In the ongoing trial of former President Donald Trump's New York criminal hush money case, defense attorneys continued their cross-examination of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker on Friday. Pecker's testimony has been damning for the prosecution, shedding light on a scheme to cover up a reimbursement payment to Trump's lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, in exchange for Stormy Daniels' silence.

Trump's attorney, Emil Bove, questioned Pecker about the National Enquirer's relationships with outside sources, including Trump and Cohen. Pecker confirmed that it was standard practice for the tabloid magazine to have such associations. He also admitted that the Enquirer often recirculated old critical news stories, including those targeting former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump in the 2016 elections.

The defense attempted to show a close relationship between Pecker and Cohen by mentioning various job-related favors Cohen had sought from Pecker in 2016. Pecker acknowledged that Cohen had asked him to send paparazzi to a meeting between Cohen and businessman Mark Cuban, although it remains unclear whether he actually did so.

The hush-money agreement between Pecker's publishing company, American Media, and ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal was also brought into focus. The defense aimed to portray the financial agreement as primarily focused on boosting McDougal's media career rather than silencing her alleged affair with Trump. Pecker admitted that American Media ran numerous stories using McDougal's name, and he stated that the value of the services offered to her under the agreement was worth "hundreds of thousands of dollars."

Pecker's testimony underscored his close proximity to Trump throughout the campaign and the early days of his presidency. He mentioned attending meetings at Trump Tower both in August 2015 and on January 6, 2017, where he saw individuals such as Reince Priebus and Mike Pompeo who would later hold high-ranking positions in the Trump administration.

Trump himself expressed his satisfaction with the trial's proceedings on Thursday, but also voiced grievances about the courtroom conditions and alleged conflicts of interest by the judge. He labelled the trial as "rigged." Prosecutors are expected to redirect the questioning once the cross-examination of Pecker concludes.

Earlier in the week, Pecker had testified about the "catch and kill" scheme devised by Trump, Cohen, and himself to purchase the rights to negative tabloid stories about Trump and bury them. He revealed payments made to a former Trump Tower doorman and McDougal, suspecting potential campaign finance violations. AMI, the parent company of the National Enquirer, later admitted to a campaign finance violation and paid a fine of over $180,000 in a settlement with the Federal Election Commission in 2021.

As the trial continues, the prosecution builds its case against Trump, who faces 34 counts of falsifying business records. The testimonies of key figures like Pecker provide valuable insights into the alleged scheme to cover up hush money payments, keeping the public eagerly following the developments of this high-profile trial.