Former President Donald Trump is currently undergoing trial in New York City, facing felony charges linked to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. This trial represents the first instance in U.S. history of a former president facing criminal charges.
In April last year, Trump pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment accusing him of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment made by his then-attorney Michael Cohen to Daniels, aimed at bolstering his chances in the 2016 presidential election.
A witness, Douglas Daus, testified about the contents of Cohen's phones, including a 2016 recording of Trump discussing the purchase of Karen McDougal's story, made public in 2018. Daus also mentioned Cohen having nearly 40,000 contacts on one phone, with 10 pages dedicated to Trump's contact information alone.
Trump, speaking outside the courtroom, implied he might not testify, citing an "unconstitutional gag order," despite the limited nature of the order.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Emil Bove questioned Daus about the integrity of the recordings, highlighting a sudden cutoff in one of them.
The proceedings are set to continue the following day at 9:30 a.m. ET.