Michael Cohen faces cross examination from Trump lawyers in New York criminal trial

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press after leaving court during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 16, 2024, in New York City. (Angela Weiss-Pool/Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump said Thursday that it was an "interesting day" in court as he warned about potential conflicts facing the U.S. by Russia and China while being stuck in what he referred to as an "icebox."

The former president also reiterated that he "didn't violate any law" and again called the case brought against him a "sham."

He also quoted commentary from various news outlets about the case, which he described as a "joke."

Speaking to reporters gathered in the hallway outside the courtroom, Trump said he felt as if he was stuck in an "icebox," making reference to the trial that has prevented him from campaigning throughout the country on most weekdays in recent weeks.

He also warned of potential conflict brewing from leaders in China and Russia. Trump's comments came as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met with one another at a Beijing summit on Thursday.

"I saw something today that's maybe worse than anything," Trump said. "President Xi of China, I know him very well, and President Putin of Russia, I know him well, they're right now together working together on plans where they get together and do damage. ... That's ultimately what they're thinking about doing."

Trump said President Xi plans to "fully take Taiwan" while he's "sitting here in an icebox."

"I'm sitting here listening to a case that people ... are saying should've never been brought. I've been sitting here almost four weeks and we still have a long way to go."

Judge Juan Merchan has excused jurors from the courtroom for the day.

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen is expected to return to the stand with further testimony next week, with cross-examination to resume Monday at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Court will not be in session on Friday so Trump can attend his son Barron's high school graduation.

Trump is expected to speak with reporters outside in the hallway after he leaves the courtroom.

Stormy Daniels (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen agreed with the defense Thursday that the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels was a legal contract.

Responding to questions from Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, Cohen said he learned through Keith Davidson, who represented Daniels, that another outlet was interested in buying Daniels’ story. Cohen said he was told that ABC offered the same amount that Davidson was trying to get from Cohen – $130,000.

There were two choices – pay, or don’t pay and the story comes out. Cohen agreed that several weeks passed without paying, but ultimately the payment went to Daniels.

Taking a look at the contract, which Trump never signed, Cohen confirmed it was a legal contract and that non-disclosure agreements aren't unusual. The contract was signed using pseudonyms.

Fox News' Maria Paronich and Grace Taggart contributed to this update.

(REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen testified Thursday that when the initial news of the alleged sexual encounter between Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels broke, the former president expressed concern over how it could have an impact on his family.

In the months following Trump's decision not to run for the White House in 2011, Cohen testified Thursday that he worked with lawyer Keith Davidson, who represented Daniels, to remove the story from the gossip blog The Dirty.

Cohen said that was the first time he heard Trump complain about the article, saying “his family wasn’t going to like that very much.”

Cohen often handled these situations with legal action. Davidson went on to write a letter to get it taken down and it worked.

Cohen maintains he threatened legal action via letter or via phone many times over the years.

Fox News' Maria Paronich and Grace Taggart contributed to this report.

Todd Blanche, former President Donald Trump's lawyer, resumed his questioning of Michael Cohen on Thursday after court resumed after lunch, focusing specifically on a website Cohen created in 2011 that questioned whether Trump should run for president.

Blanche asked if the press considered this a stunt, to which Cohen agreed.

Cohen confirmed he helped get the story out and that the National Enquirer wrote a positive story about his efforts.

Blanche continued questioning Cohen on his relationship with reporters and the press.

Blanche asked about Cohen’s steps regarding minimizing negative press, Cohen said he would go to Trump’s office, discuss a specific topic, and come up with ways to craft responses to take back to journalists.

Asked if he ever reached out without checking with Trump first, Cohen said it was his routine to check with Trump because if a story wasn’t the way Trump wanted it then “it would cause him to blow up at me or me to lose my job.”

Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this report.

The court has been dismissed for a lunch break.

Cohen is expected to continue testifying once court resumes at 2:15 ET.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche drew the court's attention to text exchanges and a phone call between Michael Cohen and Keith Schiller, Donald Trump's former bodyguard, on Oct. 24, 2016.

Cohen confirmed he called Schiller that evening. Blanche asked if Cohen testified the call was to speak with Trump about the Stormy deal. Cohen confirmed.

In a text, Cohen asked Schiller who he can speak with about harassing calls from an alleged 14-year-old prankster. Schiller responded, “Call me.”

Cohen testified Tuesday that the Oct. 24 phone call, which lasted for one minute and 36 seconds, was made to Schiller to talk to Trump.

Blanche asked if the testimony on Tuesday was a lie because Cohen said then that he called to speak with Trump.

Cohen said, “Part of it was the 14-year-old ... but I know Keith was with Mr. Trump."

Blanche again accuses Cohen of lying and insists he never spoke with Trump that day.

Cohen responded, “I always ran everything by the boss immediately."

"That was a lie, you did not talk to President Trump,” Blanche said.

“I’m not certain that’s accurate,” Cohen responded. 

Cohen maintains, based on the records that he was able to review, that he spoke with Schiller but also believes he spoke with Trump about the Stormy Daniels deal.

"We’re not asking what you believe," Blanche responded.

Fox News' Maria Paronich and Grace Taggart contributed to this report.

Republican House members came out in full force Thursday in support of Former President Donald Trump as he faces 34 counts of falsifying business records. 

“​​We saw today firsthand, Mr. Cohen admitted repeatedly that he lied… He admitted repeatedly that he did so for his own personal interest. That tells you everything you know about the lack of credibility of this case,” Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs said outside the Manhattan courthouse Thursday morning during a press conference held by the GOP lawmakers. 

Reps. Biggs, Bob Good, Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, Mike Waltz, Ralph Norman, Lauren Boebert, Andy Ogles, Diana Harshbarger, Michael Cloud and Eli Crane all spoke at the press conference Thursday morning. 

“I've served all over the world in Africa, the Middle East, and South America. And … those are the types of countries where they weaponize the judicial system against their political opponents,” Waltz said. “ Every prime minister of Pakistan knows if they lose to the other side, they're going to get put in jail. Is this what we want America to become? This is what we're becoming.” 

“The radical left wants President Trump to simply go away. And if President Trump just went away, this would all go away as well. They do not want him to be in this race. They know that he is the number one candidate for president of the United States for the 2024 election. And they are doing everything that they can to interfere in yet another election,” Boebert said. 

Trump has seen a bevy of GOP lawmakers and politicians join him in support at the courthouse this week, including Rep. Byron Donalds, Sen. JD Vance, and former 2024 contender Vivek Ramaswamy.

Michael Cohen departs from his home to attend his second day of testimony at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 14, 2024 in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen said Thursday in court that he would have liked to have been considered to fill the role of chief of staff during former President Donald Trump's tenure in the White House for "ego purposes."

Cohen's comment on the matter came during questioning from Trump lawyer Todd Blanche following a brief break.

Blanche then directed Cohen's attention to past remarks he made to Congress, in which he said he didn’t want to work in the White House.

Asked if he remembered making those remarks, Cohen agreed.

Cohen, who testified Thursday that he was offered a role in the White House, said he didn’t want to go to the White House and wanted to serve at Trump’s personal attorney.

When asked if he wanted to work in the White house, Cohen responded, “No sir.”

Blanche asked Cohen if the truth is that he really wanted to work in the White House. Cohen responded, "No sir."

Blanche then asked Cohen if he had hoped to be named the White House chief of staff, to which he denied.

Blanche then outlined several conversations Cohen had with other individuals, including his daughter, about the possibility of serving as chief of staff under Trump.

Cohen, who testified that he spoke with Trump about serving as his personal attorney, said he wanted a hybrid position, one with access to Trump but not considered a White House employee.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche repeatedly questioned former Trump attorney Michael Cohen on Thursday about the lies he has made under oath.

Dating back to 2017, Blanche highlighted several instances where Cohen lied under oath, including to Congress about a Trump Tower Moscow project and federal investigators from special counsel Robert Mueller's office.

Blanche asked Cohen about the oath and whether he believed it changed depending on the setting. "No," Cohen responded.

Blanche also asked Cohen about his earlier testimony that he accepted responsibility for his actions but also said he was lying to protect Trump. Cohen stated he takes responsibility.

Under oath last October, Cohen said he lied under oath more than once in front of Judge Pauley, who sentenced Cohen to three years in prison in 2018 after he pleaded guilty to charges that included campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress.

Cohen agreed again Thursday that he did indeed lie under oath to Judge Pauley. He agrees its because the stakes affected him personally.

Blanche's questioning also led Cohen to admit that he believes he shouldn't have been charged with some federal crimes in 2018, including tax evasion charges related to his investments in New York City taxi medallions.

"You felt that you did not engage in tax fraud but you had to plead guilty to protect your wife and family?" Blanche asked.

"Correct," Cohen responded.

Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this update.

Michael Cohen said in court Thursday that he "took some credit" for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's 34-count indictment of former President Donald Trump.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche played a clip in court of Cohen saying during a 2020 podcast interview, "I absolutely hope he ends up in prison..."

Asked by Blanche whether he believes he played a role in Trump's indictment from New York prosecutors, Cohen responded, "I took some credit."

Blanche then asked Cohen if there are other similar podcasts where he called Trump names. He responds, “correct” and confirms it has continued even during the trial.

Asked by Blanche whether he referred to Trump as “dumb*ss Donald," Cohen confirmed.

Cohen also said Thursday that he has never met Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

During a May 2023 podcast, Cohen praised Bragg and the case brought against Trump, saying, “I wanna thank the DA’s office and fearless leader Alvin Bragg ... for countless hours of laying out payments and crimes ... Trump having his picture taken and fingerprinted brings me nothing but delight ..."

That audio was played for those in court on Thursday.

Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this report.

The defense kicked off questioning of Michael Cohen on Thursday by asking him about text messages between him and Jeremy Rosenberg, a now-retired detective with the Manhattan district attorney’s office who collected his cell phones as part of the probe into former President Donald Trump.

Cohen reviewed the text messages from a monitor inside the courtroom.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger stepped in to ask if the "swaths" of redactions make the texts out of context. Cohen responded, "I believe so."

Hoffinger objected to the messages being brought into evidence. Judge Juan Merchan sustained the objection after a discussion with both parties.

Under questioning from Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, Cohen confirmed the messages were sent around the time he testified before the grand jury last year.

Regarding one message, Blanche asked if Rosenberg told Cohen “it was done” meaning Trump was indicted. Cohen said Rosenberg identified a newspaper article.

Cohen twice denied that Rosenberg told him about the Trump indictment before it was unsealed. Cohen maintains that he learned of Trump’s indictment from the NYT article.

Cohen said he did not recall hearing from Rosenberg before the indictment was unsealed.

Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this update.  

Rep. Andy Ogles is introducing the "Let Trump Speak Act" on Thursday to prohibit judges from issuing gag orders to defendants, like former President Donald Trump, in any criminal or civil proceeding.

"We have watched for years as a politically-weaponized Department of Justice and Democrat activist judges have gone after President Donald J. Trump," the Tennessee Republican told Fox News Digital. "There is no right more sacred to Americans than the right to speak freely, as guaranteed in the First Amendment."

Ogles, a strong Trump ally, added that "activists within the justice system are attempting to strip President Trump of this right for the sake of their own political agenda."

If the bill passes, it would grant the right to file a civil lawsuit in a U.S. district court to seek injunctive relief if it is violated. Ten Republicans in theGOP-led Househouse are sponsoring the bill. 

"This continued weaponization of justice and harassment of President Trump must end," Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., one of the co-sponsors, said in a statement.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., another co-sponsor, said "we have seen how our institutions have gone after President Trump to try and forcibly silence him."

"This vital American value must not be corrupted, especially by those driven by political rivalries," she said. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Jamie Joseph

Michael Cohen (Getty Images)

Former Michael Cohen advisor Robert Costello joined Fox News' 'America's Newsroom' on Thursday to offer his analysis of Cohen's testimony in the New York v. Trump trial.

Costello stated that he spoke with Cohen during his prior criminal trial, at which point he said the former lawyer was "suicidal." Costello says he advised Cohen in April 2018 to offer up information on former President Trump in order to cut a deal to lighten his sentence. He said Cohen told him he has "nothing" on Trump, however.

Costello said he has not been subpoenaed to testify by the defense, but, when pressed, he said he would recommend that Trump's lawyers call on him to testify because he is a "reliable person."

Costello went on to say that even if Trump is convicted in the ongoing trial, that verdict will likely be overturned, "though likely not until after the election."

Former President Donald Trump arrived to the Manhattan courthouse for what is expected to be the final day before his defense team begins calling witnesses.

Trump boasted about his surge in support across polls in battleground states, touting "5-6 point" leads over President Biden in Nevada and elsewhere. Trump also reiterated his criticism of the criminal trial against him, once again calling Judge Juan Merchan a "conflicted" judge who should not be on the case.

"There was no crime," Trump said. "The crime is they're doing this case."

Ex-lawyer Michael Cohen is the final witness for the prosecution, and Thursday's proceedings will see his cross examination resume. After he leaves the stand, Trump's defense team will be free to call their own witnesses.

Former President Trump will see several of the cases brought against him, both criminal and civil, head to court ahead of the November election in 2024.

In February, New York Judge Arthur Engoron ruled against Trump in a civil fraud case alleging that he inflated his assets, finding him liable for more than $350 million in damages and barring him from doing business in the state of New York for three years.

Trump is currently on trial for the next several weeks defending himself against 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, including making hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The trial began in April and is expected to last several weeks.

A trial in the case accusing Trump of illegally retaining classified documents is currently set to begin on May 20. Trump's lawyers argued that since the former president made this decision while he was still in office, it "was an official act, and as such is subject to presidential immunity." 

Trump's election interference case, brought against him by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of Georgia, could begin as soon as August, but does not yet have an official trial date.

Fox News' Aubrie Spady contributed to this report

Former President Trump will be forced to remain inside the Manhattan courthouse during jury deliberations in his New York criminal trial, Fox News has learned.

Trump cannot leave the courtroom because he is required to be present in the event of a note from the jury during their deliberations. The jury will not begin deliberations until after Trump's defense team has finished calling their witnesses and both the prosecution and defense have offered closing statements.

Thursday's proceedings begin with Trump's defense team continuing their cross examination of ex-lawyer Michael Cohen, the star witness for the prosecution.

A critical question for the defense is whether to call Trump himself to the witness stand. Judge Juan Merchan clarified to the jury earlier in the trial that Trump refusing to take the stand is no indication of guilt, however.

Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this report

A lawyer who formerly advised Michael Cohen claims the ex-Trump attorney said the former president had nothing to do with a hush money payment made to pornographic performer Stormy Daniels and that Cohen took care of the arrangement himself.

Robert Costello, an attorney who advised Cohen after Cohen was hit with federal charges in 2018, testified before the House Weaponization Committee on Capitol Hill Wednesday during the same week Cohen has been testifying against his former boss in a Manhattan courtroom. 

Costello, a former federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, explained he is able to discuss his interactions with Cohen because he "waived the attorney-client privilege and the duty of loyalty of a lawyer to a client." 

Costello testified before the grand jury for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against former President Trump. Costello testified in March 2023, just weeks before Bragg's grand jury indicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. 

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

Costello recalled an interaction with Cohen in 2018, during which he said the ex-Trump attorney was "suicidal and desperately looking for an escape route" after being indicted. 

"I advised him that the SDNY thought he had committed crimes and that he might have evidence they could use for a prosecution of President Trump," Costello testified Wednesday. "I explained to Cohen how he was not the target of the investigation but was a bump in the road and that the U.S. Attorney’s Office would run over him if it led them to Donald Trump."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Brooke Singman

Alina Habba is a New Jersey-based lawyer who currently serves as a legal spokesperson for former President Donald Trump and a senior advisor to his Super PAC, MAGA Inc.

Habba – a managing partner of the law firm Habba, Madaio & Associates LLP in Bedminster – was hired by Trump to serve on his legal team in September 2021. She has represented Trump in several legal matters. Shortly after she was hired by the former president, Habba filed a $100 million lawsuit on Trump’s behalf against the New York Times, three of its reporters, and his niece, Mary Trump.

Habba’s work for Trump also led Summer Zervos, who accused the former president of groping and kissing her, to discontinue a defamation lawsuit she had filed against him.

In recent years, Habba has defended Trump in the civil fraud case brought about by New York Attorney General Letitia James against him and his children.

Habba recently railed against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records.

“As President Trump says, ‘he’s just in the way,’” Habba said during a recent appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity.”

“This can turn to you, it could turn to me. It could turn to our children. And that’s what they’re doing,” she added. “They’re indoctrinating, they’re corrupting, and they are throwing out the American Constitution that our country was made on. It is completely out the window. It’s so sad to see … it has to stop.”

Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prior to representing Trump, Habba, a New Jersey native whose parents fled religious persecution in Iraq in the early 1980s, graduated from Lehigh University in 2005 and got a job in the fashion industry.

Following a brief stint working in production and marketing with executives at Marc Jacobs, Habba attended Widener University Commonwealth Law School in 2010. She briefly served as a clerk for then-New Jersey Superior Court Judge Eugene Codey Jr., before entering private practice in 2011. She started her own firm in 2020 and is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Former President Trump is back in court today for the 18th day of his NY v. Trump trial focusing on $130,000 in alleged hush money payments to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels.

While the trial has featured many stunning and unique moments, here are five of note:

1. This week, a slew of Trump allies from Congress and other elective offices joined him in Lower Manhattan for a show of support, where many offered stern rebukes of the process and the charges against the former president. Those included Florida Rep. Cory Mills, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, and House Speaker Mike Johnson from Louisiana. All are Republicans. 

2. On the first day his former “fixer” Michael Cohen testified, Trump slammed Judge Juan Merchan as “highly conflicted” and “corrupt,” claiming the jurist is preventing him from freely campaigning. Trump, who is now subject to a gag order, said the judge has a case of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and suggested a conflict of interest is present due to Merchan’s daughter “represent[ing] Crooked Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Adam Shifty Schiff and other radical liberals.”

3. This week, the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court also rejected Trump’s bid to end the gag order that has prevented him from speaking publicly about many aspects of the case. 

4. The testimony of Daniels, with whom Trump allegedly had a one-night affair, led to criticism raining down upon Merchan due to the performer’s salacious and sexually-charged testimony.

Merchan denied a defense motion for a mistrial amid Daniels testimony as David Limbaugh, an attorney and brother of the late conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, called the pornographic actress’ testimony “not only prejudicial, but irrelevant.”

5. Cohen, the prosecution’s proverbial star witness, sat for a second day of testimony Tuesday. The onetime confidant has since served three years in prison for campaign finance and lying-to-Congress charges at a federal correctional facility outside Port Jervis, N.Y.

Cohen, who once famously said he would "take a bullet" for Trump, testified against him about his role in arranging the alleged hush-money payment to Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election in an effort to keep her allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump in the early 2000s from becoming public. 

Fox News’ Charles Creitz, Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

During testimony late last week from former President Trump’s ex-director of Oval Office operations, the jury in NY v. Trump was shown a list of about 50 of the mogul’s contacts, which ranged from media figures to football players to religious leaders.

Trump’s former White House aide Madeleine Westerhout’s testimony included discussion of a list of her old boss’ contacts she had been given by his assistant at the Trump Organization, Rhona Graff.

Some of the names included people who have since become foes of the presumptive GOP nominee, like former Rep. Joe Scarborough, R-Fla, and his wife/MSNBC co-host Mika Brzezinski.

Star witness and former “fixer” Michael Cohen’s name appeared, along with retired NFL star Tom Brady, Brady’s former coach Bill Belichick, and Ari Emanuel – the brother of Obama confidant Rahm Emanuel, who is a talent agency executive.

Mark Burnett, the producer of Trump’s erstwhile NBC series, “The Apprentice,” & CBS’ “Survivor,” was named, along with former Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter, tennis legend Serena Williams, and Trump’s former CFO Allen Weisselberg, who is currently serving four months at Riker’s Island prison in connection with perjury charges from the former president’s civil fraud trial.

Other contacts included the former president’s sister: the late New Jersey federal Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, along with former Florida Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Evangelical leader and ex-Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., as well as billionaire Carl Icahn.

Fox News' Charles Creitz contributed to this report

A long list of Republican lawmakers are once again expected to attend Thursday's proceedings in former President Trump's New York criminal trial.

A steady parade of top GOP figures and members of Congress have filtered through the courtroom this week, beginning with Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.

Thursday's group is expected to include Reps. Andy Biggs, R-AZ; Eli Crane, R-AZ; Michael Cloud, R-TX; Lauren Boebert, R-CO; Bob Good, R-VA; Michael Waltz, R-FL; Andy Ogles ,R-TN; Matt Gaetz, R-FL, and Diana Harshbarger, R-TN.

On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson attended the proceedings, along with Republican Florida Reps Byron Donalds and Cory Mills. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also attended the hearing.

Thursday's proceedings will see Trump's lawyers continue to cross examine ex-lawyer Michael Cohen, the star witness for prosecutors and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg.

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report

Defense attorneys for former President Trump are expected to continue their cross-examination of Michael Cohen when court resumes Thursday morning. 

Cohen is said to be the star witness and will give the final testimony in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against the former president. 

Prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump falsified business records 34 times to conceal a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, a pornographic performer, in the lead-up to the 2016 election to silence her about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains his innocence.

So far, Cohen has testified he personally made the $130,000 payment to Daniels using a home equity line of credit in an effort to conceal the payment from his wife. Cohen said he did this because Trump told him to "handle it" and prevent a negative story from coming out ahead of the election.

Cohen testified that he was "reimbursed $420,000" for the $130,000 he paid to Daniels. Cohen said former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg suggested he "gross up" the payments and that Trump knew the details of the reimbursement.

The prosecution presented Cohen with 11 checks totaling $420,000. Cohen confirmed that they were all received and deposited. The checks had a description of a "retainer," which Cohen said was false.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Brooke Singman