Donald Trump closed his eyes during two potentially embarrassing portions of testimony from former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, according to onlookers in his hush money trial Tuesday.
The magazine and tabloid publisher told the jury that he coordinated with Trump's then-lawyer Michael Cohen to buy up damaging stories about him during the 2016 presidential campaign, and he testified about paying $30,000 to a Trump Tower doorman who claimed the GOP nominee had fathered an illegitimate child with a maid, reported NBC News.
"Dino [Sajudin] was in the market selling a story that Donald Trump fathered an illegitimate girl with a maid in — at — at Trump Tower," Pecker said, adding that he learned about the doorman's story from former National Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard.
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Pecker testified that he immediately notified Cohen, who "absolutely" denied the tale but promised to investigate, and he eventually told Howard to buy Sojudin's story and prevent its publication.
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"Trump's eyes were closed and he did not seem to have any visible reaction" during that portion of the testimony, according to NBC News, and he kept them closed when Pecker brought up former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Pecker said he learned that "a Playboy model who is trying to sell a story about a [romantic] relationship she had with Donald Trump for a year," reported Lawfare's Tyler McBrien, who added that Trump's eyes remained closed during that testimony, as well.
