special coverage of this escalating trump probe in new york and tonight right now you re watching a special live edition of the beat. we re following the pressure donald trump which actually exploded from the arrest talk this weekend to today s blockbuster testimony before the grand jury? some out of court-statements that broke within the last hour. moments ago this trump-aligned witness speaking out. my only mission there today was to tell the truth about what michael cohen was saying at any point in time. michael cohen decided on his own, that s what he told us, on his own to see if he could take care of this. is that what he told us? was all of the remarks made factual? mr. michael cohen is here to respond in a moment. this is not just journalism. this is aspects of the probe spilling out because mr. costello did speak to the grand jury today that s why he was so newsworthy. mr. cohen remained a key grand jury witness in a case that donald trump now says will lead to
and of course, to donald that he s willing to go out there and make these false statements. nick? i think this was absolutely a dumb, stupid move because if i were alan bragg i would be bringing out all of these facts about all of the conversations that costello had with michael, all of the conversations that costello had with rudy giuliani. what rudy giuliani said that donald trump said and what he conveyed to donald trump and then i would wind up indicting donald trump for witness tampering and obstruction of justice. i mean, the mueller report in itself is enough basis to do that, but now they put forward a witness who is right in the middle of the witness tampering plot to come in and give exculpatory everyday. you wrote about this in the book. this goes to how donald trump uses people and called reliance. if i rely on a lawyer i can do
your legal lens on what has transpired today. your view of this back and forth with a witness that under new york rules as we understand you re being brought in as a legal right of donald trump, a courtesy to that side or until the grand jury hears that and what did you hear from mr. cohen? where i start with this is the mueller report because the mueller report laid out a witness tampering plot by donald trump, basically to keep michael in line with donald trump. through whom? through through rudy giuliani and bob costello. bob costello i know, we were in the u.s. attorney s office and he s a good guy and it seems like he was wittingly or unwittingly part of a plot to keep michael cohen in line. how many years did you overlap with him? a couple of years. all of these new york lawyers, michael.