David Pecker testifies Trump was ‘most eligible bachelor,’ describes his relationship with National Enquirer at trial

David Pecker testified how Donald Trump was the “most eligible bachelor who dated the most beautiful women,” which was why people came forward to sell stories about him, during the ex-president’s hush money trial Tuesday.

The former National Enquirer publisher was on the stand for a second day at Manhattan Supreme Court, where he gave evidence about his longstanding relationship with the former president.

Pecker, 72, described how he, Trump and Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen had a meeting in 2015 about what he could do to “help the campaign.”

He said they came to a “mutually beneficial” agreement “amongst friends” — which benefited Trump’s campaign and sold magazines.

“I said what I would do is I would run or publish positive stories about Mr. Trump, and publish negative stories about his opponents,” Pecker told the court.

“I was the person that thought there would be a lot of women to come out try to sell their stories … It is my experience that when someone runs for office like this, it’s very common for these women to call the National Enquirer and try to sell their stories,” he added.

Pecker said he’d known Trump since 1999 and he had introduced him to Cohen in 2007, telling him if any “negative stories come out,” he should consult with him.

The former president looked on stone-faced while his former ally answered prosecutors’ questions and jurors were shown examples of front pages from the Enquirer which Cohen had a hand in during the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.

One negative story attacked Ben Carson — a Republican presidential candidate at the time — with the headline, “Bungling Surgeon Ben Carson Left sponge in patient’s brain!”

Two critical headlines of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), also a presidential candidate, were, “Ted Cruz Shame By Porn Star” and “Boozin’ Ted Cruz Fixin’ to Lose.”

Pecker said he called Cohen right after getting a tip from a Trump Tower doorman claiming to know about a secret love child Trump had fathered with a maid.

He recalled Cohen responding that it was “absolutely not true, but I’ll check it out.'”

Still, Pecker testified he knew the story would be “very embarrassing for the campaign” if it got out, so he agreed to pay the doorman, Dino Sajudin, $30,000 for the exclusive rights to it.

The agreement with Sajudin was the first “catch-and-kill” arrangement hatched by Pecker, Cohen and Trump, according to prosecutors.

Cohen offered to have Trump’s DNA tested to prove the maid’s child wasn’t his, but Pecker said it wouldn’t be necessary.

“I said I believe it’s a big story, and I believe it’s important that it should be removed from the market,” Pecker recalled of a conversation with Cohen.

Cohen responded that “the boss will be very pleased.”

Another arrangement was made regarding the story of Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal about a year-long affair she says she had with Trump.

Pecker recalled how Trump personally called him — instead of having Cohen handle it — and the publisher offered to buy McDougal’s story, which Trump feared would eventually get out.

“[Trump] said, ‘I don’t buy any stories. Any time you do anything like this, it always gets out,'” Pecker testified. But the trio ultimately cooked up the plan to pay McDougal $150,000 to keep the story from ever seeing the light of day.

However, claims that McDougal had an affair with Trump were first reported in November 2016 by the Wall Street Journal.

Earlier Tuesday, before Pecker took the stand, another prosecutor in the DA’s office, Chris Conroy, asked that Trump be held in contempt and fined $10,000 for allegedly violating Justice Juan Merchan’s gag order 10 times — twice on his campaign site and eight more times on Truth Social — by going after potential witnesses and the jury.

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Merchan ruled before trial that Trump can’t publicly talk about witnesses, jurors or court staff.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche fired back, saying his client was simply responding to Cohen and Stormy Daniels — another potential witness whom he is said to have paid off — publicly attacking him, as well as other political attacks, which is allowed under the gag order.

The judge grew frustrated with Blanche, claiming he wasn’t making arguments using examples.

Merchan clarified that just saying Cohen’s name didn’t violate the gag order, but using his name in connection with the trial does.

The judge didn’t rule from the bench after the arguments on whether to hold Trump in contempt. It was not immediately clear when his decision would come out.

Trump took to Truth Social around 11 a.m. to vent after the gag order hearing, saying the judge “has taken away my constitutional right to free speech.”

The trial ended at 2 p.m. Tuesday for the Jewish holiday of Passover. Pecker is due back on the stand when court resumes Thursday.

Additional reporting by Kaydi Pelletier