Questions you may have call now and well come to you 808 to one 4,000 welcome to a Special Edition of newsnight, the Trump Hush Money Trial. Im abby phillip in new york alongside laura coates here five hours and eight minutes. That is how along the trials most important witness spent on the stand today Michael Cohen directly implicating donald trump, telling the jury dramatic and potentially critical facts when it comes to the prosecutions case against trump the jury watched intently, their heads were sibling back and forth between the prosecutor and the witness as the government lead cohen through screw a deliberate testimony to and actually trace is evolution. If you remember from trumps periphery to trumps, go refer to trumps. Do everything fixer. And that included the alleged Hush Money Deal designed to silence Stormy Daniels idea that cohen testified trump ordered him to make the jury learned how cohen called trump. Well, mr. Trump or more simply the boss, his demeanor was measured throughout as he told the court how trump avoided email to many people. He said have gone down because of a paper trail. Cohen recall trumps saying, and he also painted a picture of trump as the micromanager doling out tasks and demanding updates, or becoming frustrated when he wasnt appraised of the up to the minute progress on various issues, cohen told the jury everything that happened around trump required his signoff tonight. Were going to take you actually inside the courtroom. Were going to page through word for word, the most tense, the most revealing and weight, the most crippling testimony for the former president. And then were going to analyze where the prosecution one today, where the government missed some opportunities to bolster its case. Theres a lot of head, so lets start with joey jackson reading as Michael Cohen and Mercedes Colwyn as prosecutor susan hoffinger. This exchange here is about the payment itself. Take it away now, after you learn from dylan howard and from Keith Davidson about the Stormy Daniels story, and are wanting to publish its story. And the conversations about purchasing that story. Did you speak to mr. Trump i did. Can you tell us first of all, why did you speak to mr. Trump or biden begin because it was a matter that affected him and because that was what i always did, which was to keep them abreast of everything was this also a serious matter at that time . A very serious matter. Did you tell him what you had heard from dylan howard and Keith Davidson . Yes and what was his reaction . He was really angry with me. I thought you had this under control. I thought you took care of this. I expressed to mr. Trump we did 2011. I have no control over what she goes out. And does and he expressed to me theyre in there is previous denial. Just take care of it. There was a lot going on at the campaign at the time. He was like, just take care of it. Did he say anything to you at that time about how this might be viewed if it got out yes. What did he say . Substance. He said to me, this is a disaster, a total disaster women are going to hate me because this is really a disaster. Women will hate me. Guys may think its cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign. What, if anything, did you understand about withdrawn why did you understand what did you understand him to mean by women will hate this and what his concern was objection. Overruled so what the time is to trump was polling very, very low with women and you said very well know very poorly on im sorry, its all right. I couldnt hear he was polling very poorly with women and this coupled with the previous access Hollywood Tape, he just stated this is a disaster. And get control of it. Did you have any conversation with him about strategy in dealing with the story . I am sorry did you have any conversation additional conversation with mr. Trump about a particular strategy about how to control of it and how to deal with it. He told me to work with david and get control over this purchase. The life rights we need to stop this from getting out was there any conversation about pushing it to a period of time . Yes. What was that . So during the negotiation to purchase an acquire the life rights, what he had said to me is what i want you to do is just push it out as long as you can just get past the election because if i win, it has no relevance. Well be president. If i lose, i dont even care. Did you bring up at the time the topic of his wife, alanine, in one of those conversations with mr. Trump . I did what did you say in substance to him i said and how things going to go with upstairs. Were you concerned about that . I was. And what, if anything, did he say to you about that . Dont worry. He goes he goes how long do you think i will be on the market for not long . What did you understand that to me . He wasnt thinking about melania. This was all about the Campaign Abeer Talking Oscars over there. We say right now, it also illustrates the motivation for the payment, but it also have to think about the implication. Lets dive into that, take it away, guys. Can you read this email its states michael, ive been charged by my client with forwarding the below message. We have we have a written Settlement Agreement which calls for Settlement Payment to be sent by the end of business this past friday, october 14th, 2016. No payment was received. We spoke on friday, october 14 and you stated that funds would be wired today, october 17, 2016 no funds have been received as of the sending of this email, my client informs me that she intends to cancel the settlement conduct drag if no funds are received by five pacific time pst today, please call me if you have any questions, keith, what was happening at this time with respect to this deal . My intent was to continue to delay it as per mr. Trumps demand. And i clearly did not send funds to mr. Davidson at the iowa lawyers account on this date. Date there come a time after that, again, still in october of 2016, that mr. Trump in substance express to you that he understood third, he could no longer delay this transaction yes. And describe the conversation you had with them he stated to me that he had spoken to some friends, some individuals, very smart people, and that its 130,000 youre like a billionaire. Just pay it. Theres no reason to keep this thing out there. So do it. And he expressed to me just do it. Go meet with go meet up with Allen Weisselberg and figure this whole thing out following that conversation with mr. Trump, did you in fact, of some discussions with Allen Weisselberg about trying yet to figure out about how the payment would be made . Yes. And what and substance did you discuss with weisselberg and the different options well that i had the opening of the company all set up. Now it just needed to be funded to which weisselberg turned and said, can we get ami to pay it . I said no theyve already expressed to me theyre not paying it. They said we need to come up with a way of how to fund it. I said, we need to do it immediately at some point. Did you have a conversation with mr. Trump about the fact that you are willing to pay for it, at least initially yes. Allen and i spoke to mr. Trump. We expressed to him that i was going to front the money for it to which he was appreciative and good good. Did you have a sense from mr. Trump that you would end up being out the money or you would get actually paid back he stated about it. Dont worry about it. You will get the money back. Would you have ever paid for the nda for Stormy Daniels on your own without an understanding that you would get paid back . No why not its 130,000. I was doing everything that i could end more in order to to protect my boss, which was something i had done for a long time. But i would not lay out 130,000 for an nda needed by Somebody Else . Well lets bring in the rest of the panel here. I mean, that was good. That was good rendition. Its important to do this, of course, because it is so important you were in the courtroom. We were both there it brings it to life in a way to actually hear how it was being said. Its invalid yeah. I mean, when we chop up some of these exchanges, we miss sometimes The Big Picture here is stacy. I mean, this really needed to be the prosecutions best de it needed to be the day that they got most of what they needed to bring this case home what did you think were their home runs so Michael Cohen, the linchpin of what trump knew and what trump directed. And all of the other witnesses that weve heard from so far, david pecker from the National Enquirer or Keith Davidson, Stormy Daniels, lawyer hope hicks, and his his former assistance. That was to shore up this big day of Michael Cohen testifying because they were all giving the Background Details in support of Michael Cohen because Michael Cohen has everyones been discussing this entire trial, has his credibility issues, his Conviction Record so what they managed to accomplish today with Michael Cohen is exactly what theyve been teeing up, setting up, which is trump was in charge trump he did this at trumps direction. He didnt go rogue and do this on his own to impress his boss he they also established again through Michael Cohen, like they did through all of the witnesses throughout, that trump is a micromanager. The buck stops with him. He approves all the deals, and Michael Cohen now filling in flesh of the conversations that he had with donald trump about this alleged scheme shows Donald Trumps alleged motive, intent, an actual participation because the statements come in, not as hearsay from donald trump, but actually as admissions by a Party Opponent at a more bring you in here, especially because i mean up until now, there had been a lot of Pre Corroboration of Michael Cohen. They know very well they had to dock their eyes cross or ties, have a paper trail in front of him before he took the stand. But he is the ultimate storyteller of the moment were talking about. You thought that one of the big wins today was that they finally were able leads to his testimony to connect cohen to trump, not just an intimation of something that was said, but actual instruction. Did it go far enough . This was an important day for the prosecution. I think they conducted a key point which has they have donald trump directly, not one layer removed, but donald trump directly give with the mode of why he wanted to cover up, why he wanted to Stormy Daniels to be paid this is threequarters the prosecutions case, but did it go far enough . They still need the land who directed that the documents be falsified . This has a documents case. They need to prove not only the documents were falsified, which we now know from the prior weeks of testimony. But the donald trump directed the false doc get ready and thats the piece we still dont have i see. I got to ask you a nonlegal question here because i know that i dont think you and i are probably going to leave once. I know, but listening to, this testimony. I was i was in the room. Michael cohen is explaining Donald Trumps behavior, his pattern of operation in the Trump Organization and honestly, ive covered the man for a long time, but i still wonder what was he thinking at the end of the day . Why go through all this trouble to create this elaborate scheme . And i think that that is kind of hanging over this case. Trump chose the hard way here, right . And created this problem for himself. And theres a lot of evidence that he really didnt have to to do it this way yes. And that evidence bore out, right when the access Hollywood Tape came out and we all i mean, ill speak for myself, thought it was going to be the end it was not the end. I think there are people that can compartmentalize this and we heard the Locker Room Defense of that so i think look Donald TrumpsBoris Snus Rashness you could go further. Was wellknown at the time. And i dont know if anyone else at this table has met Michael Cohen, but ive met Michael Cohen. Ive been threatened personally by Michael Cohen he is in addition to all the other problems he has deeply unlikeable, deeply unlikable. But i think if you dont know them, you think well, heres one slimy dirty guy who worked for another slimy dirty guy. And they they deserved each other and worked together in tandem. And i think its believable that this dirty guy was doing dirty stuff for this sturdy today, Michael Cohen on the Witness Stand was not that guy who you and i know. If youve ever does that guy, he didnt want to be perceived as that guy. Hes that guy though cleaned up is key, but im saying from the perspective of actually watching him into this thing on Witness Stand, he really was softening himself up for the jury, making it seem do giving them the Sob Story Version of it and it was to some extent effective and that had to have been part of the sensor as you guys know, this, in my mind, this was the equivalent of when you have the mug shot of the person at the day they were arrested and then by the time you get the trial, theyve got glasses i mean, theyve got up how butterfly and or fixer . But this but i liked the guy. I mean, i know people are throwing things at their Tv Madam Spoke with them i think he was mr. Koch was good. Dude like we just, you know, for whatever reason i dont know, you know, he just seemed to me as a personable guy. He wasnt an idiot. He it was a nice event might be methods acting right really you know, so there was so much about, look, i dont want to cast aspersions on Michael Cohen. Hes a human being and he comes on the show all the time its really more about the person he was at that time, which he even sort of described himself at one point, he said i was i was angry even for me because he was a quick to anger kind of person and the prosecution knew he could not be that person on the Witness Stand or he would lose the jury . No. Any also, i do admit that hed lied and buzz a bully. He was a bully when he worked for the trump trump org he had to get that out in his direct because they knew the defense was certainly going to bring up his temper and is bullying and is line and everything else. Take the wind out of the sails, but to your point, really clean him up, makes a huge difference to let me know. Okay . Okay. Okay. Okay. Before we go on them, Michael Cohen redemption to our listen, hes still that guy and we havent seen him being crossed by the defense. We havent seen him defensive and put up against the wall and simple, why did you do that . Well, what about this . You said this earlier. Lets talk in a couple of days. But tomorrow, whenever the defense comes in to question him, and well see if hes still that guy or if joe you want to know out now you know what it is se i think that what the prosecution has done in this case has spent a lot of time not making it about Michael Cohen as much as its about him. How and why we know because of how they laid out the case. He doesnt have to explain in catchandkill, we had a guy by the name of pecker. Explained that he doesnt have to explain Access Hollywood and the imperative to save the campaign and what can we do from the free for all right, we have to get this under control. Stormy daniels get that story, take care of it now, so many details. We know that hes in the oval office, not from him, but from him. As well because weve heard information with respect to him being there when trump became president. We know about the numerous phone calls that were made between parties, whether it be hope hicks, right. The Press Secretary to the campaign and then later the white house, we know about the issues involved ill then conversations with pecker with howard why not . Because of him, we have phone records that establish these things. So what am i saying . Im saying that the prosecution has spent in an Ordinate Amount of time in the lead up to his testimony getting as much corroboration as possible. So the jury has to believe very little from him. Last point and that is that we are in these trials able to make reasonable inferences and draw them from the evidence. What do you think the Closing Argument will be . The prosecutions Closing Argument will be not only did Michael Cohen tell you in a few pause as to believing him every reasonable inference from the facts would suggest that donald trump knew exactly what was going on, orchestrated it. An