Trump blasts ‘conflicted’ judge after first day of Michael Cohen testimony

Vivek Ramaswamy, the multimillionaire former biotech executive and former presidential candidate, will join former President Donald Trump Tuesday in court. 

He will spend the entire day with Trump as the former president's criminal trial continues, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy confirmed to Fox News Digital.

"The best proof that the Trump trial is a sham: if DJT had done the exact *opposite* of the alleged crime, they’d still be prosecuting him & have an even stronger case," Ramaswamy said in a statement. 

Michael Cohen, who served as former President Trump's personal attorney, testified in Manhattan court that he used his own funds to pay a former pornographic actress $130,000 to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump. 

Cohen took the stand in the NY v. Trump case Monday, where he told the court that as the 2016 election came down to the wire, he took out a line of credit on his home in order to pay Stormy Daniels $130,000 in order to execute a non-disclosure agreement and obtain rights to her claims of the affair. Daniels alleges she had an affair with Trump in 2006 during a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, though Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations. 

In October 2016, according to Cohen's testimony, he told Trump that Daniels must be paid in order to quiet her claims ahead of Election Day the following month. He testified that he spoke with Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg about how to fund the payment, with Weisselberg saying he was not in a position to initially foot the bill. 

"I ultimately said, ‘OK, I’ll pay it,’" Cohen testified, noting the urgency behind the matter as the election was just days away. Cohen described to the court that Daniels' claims would have been "catastrophic to Mr. Trump and the campaign" if he did not take control of the situation and iron out the NDA and payment to Daniels. 

Fox News legal editor Kerri Urbahn unpacked Michael Cohen's testimony regarding former president Trump's payment to Stormy Daniels on "The Story."

"He has clearly practiced a lot for today," Urbahn said of Cohen's testimony so far. "It seems rehearsed, it's smooth, it's calm."

But Urbahn also pointed out that none of the testimony Cohen has given so far was unexpected, noting that Trump's defense team will likely have a detailed cross-examination prepared for Cohen.

"We'll hear what happens on cross, I think it's going to be very when that starts happening," Urbahn said.

Cohen, the prosecution's key witness, spent most of Monday at the stand testifying, detailing his work on an alleged cover up scheme in the leadup to the 2016 presidential election.

But Cohen is also likely to face questions about his credibility, most notably after his 2018 felony conviction for campaign finance violations, tax evasion, and making false statements to a federally-insured bank.

Former lawyer Michael Cohen expressed disappointment during his Monday afternoon testimony that he was not given any consideration for the position of Chief of Staff in the new Trump White House.

Cohen testified that he "didn't want that role" of Chief of Staff but had "wanted my name included... to at least be considered."

"It was more about my ego," he said.

After turning down an offer to be assistant general counsel in the White House, Cohen said he personally pitched former President Donald Trump on the possibility of being named the personal attorney to the president.

"I thought that he would need it because there were still outstanding matters we were dealing with, and every president has a personal attorney," Cohen said.

Cohen said that he presented the idea to Trump, who a day or two before the inauguration officially made Cohen the title of personal attorney to the president.

Constitutional law attorney Jonathan Turley says it is not a crime to get a non-disclosure agreement on "America Reports."

"Cohen is still discussing an arrangement that he came up with, he negotiated," Turley said. "It's not a crime to have an NDA. It's not a crime to try to get a story to go away." 

Turley laid out that there were possibly several reasons Trump would have went along with the idea of getting a nondisclosure agreement with adult film star Stormy Daniels, including a desire to prevent embarrassment to his wife and family and to preserve his reputation for his television show.

"There's very likely a mix of different motives," Turley said. "But what you need for a crime is is the intent to commit the crime, and that's what we're still lightyears away."

Cohen, who is the prosecution's most important witness, has spent most of the day Monday on the witness stand, with the prosecution sayin his direct testimony will likely have to carry into Tuesday.

Former lawyer Michigan Cohen testified Monday that the pseudonym "DD" was used to reference former President Donald Trump in the nondisclosure agreement paperwork, with Cohen arguing the fake name was needed because "the purpose was to make sure his name did not appear anywhere."

Cohen said that adult film star Stormy Daniels was given the pseudonym "PP" in the documents, and signed as "Stephanie Clifford," while Cohen and Essential Consultants signed in place for DD.

Cohen said he called Trump shortly after the deal was done to let him know the situation with Daniels was "completely under control and locked down," a call that lasted just over five minutes. Cohen said he made the call to Trump because it was important he be kept up to date on the developments.

Cohen also acknowledged that the purpose for the wire transfer from the bank account to Daniels' lawyer, Keith Davidson, was marked as "retainer," though that descriptor was not truthful, Cohen said.

Former lawyer said he used a home equity line of credit (HELOC) to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels because his wife would have noticed a $130,000 withdrawal from their personal bank account.

Cohen, who said he agree to make the payment himself due to the "urgency" in getting the deal done, reasoned that his wife was the "CEO of the household" and would have noticed the withdrawal.

The former lawyer testified that he instead opted for the HELOC because it was paperless, and that he would be able to pay off the balance after being reimbursed for the payment by the Trump Organization.

Cohen testified further that former President Donald Trump was aware of how the payment was going to be made to Daniels and that he got Trump's approval before finalizing the transaction. Cohen explained that he told Trump the exact situation because not only would it require his approval, but Cohen also wanted to be sure he would get his money back.

Former lawyer Michael Cohen acknowledged that he didn't use a truthful description for the First Republic Bank account he opened while attempting to buy the story rights from adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Cohen wrote "management consulting & marketing" as the description for the account, Cohen testified Monday.

Asked by the prosecution why he did not use a true description, Cohen said that he was not sure if the bank would have opened the account if had would have said it was being used to pay off a nondisclosure agreement for an adult film star.

Cohen also said that he realized during the process that the name he had picked for the LLC, Resolution Consultants, was the same name as a company he already knew of , so he changed the name to Essential Consultants LLC.

The acknowledgement came shortly after Cohen retook the stand following a break for lunch. Cohen, the prosecution's star witness, is still under direct examination.

Former lawyer Michael Cohen is back on the stand Monday afternoon for more testimony in the NY v. Trump trial.

During Monday morning's testimony, Cohen laid out his roughly decade of experience working for former President Donald Trump, with the bulk of that experience coming before Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Cohen admitted to lying and bullying people for Trump's benefit, arguing that he was doing what was "needed" for his former boss. The former lawyer, who is a central part of the prosecution's case against Trump, admitted that he enjoyed his time working for the Trump organization and most of the tasks he was asked to carry out.

He also admitted to at one time secretly recording a conversation between himself and Trump, arguing that he only did so to help Trump.

But Cohen has also faced questions about his credibility, with some analysts pointing to his previous felony conviction to argue that the former lawyer is a risky witness for the prosecution.

Cohen is still under direct examination to start the afternoon.

Former President Trump is facing an unprecedented trial in Manhattan where he faces 34 felony counts for falsifying New York business records. 

Amid court proceedings, which entered their fifth week Monday, Trump has repeatedly complained that the trial has not only taken him off the campaign trail, but also away from his family. 

One of Trump’s family members, his son, Eric Trump, has attended the trial. Eric Trump attended on April 30, where father and son were seen speaking in the court before proceedings kicked off that day. 

Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, became a focal point of the trial when it first began, with Trump urging the court to let him leave Manhattan on May 17 to attend his son’s high school graduation in Florida. Presiding Judge Juan Merchan finally agreed to Trump attending the ceremony, despite initially resisting the request, citing the importance of being present each day for court. 

The former president has also posted repeatedly on social media or spoken to the media about his family amid the trial, including lamenting that he couldn’t be with his wife, Melania Trump, on April 26 to celebrate her birthday. 

“I want to start by wishing my wife, Melania, a very happy birthday,” Trump said last month outside the courtroom. 

“It would be nice to be with her,” he added. 

Trump has also posted a photo of him with three of his grandchildren during the trial. 

The former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case, while slamming the trial as a “scam” promoted by the Biden administration ahead of the 2024 election.

Former President Donald Trump's New York trial broke for lunch during former lawyer Michael Cohen's testimony, which picked back up in the afternoon.

Cohen, who is a central witness in the prosecution's case against the former president, went into detail about the alleged attempt to cover up an alleged affair Trump had with adult film star Stormy Daniels, with Cohen claiming that Trump became upset at Cohen's ability to keep the story under wraps.

Cohen said Monday that Trump "was really angry with me... 'I thought you had this under control, I thought you took are of this.'"

Cohen said that he explained to Trump that he had taken care of the situation as far back as 2011, but as the story resurfaced Trump directed Cohen to "just take care of it," calling the situation a total disaster and reasoning that it would hurt the campaign's chances with women voters.

Former President Trump's former attorney secretly recorded the president ahead of the 2016 election, according to Cohen's witness testimony Monday. 

Cohen testified during Trump's 16th day in court that he secretly recorded Trump on his iPhone on Sept. 6, 2016 - just weeks before the general election - regarding a payment to former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. According to the testimony, Pecker had paid former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 to purchase her story that she had an affair with Trump and to subsequently quiet her claims ahead of the election. 

Pecker had pressed Cohen that Trump needed to pay him back, with Cohen secretly recording Trump on Sept. 6 of the election year as proof Trump planned to pay Pecker, according to the testimony. Cohen added that in addition to easing Pecker's mind that he would be repaid, he also made the recording in order to keep Pecker "loyal" to Trump.

The recording was played for the jury, which included Cohen telling Trump he needed to "open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend David," referring to Pecker. 

"So what do we got to pay for this? One-fifty?" Trump is heard saying. 

Multiple Republican senators who showed up in support of former President Donald Trump spoke out in his favor during a break in the trial.

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, took aim at former lawyer Michael Cohen during his remarks outside the court building, questioning Cohen's credibility.

"This guy is a convict and felon who admitted in his testimony that he secretly recorded his former employer, that he only did it once, allegedly, and that this was supposed to help Donald Trump. Does any reasonable, sensible person believe anything that Michael Cohen says? I don't think that they should," Vance said.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., also took aim at Cohen, arguing that the former lawyer is a "serial liar."

"This this guy worked for President Trump. I mean, how can you be convinced by somebody that is a serial liar? I mean, there should be no reason that anybody should listen to this guy," Tuberville said.

Former President Trump has the edge in five of the six key battleground states where he was narrowly edged by President Biden four years ago, according to new polls.

The surveys, released Monday by the New York Times, Siena College and the Philadelphia Inquirer, suggest that discontent over the economy and the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, and a deterioration in support for Biden by younger, Black and Hispanic voters, "threaten to unravel the president's Democratic coalition.

"Biden topped Trump by razor-thin margins in the 2020 election in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to win the White House.

However, according to the new polls, with just under six months to go until Election Day, Trump leads Biden among registered voters 49%-42% in Arizona, 49%-39% in Georgia, 49%-42% in Michigan, 50%-38% in Nevada, and edges the president 47%-44% in Pennsylvania, with Biden narrowly on top in Wisconsin 47%-45%.

The 2024 rematch between the Democratic president and his Republican predecessor was closer among the narrower pool of likely voters. Trump held the advantage in five states - Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin - with Biden edging ahead in Michigan.

Former federal prosecutor Francey Hakes joined 'Fox & Friends' to discuss why it is 'dangerous' to call Cohen to the witness stand as he is set to testify in the former president's criminal trial in Manhattan.

"Convicted felons have very little creditability to the jury, especially depending on what it is they have been convicted of," Hakes said. "Of course Michael Cohen is literally a convicted liar, so it's a huge risk for the prosecution."

Cohen, a longtime attorney for Trump, is the central witness in the criminal case against the former president, with prosecutors arguing he worked closely with Trump to facilitate hush money payments to former adult actress Stormy Daniels.

But Cohen's credibility has long been questioned, especially in light of a 2018 conviction for campaign finance violations, making false statements to Congress and tax evasion.

Nevertheless, Hakes argued that it was necessary for the prosecution to use Cohen as a witness, saying that he would be the only person with the evidence needed to convict Trump.

Former lawyer Michael Cohen testified Monday that he previous recorded a conversation between himself and former President Donald Trump.

Cohen testified that he recorded a conversation on his iPhone regarding payment to former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who claims he paid for the rights to a story about an affair between Trump and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, an affair Trump has denied.

According Cohen's testimony, Pecker was anxious to be paid back for buying the rights to the story, spurring Cohen to record the private conversation with Trump as proof Trump planned on paying Pecker back.

Cohen said he held the iPhone in his hand while recording the conversation across the desk from Trump, who was unaware he was being recorded.

Cohen confirmed his voice, Trump's, and longtime Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff in the recording.

Cohen said he refers to Pecker as "our friend David" during the conversation, arguing that he didn't need to use Pecker's full name because Trump would know who he was referring to.

Former President Donald Trump was joined by a bevy of high-profile supporters Monday morning outside the Manhattan courtroom, where the NY v. Trump trial will hear from key witness Michael Cohen. 

As Trump spoke to the media early Monday morning, Republican supporters such as Ohio Sen. JD Vance, New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, his son Eric Trump, and others were seen standing behind the 45th president for what is anticipated to be an action-packed day in court. 

Trump's comments ahead of court Monday focused on his argument the case is a "baseless, politically motivated prosecution" promoted by the Biden administration, while highlighting a recent poll showing him leading Biden in key battleground states. 

"The New York Times just came out with a poll that shows us leading everywhere by a lot. This is the cover story. And I think you'll find it very interesting, but I'm sure you've all read it. Leading in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Georgia and Nevada. Nevada, we are leading actually by 12 points, which is generally a Democrat state," Trump said. 

Former lawyer Michael Cohen testified Monday that he would often lie to others for former President Donald Trump because it "was needed in order to accomplish the task."

The former lawyer also said he would also often bull people because "the only thing on my mind was to accomplish the task, to keep him happy," Cohen said, referring to Trump.

Cohen, who noted that he called Trump "boss" or "Mr. Trump" during his time working for the organization said that he enjoyed his time working for Trump, saying that the organization "was fantastic... working for him of those 10 years was an amazing experience... there were great times, there were less than great times, but for the most part, I enjoyed the responsibilities given to me."

The former Trump lawyer added that Trump also liked to be frequently informed on tasks Cohen was carrying out, especially if that matter was troubling for Trump.

Cohen's credibility has been questioned by Trump allies, with top GOP lawmakers Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio and Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., arguing that the former lawyer is a "convicted liar."

Cohen pleaded guilting in 2018 to campaign finance violations, making false statements to Congress and tax evasion. He was sentenced to three years in prison.

Former lawyer Michael Cohen testified Monday that he spoke to former President Donald Trump "every single day, and multiple times a day" before the 2016 election.

Cohen, who is a central witness in the prosecution's case against Trump, noted that he could reach Trump via multiple cell phone numbers or even by stopping by his office, but added that Trump never used email and would often make comments about people "getting in trouble" or "gone down as a direct result of using emails."

The former lawyer added that he was also frequently meet Trump in his office at variously points through the day, saying that he did not have to make an appointment with Trump because of Trump's open door policy.