Former President Donald Trump talks to the media outside Manhattan criminal court in New York, on May 14, 2024. of falsifying business records had been inundated with testimony and evidence for almost five weeks before issuing the historic verdict, but several key moments stood out and likely influenced the panel during the Manhattan trial.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office called an array of witnesses who described the conspiracy from every angle, including former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen and. Jurors also saw extensive evidence that knit the scheme together, from text messages and emails to call logs and a secret audio recording.
Pecker, a longtime Trump fan who appears to still admire the former president, supported details that were offered by Cohen, now an outspoken Trump critic. Together their testimony painted a clear picture of a concerted effort to stop negative tabloid stories about Trump’s conduct with women from hurting his campaign.
“This is a disaster, total disaster,” Trump said about the tape, according to Cohen. “Women will hate me. Guys may think it’s cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign.”