Arnold Schwarzenegger, concerns about Melania, and ‘mentor’ Trump: Key takeaways from Trump’s day in court

Donald Trump’s hush money trial heard wide-ranging testimony from former American Media Inc. chief David Pecker during his third day on the stand.

The former tabloid chief divulged background into the infamous “catch-and-kill” scheme and his time at a “thank you dinner” hosted by then-President Trump for his efforts to block compromising stories about Mr Trump from being published.

On Thursday, lawyers also told the judge about four more potential breaches of the gag order — against the criminal defendant. Judge Juan Merchan still has to make a decision about previous claims that Mr Trump violated the gag order.

Here are some of the key moments from the Manhattan courtroom:

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy divulged several instances in which his team alleges that Mr Trump breached the gag order, barring him from making public statements about potential witnesses or staff members of the DA’s office or the judge.

Two alleged violations happened as recently as Monday, Mr Conroy told the judge. The former president spoke about Michael Cohen in a “nine-minute rant” in which Mr Trump claimed that the former fixer “got caught lying, pure lying, when are they going to look at that?”

Later that night, Mr Trump said “I can’t get away from the trial. He’s rushing the trial like crazy … jury was picked so far, 95 per cent Democrat.”

In a separate remark the following day, Mr Trump claimed that “Cohen is a convicted liar and he’s got no credibility whatsoever.”

These allegations arrived after the judge held a hearing on Tuesday related to at least 10 allegations that Mr Trump violated the gag order — before the new incidents shared in court today.

The former tabloid chief testified that he had agreed to spend tens of thousands to acquire — and then bury — politically damaging stories about Mr Trump, being assured that “the boss” would handle it.

Michael Cohen, Mr Trump’s attorney at the time, authorised Mr Pecker to pay the former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 for the rights to her story of an alleged 10-month affair with Mr Trump, he said on the stand.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m your friend. The boss will take care of it,” Cohen allegedly told Mr Pecker, seemingly referring to Mr Trump.

The former AMI chief also told the court about interactions between him and Mr Trump, directly linking the defendant to the scheme.

On one occasion, Mr Trump asked him: “How’s our girl?” and thanked him for handling the McDougal story and “the doorman situation.”