First witness testifies in Trump hush money trial following opening statements

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>>> THIS IS AN NBC NEWS SPECIAL

REPORT.

HERE'S LESTER HOLT.

>> GOOD DAY, EVERYONE, WE'RE

COMING ON THE AIR WITH BREAKING

NEWS IN NEW YORK.

THE JURY IN FORMER PRESIDENT

DONALD TRUMP'S CRIMINAL HUSH

MONEY TRIAL JUST HEARD TESTIMONY

FROM THE FIRST WITNESS IN THE

CASE AFTER OPENING STATEMENTS

WRAPPED UP FROM BOTH SIDES.

THE PROSECUTION LAYING OUT ITS

CASE FOR WHAT IT CALLS A

CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY AS THE

DEFENSE PREVIEWS HOW IT PLANS TO

REFUTE THAT.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME A FORMER

PRESIDENT AND A PRESUMPTIVE

NOMINEE IS STANDING TRIAL FOR

CRIMINAL CHARGES.

MR. TRUMP PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO

34 COUNTS OF FALSIFYING BUSINESS

RECORDS.

THOSE COUNTS ARE RELATED TO A

2016 PAYMENT MADE TO ADULT FILM

STAR STORMY DANIELS TO KEEP HER

QUIET ABOUT AN ALLEGED SEXUAL

ENCOUNTER, ALL OF WHICH THE

FORMER PRESIDENT HAS DENIED.

WE WANT TO GO RIGHT NOW OUTSIDE

THE COURTHOUSE, NBC'S VAUGHN

HILLYARD IS THERE.

VAUGHN, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT NEXT

IN THE CASE?

>> Reporter: LESTER, THIS IS AN

INTENSE THREE HOURS, AND DAVID

PECKER WILL TAKE THE STAND

TOMORROW AGAIN AFTER TESTIFYING

FOR 30 MINUTES HERE BEFORE THIS

JURY OF 12 AND 6 ALTERNATES.

DAVID PECKER WAS THE FORMER

PUBLISHER OF THE "NATIONAL

ENQUIRER."

HE IS A CRUCIAL WITNESS FOR THE

PROSECUTION.

HE HAD ALREADY AGREED TO WORK

WITH FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS IN

THE PAST AND IS NOW ON THE STAND

HERE TODAY.

HE HAS ALREADY BEGUN HIS

TESTIMONY HERE IN WHICH

PROSECUTORS HAVE OUTLINED THAT

HE WILL DISCUSS A 2015 MEETING

BETWEEN MICHAEL COHEN, DONALD

TRUMP, AND HIMSELF.

THIS WAS JUST TWO MONTHS AFTER

HE LAUNCHED HIS PRESIDENTIAL

BID.

THIS IS WHERE THE THREE OF THESE

INDIVIDUALS PROSECUTORS WILL

OUTLINE CONCOCTED A CATCH AND

KILL SCHEME PLAN TO CATCH

SALACIOUS STORIES LIKE THAT OF

STORMY DANIELS, WHO IN OCTOBER

OF 2016 WHEN SHE CAME FORWARD TO

THE "NATIONAL ENQUIRER," THE

"NATIONAL ENQUIRER" IN TURN

CONTACTED MICHAEL COHEN WHO THEN

PAID HER $130,000 JUST TWO WEEKS

BEFORE THE 2016 ELECTION.

THE D.A.'S OFFICE FROM DISTRICT

ATTORNEY ALVIN BRAGG'S TEAM HAVE

OUTLINED HERE OVER THE COURSE OF

45 MINUTES IN OPENING STATEMENTS

THAT THEY INTEND TO SHOW THAT

THERE IS A CONSPIRACY, THAT

DONALD TRUMP DIRECTED THE

PAYMENTS IN 2016 WEEKS BEFORE

THE ELECTION TO STORMY DANIELS,

AND THAT HE WOULD THEN IN TURN

IN 2017 REIMBURSE MICHAEL COHEN

FOR THOSE PAYMENTS.

THE WHAT DID DONALD TRUMP KNOW

AND DIDN'T KNOW IS AT THE HEART

OF THIS CASE.

BACK IN 2016 WHEN THIS CASE

BECAME PUBLIC, HE INITIALLY

DENIED THAT HE WAS AWARE OF THE

STORMY DANIELS PAYMENT OF

$130,000, BUT WHAT YOU ARE HEARD

FROM HIS DEFENSE TEAM WHEN THEY

TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT

FORWARD THEIR OPENING STATEMENTS

OVER 35 MINUTES, HIS DEFENSE

LAWYER OUTLINED THAT DONALD

TRUMP WAS A SYMPATHETIC FIGURE

IN THIS, THAT HE DID NOT COMMIT

ANY CRIME, THAT HE COMPENSATED

MICHAEL COHEN AS HIS PERSONAL

LAWYER, THAT IT WAS NOT A

REPAYMENT TO COVER UP THE STORMY

DANIELS' STORY BEFORE THE 2016

ELECTION, BUT HE WAS SIMPLY

PAYING HIM AS HIS PERSONAL

LAWYER.

HE TOLD THE JURY -- THIS WAS

DONALD TRUMP'S ATTORNEY -- THAT

THEY SHOULD IGNORE THE TESTIMONY

FROM THE LIKES OF STORMY DANIELS

WHEN SHE TAKES THE STAND SAYING

YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR SALACIOUS

MATERIAL ABOUT ALLEGED AFFAIRS

AND AN ATTEMPTED HUSH MONEY

PAYMENT, BUT NONE OF THAT

MATTERS BECAUSE AT THE HEART OF

THIS IS OVER FINANCIAL RECORDS

AND THAT DONALD TRUMP WAS NOT

THE ONE THAT ULTIMATELY WAS

RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE ACTS.

AND SO THIS IS GOING TO BE AN

INTENSE FIVE TO SEVEN-WEEK TRIAL

HERE.

TOMORROW THEY WILL RETURN TO

COURT FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE

WE LOOK AT OTHER WITNESSES

INCLUDING STORMY DANIELS AND OF

COURSE, MICHAEL COHEN WHOM THE

DEFENSE TEAM FOR DONALD TRUMP

ALREADY WAS QUESTIONING THE

CREDIBILITY OF SAYING THAT

MICHAEL COHEN'S TRUE INTENT HERE

IS JUST TO GET DONALD TRUMP AND

GET HIM INTO JAIL AFTER THOSE

TWO, BEING THE FORMER LAWYER,

FORMER FIXER, THE TWO OF THEM

PARTED WAYS AS ALL OF THIS CAME

TO LIGHT IN 2018.

FOR DONALD TRUMP AND HIS PART

INSIDE OF THAT COURTROOM FOR

LONG PERIODS OF TIME, HE KEPT

HIS EYES SHUT, BUT AT OTHER

MOMENTS, HE WAS LOOKING AT HIS

DEFENSE LAWYER TODD BLANCHE AS

HE BEGAN TO MAKE HIS CASE TO THE

JURY.

AND HE ALSO TURNED AROUND AND

LOOKED AT THE GALLERY, LOOKED AT

THOSE WHO WERE IN THE ROOM.

HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE EYE CONTACT

WITH DAVID PECKER, THAT

"NATIONAL ENQUIRER" PUBLISHER

WHO WAS A LONG-TIME, ONE-TIME

FRIEND OF HIS.

THIS FOR HIM IS GOING TO BE A

LONG HAUL HERE, BUT ONE THAT

COULD ULTIMATELY LEAD TO HIM AND

HIS LEGAL FATE EITHER BEING

FOUND GUILTY OR INNOCENT OR THE

VERY REAL POTENTIAL OF A HUNG

JURY.

THE FIRST WITNESS TAKE THE STAND

IN WHAT IS A MONUMENTAL DAY FOR

DONALD TRUMP, THE FORMER

PRESIDENT'S CRIMINAL TRIAL.

>> DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING FROM

THE OTHER SIDE THAT SUGGESTS

SOMETHING NEW IN HOW THEY WANT

TO FRAME THIS CASE FOR THE JURY?

>> Reporter: THE QUESTION WAS

ABOUT THE EVIDENCE AND TESTIMONY

THAT THE PROSECUTION WAS GOING

TO BE ABLE TO BRING FORWARD

BECAUSE IF YOU JUST TAKE DAVID

PECKER, THAT MAN WHO WAS AT

TRUMP TOWER WITH MICHAEL COHEN,

WITH DONALD TRUMP, THE QUESTION

WAS WHAT KIND OF TESTIMONY AND

EVIDENCE WOULD HE BE ABLE TO

PROVIDE?

BECAUSE HE HAS NEVER DONE A

PUBLIC INTERVIEW.

HE HAS NEVER PUBLICLY DISCUSSED

THIS, BUT WHAT THE PROSECUTION

OUTLINED IS THAT THEY HAVE

CORROBORATING EVIDENCE THROUGH

EMAILS AND TEXT MESSAGES AND

PHONE CALLS.

THEY EVEN HAVE GOING BACK TO

OCTOBER 26th OF 2016 A PHONE

CALL, TWO PHONE CALLS THAT TOOK

PLACE BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP AND

MICHAEL COHEN IN WHICH THEY

ALLEGE THAT MICHAEL COHEN JUST

AFTER THOSE PHONE CALLS WENT TO

A BANK, SET UP A BANK ACCOUNT IN

THE FOLLOWING DAY, WIRED

$130,000 TO STORMY DANIELS.

SO THE PROSECUTION IS MAKING THE

CASE THAT THIS IS MORE THAN JUST

THE TESTIMONY OF MICHAEL COHEN

BURKS WE HAVE

BUT WE HAVE THE RECORDS.

THE QUESTION IS DO THEY HAVE

ENOUGH TO MAKE DONALD TRUMP THE

TRUE CRIMINAL DEFENDANT HERE AS

HIS DEFENSE TEAM HAS MADE THE

CASE, LESTER, THAT THIS WAS A

MATTER OF FINANCING AND THAT

THOSE IN THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION

WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING

THOSE FINANCIAL RECORDS, IT WAS

INCUMBENT ON THEM ON HOW THOSE

RECORDS WERE ACTUALLY MAINTAINED

AND THAT LEGAL EXPENSES CHRKS IS

IS AT THE HEART OF THE FINANCIAL

FRAUD ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE BEING

MADE AGAINST DONALD TRUMP HERE,

THAT THOSE DENOTATIONS OF LEGAL

EXPENSES WERE FAIR AND JUST

BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT DONALD

TRUMP THOUGHT THAT HE WAS

ACTUALLY USING MICHAEL COHEN FOR

AND THAT THE IDEA OF REPAYING

HIM FOR A HUSH MONEY PAYMENT WAS

NOT AT THE FOREFRONT OF DONALD

TRUMP'S MIND WHILE HE WAS

SITTING IN THE OVAL OFFICE

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR OF 2017.

>> ALL RIGHT, VAUGHN, I'M GOING

TO ASK YOU TO STAND BY.

LET ME BRING IN FOR MORE, OUR

SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT

HALLIE JACKSON, AND NBC NEWS

LEGAL ANALYST, DANNY CEVALLOS.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU BOTH HERE.

HALL

HALLIE, FIRST OFF, FRAME WHAT WE

HAVE HEARD TODAY.

>> THE PROSECUTION IS

ESSENTIALLY LOOKING TO LAY OUT

THE CASE, AND YOU HEARD THIS

COME UP A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THE

OPENING STATEMENTS TODAY, THAT

THIS GOES BEYOND SIMPLY WHAT WE

ALL SHORTHAND IT AS THE HUSH

MONEY TRIAL, THAT THIS WAS ABOUT

ELECTION INTERFERENCE.

THEY DID SOMETHING INTERESTING,

THEY TOOK THIS PHRASE THAT IN

MANY WAYS THE FORMER PRESIDENT

HAS CO-OPTED, THIS IDEA OF

ELECTION FRAUD AND THEY TRIED TO

FLIP IT AND USE IT AGAINST

DONALD TRUMP IN THESE OPENING

STATEMENTS, DESCRIBING WHAT HE

DID AS ILLEGAL ELECTION FRAUD,

THAT HE TRIED TO COVER UP ALONG

WITH MICHAEL COHEN AND DAVID

PECKER THIS, YOU KNOW, MONEY TO

COVER UP AN ALLEGED SEX SCANDAL.

WHAT THE DEFENSE DID WAS TRY TO

TAKE THAT BACK.

YOU HEARD THIS VERY INTERESTING

LINE FROM TODD BLANCHE, THE LEAD

ATTORNEY THERE FOR THE FORMER

PRESIDENT WHO SAID SPOILER

ALERT, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG

WITH TRYING TO INFLUENCE AN

ELECTION.

IT'S CALLED DEMOCRACY.

KIND OF AN EXTRAORDINARY LINE TO

HEAR FROM THE FORMER PRESIDENT'S

TEAM, AND SO THE DEFENSE CAME

BACK, BLANCHE SAID THAT, BUT

ALSO TRIED TO MAKE DONALD TRUMP

SEEM SUPER RELATABLE.

THAT WAS STRIKING AT SEVERAL

MOMENTS FOR THE DEFENSE'S

OPENING STATEMENTS TALKING

ABOUT, SURE, HE'S THE FORMER

PRESIDENT, BUT HEY, HE'S JUST

LIKE US.

HE'S A FATHER.

HE'S A HUSBAND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE

ALL NEW YORKERS HERE.

WE ALL GET IT.

TRYING TO ESTABLISH THAT

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE

JURY IN HOPES THAT THAT COULD

SERVE THE DEFENSE TEAM OVER THE

COURSE OF THE NEXT SIX WEEKS

THERE.

WHAT I'M GOING TO BE WATCHING

FOR, YOU ASKED ABOUT WHAT COULD

BE NEW HERE, AND YOU HEARD

VAUGHN ALLUDE TO SOME OF THIS,

THE PROSECUTION HAS RECEIPTS.

THEY'RE ALLUDING TO A TAPE WITH

THE FORMER PRESIDENT'S VOICE ON

IT.

THEY'RE ALLUDING TO A PHOTOGRAPH

FROM THE OVAL OFFICE OF DONALD

TRUMP WITH MICHAEL COHEN.

THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO PROVE

THAT MICHAEL COHEN, STORMY

DANIELS, THAT THE PAPER

DOCUMENTS, THE EVIDENCE, THE

PAPER TRAIL PROVES THEIR CASE.

>> SO DANNY, THEY'RE GOING TO

SAY, THE DEFENSE IS GOING TO SAY

THERE'S NO CRIME HERE?

>> THEY'RE GOING TO DO THAN

THAT.

THEY ACTUALLY OPENED WITH HE'S

INNOCENT.

WHICH IS AN INTERESTING CHOICE

OF WORDS.

INNOCENCE IS NOT DETERMINED AT

CRIMINAL TRIAL, GUILTY OR NOT

GUILTY.

SOMETIMES IF YOU FEEL THAT YOUR

CASE IS PARTICULARLY STRONG, YOU

MAY TRY TO ESSENTIALLY ARGUE

INNOCENCE TO THE JURY.

MY CLIENT IS SO NOT GUILTY THAT

HE'S INNOCENT, AND THEY

ESSENTIALLY OPENED WITH THAT.

WE ALREADY GOT A PREVIEW AND

THERE WERE NO SURPRISES.

THEY'RE GOING TO POINT TO

MICHAEL COHEN AS SOMEBODY WHO IS

NOT CREDIBLE.

THEY'RE GOING TO POINT TO STORMY

DANIELS AS SOMEONE WHO IS NOT

CREDIBLE, ALTHOUGH YOU COULD

ARGUE THAT STORMY DANIELS IS

ALMOST NOT NECESSARY AS A

WITNESS IN THIS CASE.

HER INVOLVEMENT IS KIND OF

TANGENTIAL

TANGENTIAL.

THE AFFAIR ITSELF IS NOT

CRITICAL TO WHETHER OR NOT IT

ACTUALLY HAPPENED FOR THIS CASE.

SO REALLY WHAT WE GOOD PREVIEW

OF IS EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECTED

FROM THE PROSECUTION.

THEY GOT OUT IN FRONT OF WHAT

THEY CONSIDER THEIR MICHAEL

COHEN ISSUE, THAT HE MIGHT HAVE

CREDIBILITY RNS. ISSUES.

IN THE SPECTRUM OF COOPERATING

WITNESSES, MICHAEL COHEN, WHO IS

NOT TECHNICALLY A COOPERATING

WITNESS, HE'S PROBABLY ON THE

LOW END OF LACK OF CREDIBILITY.

MOST COOPERATES WITNESSES ARE

BROUGHT IN FROM THE PRISON IN

SHACKLES, AND THEY HAVE TONS OF

ISSUES WITH CREDIBILITY AND

CRIMINALITY.

BUT AS THE PROSECUTION WILL SAY,

AS THEY ALWAYS SAY, IT'S A

STANDARD LINE, WE DIDN'T CHOOSE

THIS WITNESS.

THE DEFENDANT CHOSE THIS

WITNESS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AS THIS -- THE

OPENINGS COME TO A CLOSE, I

THINK ALL EYES ARE ON THE STAR

WITNESS, AND I DON'T THINK I

MEAN MICHAEL COHEN ANYMORE.

I THINK DAVID PECKER IS GOING TO

BE A CRITICAL WITNESS BECAUSE,

NUMBER ONE, HE CORROBORATES

MICHAEL COHEN.

HE ESTABLISHES THE ALLEGED

CONSPIRACY, AND HE CORROBORATES

A LOT OF DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS

THAT ARE GOING TO SUPPORT

WITNESSES LIKE MICHAEL COHEN.

THE GOVERNMENT, THE PROSECUTION

HAS A WAY OF MAKING MICHAEL

COHEN'S LACK OF CREDIBILITY A

MINIMAL ISSUE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE

THEY'RE GOING RIGHT IN THAT

DIRECTION.

>> THE PROSECUTION MADE AN

EFFORT TO POINT THUTOUT THAT DAV

PECKER HAD BROUGHT A LAWYER TO

THE COURTROOM WITH HIM.

IS THERE SOME STRATEGY IN THAT?

>> NOT NECESSARILY.

WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS IF YOU'RE

THE STATE AND YOU HAVE A

COOPERATING WITNESS, YOU DON'T

WANT TO LOOK LIKE YOU'RE TOO

HAND IF HAND WITH THAT WITNESS.

I'LL GIVE YOU SOME OF THE

STANDARD LINES AS A DEFENSE

ATTORNEY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO

HIT THAT COOPERATING WITNESS

WITH, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY FRAME

THEM AS DOING ANYTHING THEY CAN

TO PLEASE THEIR CAPTORS AND

THEIR CAPTORS ARE THE GOVERNMENT

WHO HAVE OFFERED THEM A DEAL.

THEY'VE GOTTEN HAND IN HAND WITH

THE DEVIL.

THEY'RE TOO COZY WITH

PROSECUTORS.

THIS IS A COMMON THEME WHEN

YOU'RE ATTACKING CORROBORATING

WITNESSES OR PEOPLE TESTIFYING

FOR THE GOVERNMENT.

TORD NAR

THE STATE WILL HAVE PREPARED

THEIR WITNESSES FOR THIS.

THEY'LL HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT

IN CROSS EXAMINATION, THAT'S

PROBABLY WHAT YOU'LL SEE.

>> I WANT TO GO BACK TO VAUGHN

FOR A MOMENT.

WE KNOW THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAD

MENTION ADD COUPLE OFED A COUPLE

HE WOULD TESTIFY.

I ASSUME THAT DECISION

OFFICIALLY IS STILL WEEKS AWAY,

BUT WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THAT?

>> Reporter: RIGHT, DONALD

TRUMP'S CREDIBILITY, LESTER, IS

GOING TO BE CRITICAL HERE FOR

THIS JURY WHEN THEY'RE

DETERMINING THE EXTENT TO WHICH

HE IS GUILTY OR INNOCENT HERE.

AND YOU SAID TWO TIMES NOW

ALREADY IN THE LAST WEEK HE HAS

MADE CLEAR THAT HE WOULD TESTIFY

IN HIS OWN DEFENSE, BUT THERE

ARE NUMEROUS QUESTIONS THAT

DONALD TRUMP HAS NEVER PUBLICLY

OR PRIVATELY, INCLUDING INSIDE

OF A COURTROOM, ANSWERED WHEN IT

COMES TO THE SPECIFICS OF THIS

CASE.

AND ONE OF THOSE COMES DOWN TO

THE FACT THAT IN JANUARY OF

2018, THAT IS WHEN THE WALL

STREET JOURNAL FIRST REPORTED

ABOUT THE MICHAEL COHEN AND

STORMY DANIELS $130,000

ARRANGEMENT, MORE THAN A YEAR

INTO HIS PRESIDENCY, JANUARY OF

2018, WHEN DONALD TRUMP WAS

FIRST ASKED ABOUT IT IN APRIL OF

2018 ON AIR FORCE ONE, HALLIE

WAS COVERING HIS WHITE HOUSE AT

THE TIME.

DONALD TRUMP WAS ASKED

SPECIFICALLY, DID YOU KNOW ABOUT

THE $130,000 PAYMENT TO STORMY

DANIELS.

DONALD TRUMP REPLIED NO.

HE THEN WENT ON TO SAY, QUOTE,

YOU'LL HAVE TO ASK MICHAEL

COHEN.

MICHAEL IS MY ATTORNEY.

YOU'LL HAVE TO ASK MICHAEL, AND

SO DONALD TRUMP WILL HAVE TO

WEIGH KNOWING THAT HE WILL GET

THESE QUESTIONS AND DEPENDING ON

WHAT THE PROSECUTION HAS IN

TERMS OF EVIDENCE AND TESTIMONY

FROM THE LIKES OF DAVID PECKER,

THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE

TO REPLAY THOSE VERY COMMENTS

FROM DONALD TRUMP IN 2018 AND

PUT THEM SIDE BY SIDE TO

COMMENTS THAT HE MADE IN 2016.

ONE OTHER NOTE ON HIS

CREDIBILITY, THERE IS A MAJOR

DECISION EARLIER THIS MORNING AS

WELL BY THE JUDGE.

JUDGE MERCHAN MADE THE

DETERMINATION THAT THE

PROSECUTION WILL BE ABLE TO

INTRODUCE TO THE JURY PREVIOUS

TRIAL DETERMINATIONS AGAINST

DONALD TRUMP, NAMELY TWO OF

THOSE BEING IN JUST THE LAST

YEAR, THE E. JEAN CARROLL

DEFAMATION CASE AS WELL AS THE

CIVIL FRAUD TRIAL IN WHICH JUDGE

ENGORON JUST THIS YEAR FOUND

THAT HE AND THE TRUMP

ORGANIZATION HAD ENGAGED

REPEATEDLY IN FINANCIAL FRAUD.

THOSE CASES WHICH THE JUDGE IS

GOING TO ALLOW THE PROSECUTION

TO BRING FORWARD IN FRONT OF THE

JURY WILL ALLOW THEM TO TELL THE

JURY THAT DONALD TRUMP'S

CREDIBILITY AND HIS PENCHANT FOR

LYING AND NOT BEING WHOLLY

TRUTHFUL ARE GOING TO BE KEY TO

UNDERSTANDING THAT DONALD

TRUMP'S DEFENSE AND HIS LEGAL

TEAM'S DEFENSE ARE NOT ALL THAT

CREDIBLE WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIM IN

THE ENTIRETY OF THE LAST DECADE

THAT STARTED IN AUGUST 2015,

WHEN THAT TRUMP TOWER MEETING

WHICH DONALD TRUMP HAS NOT

PUBLICLY COMMENTED ON, ALL THE

WAY INTO 2017 WHEN DAVID PECKER,

THE "NATIONAL ENQUIRER"

PUBLISHER WAS INVITED TO THE

WHITE HOUSE FOR A DINNER THAT

THE D.A.'S OFFICE SAYS WAS

ARRANGED FOR DONALD TRUMP, THE

THEN PRESIDENT, TO THANK DAVID

PECKER FOR HIS EFFORTS TO SQUASH

THOSE SALACIOUS STORIES FROM

KAREN McDOUGAL AND STORMY

DANIELS.

>> WE'RE SEEING FORMER PRESIDENT

TRUMP, THERE HE IS, OUTSIDE THE

COURTHOUSE OR OUTSIDE THE

COURTROOM.

HE'S PREPARING TO LEAVE AS HE

OFTEN DOES.

HE ADDRESSES THE CAMERAS

GATHERED THERE.

DANNY, LET ME BRING YOU BACK

INTO THE CONVERSATION.

THERE IS ANOTHER MATTER THAT THE

FORMER PRESIDENT FACED.

THAT'S THE QUESTION OF THE GAG

ORDER AND WHETHER HE HAS

RECENTLY VIOLATED THAT.

THAT'S GOING TO COME BACK UP

TOMORROW, CORRECT?

>> YES, AND LAST WEEK I SUSPECT

THAT JUSTICE MERCHAN SAID IT FOR

MORE THAN A WEEK OUT BECAUSE OF

A COUPLE DIFFERENT REASONS.

NUMBER ONE, HE HAD HUNDREDS, IF

NOT THOUSANDS, OF POTENTIAL

JURORS TO GET THROUGH, AND HE

WANTED TO GET THE PARTY STARTED.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, BACK

THEN, MONDAY MORNING -- MONDAY

MORNING LAST WEEK WAS MIRED IN

ARGUMENTS AND MOTIONS AND I

SUSPECT THE JUSTICE WANTED TO

JUST PUSH IT OFF TO NEXT WEEK SO

THEY COULD GET THROUGH JURY

SELECTION, AND THEN ALSO, THERE

WAS ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY THAT

BY THAT NEXT WEEK, BY TOMORROW

THERE WOULD BE MORE VIOLATIONS

OF THE GAG ORDER, AND THEY COULD

PROBABLY JUST BE CONSOLIDATED.

BUT AT THE TIME, IT WAS

APPROXIMATELY SEVEN CLAIMED

VIOLATIONS.

THAT HEARING WILL GO ON

TOMORROW, AND HERE'S WHAT I

SUSPECT.

LOOK FOR THE PEOPLE, THE

PROSECUTORS, TO ASK FOR MINIMAL

PENALTIES AT THE OUTSET.

A LOT OF FOLKS SAY A THOUSAND

DOLLARS, WHAT DOES THAT MATTER

TO DONALD TRUMP?

WELL, THESE VIOLATIONS AND THE

PUNISHMENTS ARE INCREMENTAL.

REALLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS

SETTING A FLOOR.

SURE, START HIM OUT WITH A

THOUSAND DOLLARS, $5,000, IT

DOESN'T MATTER, BUT THIS

SPECTRUM, THIS PATH STARTS FROM

ADMONITIONS.

IT GOES TO FINES, AND

EVENTUALLY, AT THE END OF THE

ROAD IS INCARCERATION FOR

SOMEBODY WHO VIOLATES OR IS HELD

IN CONTEMPT BY THE COURT.

NOW, THAT WOULD BE A MONUMENTAL

DECISION AND A DIFFICULT

DECISION BY THE JUDGE, BUT I

THINK THE STATE IS SHOWING THAT

THEY WANT TO MOVE IN INCREMENTS

BUT THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO

MOVE IF THERE ARE VIOLATIONS OF

THE GAG ORDER.

>> HALLIE, HOW IS THIS AFFECTING

THE RACE FOR PRESIDENT?

THE FORMER PRESIDENT LIKES TO

MENTION THAT HE WOULD OTHERWISE

BE OUT CAMPAIGNING RIGHT NOW.

>> WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THE

RUBBER MEET THE ROAD ON THAT

FRONT.

COURT IS NOT IN SESSION ON

WEDNESDAY.

HE COULD DO CAMPAIGN EVENTS ON

THOSE DAYS OR THE WEEKEND.

THIS PAST WEEKEND HE WAS

SUPPOSED TO HAVE A CAMPAIGN

RALLY.

IT WAS ESSENTIALLY A WASHOUT,

RAINED OUT, IT HAD TO BE

CANCELED BECAUSE OF WEATHER.

WHICH IS AN INDICATION SOMETIMES

THINGS JUST POP UP.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS IN YOUR CONTROL

WHEN YOU'RE A PRESIDENTIAL

CANDIDATE.

TO GET REAL INSIGHT ON HOW THIS

CASE WILL AFFECT HIM IN THE

GENERAL ELECTION.

REMEMBER, IN THE PRIMARY, ALL OF

HIS LEGAL ISSUES WERE A BOON TO

HIM.

IT RALLIED HIS REPUBLICAN BASE

AROUND HIM AND HELPED HIM GET

THAT PRESUMPTIVE GOP NOMINATION

ALL BUT LOCKED UP HERE.

WHAT HAPPENS IN A GENERAL

ELECTION.

WE MAY NOT KNOW FOR A BIT YET.

WE CAN LOOK AT NUMBERS OUT PR

OUR NBC NEWS POLLING SHOWING

THAT ABOUT 50% OF PEOPLE, AND

THIS IS POLLING IN JUST THE LAST