Trial. The prosecution star witness, Michael Cohen, back on the stand. Todays burning question, will cohen keep his cool when trumps lawyers begin what could be an intense Cross Examination, which could start any time today. Could his trademark temper flare under pressure . Yasmin vossoughian is outside the courthouse for us. Yasmin, take us inside right now. Whats happening . Reporter yeah, a lot happening so far, right . Were 30 minutes into this thing. We already got a lot. Were getting to the crux of this whole thing. Yesterday we heard a lot of incredible testimony from Michael Cohen. We got to the intent as to why essentially donald trump would have wanted to pay off Stormy Daniels. We talked about the january 16th and or 17th meeting, Michael Cohen is unclear about the date in which donald trump, Allen Weisselberg, Michael Cohen were in the room in trump tower saying were going to say Legal Services rendered, paying you monthly, 35,000 a month per the math done by Allen Weisselb
Us. Former new york assistant attorney general adam pollock joins the conversation, and Criminal Defense Attorney and former manhattan prosecutor, duel role, duncan levin is still with us. I want to call you a slashy in the immortal words of zoo lander, model and actor. Michael cohen on the stand for about four hours now. Vaughn hillyard, bring us up to speed. Reporter currently the line of questioning is around the actual execution of the Nondisclosure Agreement that Michael Cohen says that donald trump was party to with Stormy Daniels and her agent and attorney Keith Davidson, in the explicit question which gets at the heart of the falsification of Business Records arguments in charges against donald trump is currently playing before the jury as we speak. The question directed by the prosecution to Michael Cohen just one minute ago was very explicit. Was this Nondisclosure Agreement for the purposes of paying Michael Cohen as a legal retainer to which Michael Cohen said no and said t
Good monday morning. It is 10 00 eastern. Im Ana Cabrera Reporting from new york. We begin with Donald Trumps Hush Money Trial resuming moments ago in a manhattan courtroom. Week three of this trial saw dramatic and at times emotional testimony. Today, week four is kicking off with the judge Finding Trump in contempt once again and issuing a new warning of jail time. While a new witness, the Longtime Trump Controller has taken the stand. Nbcs Vaughn Hillyard is outside the courthouse. With us our legal panel, carol lam, former u. S. Attorney and former judge, adam pollock, The New Yorker new york assistant attorney general. Vaughn, we have a new witness on the stand and action related to the gag order already this morning. Walk us through it. Reporter Jeffrey Mcconney just took the stand. He was the former controller of the Trump Organization. He worked at the trump org for 35 years before leaving his post this last year. Folks may recall that he testified for several days in the Civil
Good to be with you, im alex witt in for katy tur. Lets go to the courthouse, joining us from outside the courtroom, Nbc News National Correspondent yasmin vossoughian, 3 00 p. M. Eastern, catch us up on todays testimony and what is happening right now. Reporter Hope Hicks Integral to the prosecution here, alex, connecting the dots, and i want to talk to you first about a moment that just took place regarding the article in january 2018 that came out, revealing the payoff to Stormy Daniels from Michael Cohen, and how hope hicks framed that payoff, and let me read the verbiage inside the courtroom. Can you describe the conversation and hope hicks saying this, it was the day after michael told the New York Times he made a payment without trumps knowledge and trump said he spoke to michael and he paid this woman to protect from a false allegation and michael had done it to protect him and had not told him anything about it. I had known cohen for three and a half years. I did not know mich
White House Press Secretary under president obama and msnbc political analyst. Adam pollock, and charles coleman, an msnbc legal analyst. Vaughn, i want to start with you. You have kind of lived all of this from the beginning to the end. As you watched what unfolded today, help us understand it, but also put all of that testimony by Hope Hicks Which was pretty dramatic in the context of what we knew at the time. Reporter exactly, its dramatic because hope hicks was somebody who testified today that she was intimately involved with donald trump in what was a very Small Campaign brass that included keith shiler and Corey Lewandowski and Michael Cohen, the outside personal lawyer voice who maintained a quasi role with the campaign, representing donald trump. In this, for hope hicks and for the jury here, is a key, crucial witness that knows donald trump so well, but also was a trusted adviser and aide, somebody whose words were never really highly scrutinized, somebody who donald trump ha