone ended, however, they went back into the courtroom with a bit too much noise. Merchan looked visibly annoyed as Trump's allies reentered the courtroom in the middle of Cohen's testimony, CNN's Kara Scannell reported.

Michael Cohen said he also pleaded guilty to tax charges and making false statements to a financial institution that were unrelated to Donald Trump.

Asked what the day was like, Cohen said, "Worst day of my life."

Trump's been leaning back with his eyes closed for the last several minutes including through this whole line of questioning.

Judge Juan Merchan read an instruction to the jury cautioning them that Michael Cohen's guilty plea was offered to them to assess Cohen's credibility but not as evidence of Trump's guilt in this case.  

"Mr. Cohen's plea is not evidence of the defendant's guilt, and you may not consider it in determining whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty of the charged crimes," Merchan told jurors.

Remember: Cohen pleaded guilty to eight criminal counts that included tax evasion and campaign finance violations. In a plea deal, he said that "in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office" he kept information that would have been harmful to the candidate and the campaign from becoming public.

Michael Cohen is now being asked about the payments American Media Inc. (AMI) made to Karen McDougal, which was also part of his 2018 guilty plea.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asks Cohen why he worked with AMI to pay off McDougal.

Cohen responds, "in order to ensure that the possibility of Mr. Trump succeeding in the election — that this would not be a hindrance."

Michael Cohen testified that he worked on the deal "at the direction of Donald J. Trump" and "for the benefit of Donald J. Trump."

Asked why he paid the money to Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen says that it was "to ensure that the story would not come out, would not effect Mr. Trump’s chances of becoming president of the United States."

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asks whether Cohen would have paid the money if not for the election. "No ma'am," Cohen says.

Hoffinger follows up and asks Cohen to confirm at whose direction and on whose behalf he paid Daniels.

Michael Cohen says he made his move to plead guilty after talking to his family and deciding he would no longer lie for Trump.

"I made a decision based again on the conversation I had with my family that I would not lie for President Trump anymore," he says.

Trump, who did not react as Cohen was describing how he would no longer remain loyal, is now chatting with his attorney Emil Bove.

At some point, Michael Cohen says he had a conversation with his family about "this unique situation."

"And my family — my wife, my daughter, my son — all said to me, 'Why are you holding on to this loyalty? What are you doing? We’re supposed to be your first loyalty."

Cohen says his family told him "that it was about time" he listen to them.

Michael Cohen says he never told Robert Costello about Trump's involvement in the American Media Inc. payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal or Cohen's payment to Stormy Daniels.

"I didn't trust him, meaning Bob Costello and I was still remaining loyal to Mr. Trump," Cohen said.

"I believed based upon all of our conversations that he would immediately run back to Mr Giuliani and that communication would be divulged to President Trump," Cohen added.