Conspiracy and they cover up the people of the state of new york versus donald j. Trump now underway as trumps attorney or zaid, you and im quoting him here. There is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election it was a hush of the courtroom today is the first witness took the stand in long time. Confidante who helped trump catch and kill negative stories. And good now help make the former president , it convicted felon, and trump. Meanwhile, relatively the quiet incorporate ranting outside court, attacking Michael Cohen, the widely expected Star Witness For The Prosecution my source tonight is Michael Cohens legal adviser, lael any davis, also just in trump, but a new interview talking about the jury, did he just violate a gag order . Maybe again, im Kaitlan Collins. And this is the source course for the next six weeks or so prepared to expect the unexpected, speaking of which one very well trump saying that the first true de of his criminal trial well, in his view, weve been after the prosecution accused him of trying to cover up an affair with a porn star to influence the election even after they read his own words from the infamous access Hollywood Tape about being able to sexually assault women because hes famous. And even after one of his longtime confidence and a tabloid king took the Witness Stand, there were no outburst from trump and court today, but outside of the courthouse was a very different story. As two bookkeeping which is a very minor thing in terms of the law and calm as a lawyer representing a lot of people over the years. Im not the only one and wasnt very good in a lot of ways. He puts in an invoice or whatever avail and they can make all a legal expense. I got indicted for that checks being paid to a lawyer. Whoever heard of this, yet indicted for that actually, thats not at all what this case is about. Heres how the prosecution put it to the jury today. They said it is about quote, falsifying Business Records with the intent to conceal an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of a president ial election. 34 counts of it and trump is of course, innocent until he is Proven Guilty. Is lawyer told the jury today that he had nothing to do with any of the 34 pieces of paper that 34 counts exempt. He signed onto the checks and the white house while he was running the country sign of checks seems like kind of a big deal. And while he was running the country at that especially given that when trump was asked back then when i was covering the white house, so that he knew nothing about this payment at all 30 payment the prosecution, as they put it, says that this was all quote, Election Fraud pure and simple the defense. And im quoting trumps lead attorney here says there is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. Its called democracy of course it is wrong if its illegal, which is what all of this is about today. The first witness took the stand, a guy whose name you might be familiar with by now. If not, you certainly will be so in the coming weeks, david as the former publisher of the supermarket checkout line, tabloid, the National Enquirer. And he has been granted immunity in this case. And prosecutors today put him on the stand as they argue that he helped orchestrate a socalled catch and kill steam scheme to control the public narrative about trump ahead of the 2016 election. Trump go back to the late 90s when actually put out a magazine for guests of Trump Properties called trumps style. He was really seen as a guardian of trumps image, issuing glowing covers of the National Enquirer that made trump look good. And his rivals look bad. How could any of us forget the one about senator ted cruz falsely linking his father to jfks assassination. And others falsely alleging affairs ted ted cruz actually to come out and deny that and called it himself a smear. Prosecutors are alleging that whats at the heart of this was a threepronged scheme. One, positive stories for trump to negative ones for Everybody Else. Three, kill the stories that could hurt trumps campaign. Thats what this trial is now centered on david is going to be back on the Witness Stand tomorrow. But when he stepped down from the jury box today, he actually smiled and said hi to the Defense Table where trump was seated. As he walked past weve done the best legal sources here tonight to suss out everything that happened today. Jennifer rodgers is a former federal prosecutor and cnn legal analyst, arthur aye dala. And were not us to be to veteran new York Attorneys. And of course, judge show kohn visor for New York State Supreme Court justice, who is also friends and knows the judge overseeing this case. Judge juan merchan john, jen before we get to everything that happened today, it was a lot. Theres a comment from trump just now where he was talking about the jury in an interview, this is what he had to say. Thats yogi was pick so fast, 95 democrats. The areas mostly all democrat. You think of it as just a purely democrat area. Its a very unfair situation that i can tell you one, what do you make of him commenting on the jury like that outside of court and to his legal team seem to think that they did pretty well and figuring out the jury here yeah. I think it is another violation of the gag order. The judge put certain strictures on different pieces of the gag order, like if you could only not talk about what this is, if it had to do with their participation in the case even more strictures on when it was a violation. If you talked about personnel and so on. But the juror is the judge basically said, you may not make public statements that relate to the jurors, period, full stop. So i think any talking about the jurors is violation of the gag order, which i think brings us to 12 violations for tomorrows hearing. So well see judge marsha and does about that and you know, its just wrong. I mean, juryselection took a week in a sixweek case. Thats not at all unusual sure. Those viewer on the table will agree. Theres just no basis to this notion that it was too fast or unfair. So there are two jurors on the team who actually said pretty favorable things about donald trump one of the reasons why Jury Selection was so fast as judge merchan did something that is not typically done and i compliment them for it. He said that if any one year it cant be fair and impartial. Just raise your hand and youre dismissed. Thats not typical. Normally, you go with them one time. Why cant you be fair and impartial . And thats what takes a long amount of time. So once they got rid of those people both sides only get ten challenges you go through those pretty quickly and they did go through them pretty quickly. And i do agree with jennifer. I think talking about the jury is verboten. I dont think youre allowed to. I mean, he didnt say anything really like attacking them. We just said the democrats as a democratic area that democrats, and it was for trumps, thats an tech. I mean, well, okay. Hes got a lot worse detects. They just accusing them as democrats. Thats all, judge. What do you make of this . I have a few things id like to say. One is for the defendant to come out and say this is unfair because its a democratic county, a democratic state, democratic area is kinda laugh well, in a sense, we do. Arthur does renato does we try cases in this system, murder cases, rape cases. Im going to say more than 90 of new yorkers dont like murderers and dont like rapist. But those individuals get fair trials in this county every day of the week. And you know what mr. Defendant . If you dont want to be tried in your county, dont allegedly committed crimes in new york county. Its a little bit silly for him to come out and say that with respect to the issue on on whether or not theres a violation of the gag order. I agree with both of you that this is a violation. I think one of the problems that judge merchan is facing thank is quite frankly, if theres not a whole lot of places to go, 1,000 for each one. Its not much for a guy who owes lets say, 400 million. I dont even know at this point or put them in jail for a limited amount of time, which i assume no one really wants to do. So i dont think theres a lot of room for him yeah. Thats obviously one of the first things that the judge is its going to be hearing tomorrow. This may have just added fuel to the prosecutors case, but were not living. Get your take gone what else is going to happen tomorrow, which is david returning to the Witness Stand and coming back. What did you make of the prosecutions choice and picking of the witnesses that we do expect to testified. Stormy daniels, hope hicks, maybe Michael Cohen, of course. What do you make of the fact . If that theyd big david to go first, well, they want to set the table thats why theyre bringing him out here. Hes going to explain the overall scheme that this was something that was done over and over again. I think hes gonna be on the stand all day tomorrow. Is the only witness were going to see tomorrow. And then i dont think were going to see Michael Cohen this week because i think they wouldnt want the defense to have over the weekend to kind of look through Michael Cohens testimony and come up with additional cross. Im not sure who were going to have later in the week, but it kinda makes sense to call david. So theyd want a shorter window before the defense has to turn around and theyre able to crossexamine michael coe. I think so. I think were going to see Michael Cohen next week so they have to do something midweek they have to pounce on him the defense tomorrow whenever they stand up either tomorrow afternoon or i guess it would be thursday morning. And say basically the domestic is youre telling the jury is this prosecutor just stood here and said the conspiracy was between the defendant and Michael Cohen, whos not at that table. And mr. Becker, whos not at that table, who wasnt charged and has a cooperation agreement. They gave him immunity. Hes is guilty, if not more guilty, because hes in charge of the headlines. Hes the one who creates the headlines or doesnt create that lies. And they gave him i get out of jail god he doesnt even have a charge behind him and hes got a cooperation its fullblown immunity, and they have to exploit that to the hill. But what does that, how does that come across to the jury . I mean, how did they see hearing motivation, ally, hes got every motivation elijah little or no. You dont tell us what we want to hear on the prosecutor is subpoena you. I bring in my office you dont tell me what i want to hear. Youre sitting next to donald trump at the table. You tell me what i do want here. Im giving you full blown and immunity. You got thats why you could smile coming on and just how immunity works. I mean that they have to find someone to give them unity out like its cotton candy. Kevin, do i think youve had plenty of clients youve represented who are operationally get a cooperative he should agreement. They usually and better than anyone is a former federal prosecutor. They make you plead guilty and then they give you a cooperation agreement. So you have that Guillotine Hanging over your neck. They dont just give you a unity. Heres the problem. David is not in charge of the trump organizations internal financial documents, nor is he a candidate who is obligations to file like federal Campaign Finance forms. Hes not criminally responsible for this scheme in the way its been the conspiracy and he also was fill right. A conspiracy with compassion kills. He is a great candidate for immunity. Theres no way you get that guy to play due cooperation agreement. The feds didnt either. Thats why hes there. And i got to say if he is credible and his demeanor is good, he seems like a reluctant witness. Jurys going to believe he is also someone who when the Karen Mcdougal payment was being made, he researched, is this a Campaign Finance contribution violation because he was worried that his corporation his entity paying that that would constitute once this is certainly something they had on the brain over that course the period of suppressing these stories. And i think thatll be part of the crossexamination clearly, hes a hes lowhanging fruit for across it for good cross examiner. But at the end of the day, when you look at who had something to gain here, it was the defendant more than mr. Packer. Problem is theyre going to go after all these witnesses and theyre going to say all have an ax to grind. Everybody has an actor well, eventually you run out of axes and not everybody here is going to have a motive. And some of their stories are going to corroborate the stories of the people they say have motives. So it only takes you so far to say everybody is motivated to lie and David Wanted Trump to be president. He was someone who covered for trump when he was had the he went to trump and said, how can can i help your campaign . And this was how they came up with a way to help the campaign, right . Right. I think one thing though, in the prosecutions Opening Statement that was kind of interesting, we still dont really know what the underlying crime is. I mean, did Anybody Catch that now it seems to be its going to be a new york election Law Violation 17152, which by the way, is a misdemeanor itself. So i wanted to have this conversation, but just for everyone whos watching at home and is like, what are you talking about i got a little rock, dont no, but its important because when this was brought by, the District Attorney last year, he there were essentially three potential underlying crimes. He didnt say which one it could be, but it seemed to me and tell me if im wrong from the prosecutions argument today that they thought that it relied on convincing them trump violated the state law that forbids conspiracy to promote or prevent an election. Exactly. Thats a statute i referred to that what theyre referring to there is new york election law 17152, which says if you use unlawful waffle means i dont know what the unlawful means are. I guess well find out, but a few is unlawful means to promote a candidate that, that in new york is an a misdemeanor. And so the theory is records were falsified, i guess the cover up this, a misdemeanor in new york state. I think this is the hard part of the case. What is that . Other crimes they do not have to prove what that other crime is. Just that with intent to defraud he entered or omitted with intent to commit another crime. They dont have to prove what that is, but its a good idea if they do because the jurors will be looking for i talk about what it was like inside the courtroom as well today, would just the Opening Statements were being made in prosecutors objected several times during todd blanche is opening, which was probably half as shortages as the prosecutions was. And you know, this is just Opening Statements. I mean, is this a preview of what the next maybe six weeks however long this takes is going to look like. Yeah, maybe its unusual to object during an Opening Statement, lawyers try not to do it, but if the lawyer tries to sneak in something thats not allowed, which is what todd blanche did when he referred to Michael Cohens having pleaded guilty to something and then tried to back off of that that was excluded by the judge and so starting to reference that as he did in the Opening Statement, is worthy of an objection i do think were going to have a very fraught objection series in this case because theres going to be a lot of really highintensity, for example, and so least, thanks everyone for being here crazy day one, many more of them to come. Soon enough. It is not going to be david on that stan, but another key witness, former Trump Attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, who already went to prison in connection with this case, his lawyers tried to convince the jury today that he cant be trusted. My source disagrees. Cohens Legal Advisor as your next and later question, did trump violated his gag order even before the comment that he made tonight about the jury will talk about it with a former judge source with Kaitlan Collins . Hes brought to you by up devo plus your boy find out more at up diva hello. Com if advanced lung cancer has you searching for possibilities, discover a different first treatment immunotherapies work with your Immune System to attack cancer, but up devo plus your voice is the first combination of two immunotherapies for adults, newly diagnosed with nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer that has spread tests positive for pdl1 and does not have an abnormal egfr or alk gene up devo plus your voice is not chemotherapy. It works differently. It helps your Immune System fight cancer and two different ways. Up devo in your voice i can cause your Immune System to harm healthy parts of your body during and after treatment, these problems can be severe and lead to death see your doctor right away if you have a cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular rp diarrhea, constipation, severe stomach pains, severe nausea or vomiting, dizziness, fainting, eye problems, extreme tiredness, changes in appetite, thirst, or urine, rash, itching, confusion, memory problems, muscle pain or weakness, j