On the 10th day of Trump’s hush money trial, the former President’s legal team attempted to discredit Keith Davidson, a central witness in the Stormy Daniels hush money deal, by portraying him as someone accustomed to extracting money from celebrities without crossing the line into extortion. Trump’s attorney, Emil Bove, cited Davidson’s past dealings with celebrities like Hulk Hogan, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen, and Tila Tequila to argue that his actions in the deals involving Trump followed a familiar pattern.
Judge Juan Merchan presided over a second hearing regarding Trump’s alleged violations of a gag order. Prosecutors accused Trump of breaching the order by discussing witnesses and the jury. This comes after Trump was fined $9,000 for nine previous violations earlier in the week.
During testimony, Davidson faced scrutiny from Bove, who questioned whether his actions in negotiating deals with AMI and Michael Cohen for the Daniels and Karen McDougal agreements bordered on extortion. Davidson denied the implication, stating he didn’t understand the question.
Merchan did not immediately rule on the latest allegations of gag order violations. Prosecutor Chris Conroy highlighted four recent comments made by Trump, including remarks about Cohen and former AMI chief David Pecker. The district attorney’s office seeks fines for the violations but is not pushing for Trump to be jailed, citing potential disruptions to the trial.
Davidson portrayed Cohen as difficult to work with, noting his unreliable behavior and disappointment after not receiving a White House position. Davidson testified about a phone call in December 2016 where Cohen expressed frustration, saying, “I can’t believe I’m not going to Washington after everything I’ve done for that guy.”
