Cohen testifies in Trump “hush money” trial

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – On Monday, a star witness took the stand in the criminal trial of former president Donald Trump.

His former lawyer Michael Cohen testified that Trump was directly involved in an illegal hush money scheme.

It’s a potentially pivotal week in the Trump trial as his ex-employee turned enemy testifies.

The former president began the day by repeating his assertion that he has done nothing wrong.

“I’m innocent. This is a political witch hunt,” Trump said.

The former president is charged with illegally falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments that Cohen made to adult film star, Stormy Daniels.

On Monday prosecutors called Cohen to the witness stand. During several hours of testimony he talked about several instances when he said he paid people off to kill news stories in an attempt to protect Trump’s 2016 campaign.

Cohen directly implicated Trump, at one point telling the jury, “What I was doing was at the direction of and benefit of Mr. Trump.”

The defense team calls Cohen a liar and close Trump allies vocally echoed those attacks outside of the courtroom.

Senators J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.)  say they came to the trial on Monday to support former president Trump.

“Does any reasonable sensible person believe anything that Michael Cohen says? I don’t think that they should. I actually think his testimony is going to hurt with any reasonable juror,” Vance said.

“He’s got more support than ever because of what they’re putting him through in that courtroom,” Tuberville said.

Both lawmakers and the former president himself have expressed frustration that he’s stuck in the court rather than out on the campaign trail.

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