The lawyer for Donald J. Trump who on Friday led the cross-examination of David Pecker, the previous writer of The Nationwide Enquirer and first witness within the trial, used confrontational questioning to attempt to catch Mr. Pecker in contradictions.
However that technique, which led to a tense trade within the Decrease Manhattan courtroom, didn’t appear to repay. Mr. Pecker repeatedly rejected characterizations and questions posed by the lawyer, Emil Bove, and resisted the suggestion that he had not been forthright in earlier testimony.
For many of Friday, Mr. Bove had struck a well mannered tone with Mr. Pecker, spending a lot of the second day of cross-examination specializing in arcane questions on offers to suppress tales, together with one with Karen McDougal, the previous Playboy mannequin who stated she had an affair with Mr. Trump.
However as Mr. Bove wrapped up his cross-examination, he requested Mr. Pecker about his obligations in cooperating with the prosecution within the hush-money trial.
Mr. Pecker didn’t play alongside. “To be truthful,” he fired again, including: “I’ve been truthful to one of the best of my recollection.”
And with that, Mr. Bove sat down.
Mr. Pecker was the primary witness known as by prosecutors. Their questions over three days sought to determine that he and his publication suppressed adverse tales about Mr. Trump whereas each selling him in The Enquirer and attacking his Republican main rivals.