Prosecutors in Trump's hush money trial slammed for using 'irrelevant' National Enquirer stories as proof

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: In the opening arguments of the trial involving Donald Trump and his alleged involvement in the Stormy Daniels affair, prosecutors painted a vivid picture of a close-knit relationship between the former president and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.

The prosecution depicted a narrative of collaboration that influenced tabloid stories during the 2016 presidential campaign, aiming to shield Trump from negative publicity and target his opponents.

Alleged conspiracy and cover-up

Matthew Colangelo, one of the prosecutors, outlined what he described as a "criminal conspiracy and a cover-up" involving Trump, his former fixer Michael Cohen, and Pecker, the former head of AMI media.

Central to this alleged conspiracy were efforts to "catch and kill" stories detrimental to Trump while simultaneously disseminating damaging headlines about his adversaries, according to Colangelo.

"Mr Pecker would use his network of sources to gather information that might be harmful to the Trump candidacy, report that information to Cohen so Donald Trump could prevent it from becoming public," Colangelo said. 

The prosecution insisted that Trump wasn't merely a passive beneficiary of these tactics but actively participated in the process. Colangelo asserted that Trump reviewed Enquirer stories before publication, sometimes even choosing cover art for the editions.

Several tabloid stories targeting Trump's opponents were highlighted during the trial, including unsubstantiated allegations against Senator Ted Cruz and his father, as well as claims regarding former candidate Dr Ben Carson's medical practices.

"Many of those headline and stories were shown to Cohen and the defendant in advance so the defendant could review them, request changes, accept or reject publication," Colangelo said.

Cruz vehemently denounced the Enquirer's accusations as "garbage" and accused Trump of orchestrating smear campaigns against him. "It is a tabloid smear, and it is a smear that has come from Donald Trump and his henchmen," he said at the time.

Pecker's role extended beyond tabloid sensationalism to more concrete actions, such as meetings with Trump to suppress potentially damaging stories, including those involving former Playboy model Karen McDougal and a Trump Tower doorman allegedly possessing information about an extramarital child of Trump's.

Colangelo characterized these actions as part of a broader conspiracy aimed at aiding Trump's campaign.

The prosecution underscored Trump's direct involvement in managing these controversies, citing instances where he praised AMI for their attacks on his political rivals.

"The defendant even followed up with his contacts at AMI to praise them for their attacks on his political opponents," Colangelo said.

Regarding the doorman's allegations, Trump reportedly instructed Cohen to "take care" of the issue, ultimately resulting in a $30,000 payment—a transaction deemed highly unusual by the court, CNN reported.

Senator Cruz, who clashed with Trump during the 2016 campaign, vehemently criticized these tactics at the time, particularly after Trump threatened to "spill the beans" on Cruz's wife.

"I don't get angry often, but you mess with my wife, you mess with my kids, that'll do it every time," Cruz said, before adding, "Donald, you're a sniveling coward, and leave Heidi the hell alone."

But despite their acrimonious history, Cruz eventually aligned himself with Trump, becoming a key Senate ally during Trump's presidency.

Social media backlash

However, the prosecution's use of National Enquirer stories as evidence faced criticism on social media. Many accused the prosecution of sensationalism and attempting to influence public opinion rather than focusing on legal matters.

"Why drag in unrelated stories unless the goal is to cloud the facts with sensationalism? This is a tactic to influence the court of public opinion, not the pursuit of justice," one social media user posted on X.

"Totally irrelevant to the case, just a rehash of garbage from years ago. Unbelievable," another fumed.

"This is a political witch hunt on Trump," someone else wrote.

"This judge & case are so blatantly biased, that it will go straight to appeal. 1. D.A.'s Office out of the S.D. of NY have already looked into this & determined it was nothing. 2. The FEC looked into this & determined it was nothing. 3. Bragg should be disbarred," another insisted.

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