Michael Cohen admits hating Donald Trump and lying under oath

Michael Cohen admitted to lying under oath as Donald Trump’s lawyers sought to paint him as a serial liar out for revenge after being turned down for a White House job.

Cohen is a star prosecution witness in the former president’s hush money trial, but suffers from credibility issues as a convicted felon who has been vocal about his hatred for Mr Trump, for whom he spent 10 years working as a “fixer”.

As his second day of cross-examination began on Thursday at a court in New York, he was repeatedly accused of lying by Todd Blanche, Mr Trump’s normally soft-spoken lawyer.

In an exchange that could prove critical in the former president’s criminal trial, Mr Blanche claimed a phone call, in which Cohen said he had finalised a hush money payment to a porn star with Mr Trump, was made to discuss a totally unrelated matter.

Mr Trump is accused of falsifying business records to conceal payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, to prevent stories of their alleged affair emerging before the 2016 election.

Prosecutors claim Cohen was at the centre of a “criminal conspiracy”, paying her $130,000 from his own pocket before being reimbursed by his employer.

In a key development in the cross-examination, Mr Blanche repeatedly asked Cohen on whether he had been pressured into pleading guilty to campaign finance violations and tax evasion in 2018 by the authorities.

Cohen confirmed this, saying that prosecutors had threatened to bring an 80-page indictment against his wife if he did not accept the plea deal within 48 hours.

Mr Blanche noted that Cohen had testified in his criminal trial that he had not been pressured or induced to accept the plea deal. “That was a lie?” the lawyer asked.

“That was not true, correct,” Cohen answered, eventually clarifying – after further questioning – that it was a “lie”.

Mr Blanche followed up by suggesting Cohen had lied to the judge by pleading guilty in the hope of receiving a shorter sentence for cooperation.

His questioning grew steadily more aggressive until, on the verge of shouting, he accused Cohen of lying about a key phone call in 2016. Cohen claimed the call was made “to discuss the Stormy Daniels matter” with Donald Trump when he testified on Monday.

However, text messages presented to the court showed Cohen had texted Mr Trump’s bodyguard – Keith Schiller, whose phone was used to make the call – for advice on how to deal with prank calls he was receiving from a teenager.

“That was a lie,” Mr Blanche told the witness.”You were actually talking to Mr Schiller that you were getting harassing phone calls from a 14-year-old.”

Repeatedly pressing Cohen, he said – using dramatic emphasis – “That. Was. A. Lie. You did not talk to President Trump.”

“I believed…” Cohen began to answer at one point, before Mr Blanche went on the attack. “We are not asking about your belief,” he said scathingly. This jury doesn’t want to hear what you think happened.”

Text messages shown to the court seemingly show Cohen threatening the teenager with having to explain their prank calls to the Secret Service.

“Please don’t do this,” the 14-year-old wrote to him. Cohen responded: “Please have your parent or guardian contact me, before Secret Service reaches out to them.”

Cohen, a normally volatile personality who has been characterised as a “jerk” by previous witnesses, stayed composed during the interrogation.

He claimed that his phone conversation with Mr Trump, which lasted just over a minute and a half, had turned to Ms Daniels. His exchange with the then-Republican candidate may have been as short as “everything’s been taken care of, it’s going to get resolved”, he said

Mr Trump’s defence team attempted to sow doubt about Cohen’s evidence throughout Thursday’s cross-examination, characterising him as a vengeful ex-employee seeking to damage his former boss.

In an extract from his podcast series, played to the court, Cohen said he was delighted Mr Trump had been indicted because he was “about to get a taste of what I went through” when he was incarcerated.

In another, Cohen is recorded saying he “truly f---ing hope[s]” that Mr Trump goes to prison: “I want this man to go down and rot inside for what he did to me and my family.”

If convicted in the trial, the former president faces up to four years in prison.

The defence also suggested that Cohen was bitter about being overlooked for a White House job after nine-and-a-half years working for Mr Trump.

Mr Blanche pressed Cohen on whether he was “embarrassed” at having been named Mr Trump’s personal attorney, instead of being given a job inside the administration.

“I always said there was no shame being personal attorney to president of the United States,” Cohen responded.

At times his voice grew impatient as he was questioned on whether he wanted to be appointed White House chief of staff or general counsel.

Cohen said he was “crystal clear” that he wanted to be made personal attorney to the then-president. “I could monetise that – which I did,” he insisted.

Mr Trump seemed to approve of Mr Blanche’s performance, giving a thumbs-up outside the courtroom when asked how his lawyer was doing.

For much of Cohen’s cross-examination, Mr Trump adopted the same posture he has had during his last four weeks in court, closing his eyes and slumping back in his chair.

09:38 PM BST

What happened today

Today’s live coverage has ended. Here are some of the day’s key events:

• Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s defence attorney, painted Michael Cohen, the star prosecution witness, as unreliable and a liar.

• Trump grinned and the courtroom laughed as Cohen was pressed about recording “40” conversations with reporters.

• Blanche said Cohen was lying about a phone call he claimed to have had with Trump over hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.

• Cohen, who was once one of Trump’s closest allies, testified that the former US president would “blow up” at him if he failed to get positive stories about Trump into the press.

09:11 PM BST

The view from inside the courtroom

Donald Trump was largely passive throughout today’s proceedings, although he occasionally opened his eyes to glare at his former “fixer” on the witness stand.

A number of jurors appeared to be intent on Michael Cohen’s cross-examination, leaning forward and taking notes as he spoke. There were several moments when Cohen looked at them directly during his answers.

09:03 PM BST

Michael Cohen ‘gets his knees chopped out’ by Trump’s defence, say CNN

Todd Blanche’s attempt to discredit Michael Cohen, the star prosecution witness and former Trump “fixer”, has been decidedly successful, CNN has said.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a star cooperating witness get his knees chopped out quite as clearly and dramatically as what just happened with Michael Cohen,” analyst Elie Honig said.

Mr Blanche, who is Donald Trump’s defence attorney, has tried to paint Michael Cohen as a serial liar and unreliable person during his cross-examination of the witness.

08:52 PM BST

Cohen denies having a retainer agreement when working for Trump

Michael Cohen, the prosecution witness, tells the court that he never had a retainer agreement when doing legal work for the Trump family.

Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s attorney, says this was because he was employed by the Trump Organisation so did not have need of one. “So it’s not just January 2017 you never had a retainer agreement,” he notes.

Cohen was allegedly reimbursed for the “hush money” payment by Donald Trump in a series of $35,000 cheques sent monthly over 2017 - supposedly in legal retainer fees.

08:41 PM BST

Trump’s lawyer turns to Stormy Daniels NDA

Todd Blanche, the defence attorney, has turned to the NDA signed between Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels and her lawyer, Keith Davidson.

He reminds Michael Cohen of his previous statement that the pair were “engaging in extortion” against Donald Trump.

He then notes that Donald Trump’s name does not appear on the agreement. He asks Michael Cohen if he believes that “then and now, this is a perfectly legal contract?”

“Yes, sir,” Cohen responds.

08:32 PM BST

Pictured: Trump raises first as he returns to trial

08:29 PM BST

Judge speaks to attorneys as juror’s appointment could affect trial

Juan Merchan, the judge, has asked to speak to an attorney from both sides privately.

He reportedly wants them to talk to a juror who said they have an appointment next Thursday afternoon, which could affect proceedings.

08:24 PM BST

Trump waves to media as court takes a break.

Donald Trump has left the courtroom during a short break. He waved to assembled media on his way out.

08:18 PM BST

Blanche presses Cohen on conversation he recorded with Donald Trump

Todd Blanche, the defence attorney, is concentrating on the conversation that Michael Cohen recorded with Donald Trump.

The recording cuts off abruptly while they are talking - because Cohen received a phone call, he says.

“You’re in a meeting with President Trump talking to him about the financing or cash for the [Karen] McDougal story and you’re recording him, but the phone rings and you just answer that call,” Mr Blanche asks.
Cohen confirms this. “And what was the bank calling you about?” Mr Blanche continues.

Cohen said he could not remember why he was being called but said it was a “big issue”. He said it could have been related to identity theft but was not completely sure.

08:16 PM BST

Cohen chooses words carefully as Trump watches on

Michael Cohen is speaking in a slow, halting tone — choosing his words carefully as Donald Trump, turned towards the witness, pays close attention to his testimony.

08:01 PM BST

Cohen ‘contradicting previous testimony’ on Playboy bunny affair story

Todd Blanche mentions Michael Cohen’s fear that Karen McDougal’s story - the Playboy bunny claimed to have had an affair with Donald Trump - would harm the Trump campaign in 2016.

“President Trump didn’t share your view did he?” Mr Blanche asks the witness.

Cohen pauses to consider the question for a long time. “I’m not sure I agree with that,” he says eventually.

Mr Blanche says Cohen is contradicting his previous testimony to the government and there is a pause as the witness reviews the manuscript.

07:54 PM BST

Cohen questioned over ‘unethical’ Trump recording

Todd Blanche, the defence attorney, has moved on to a recording Michael Cohen made of a conversation with Donald Trump, which has previously been played to the court.

“You understand that it’s not ethical for a lawyer” to record a conversation with their client, Mr Blanche asks.

“Except of course the crime fraud exception,” Cohen responds - before clarifying that he was not recording it because he believed a crime was being committed. “I was just giving you the example,” he adds.

Mr Blanche tries to get back on track. “You surreptitiously recorded your client so that you could play a privileged recording communication… with a third party, correct?”

Cohen confirms this.

07:48 PM BST

Cohen asked about recording journalist conversations — Trump grins and courtroom laughs

Michael Cohen is being asked whether he recorded “a lot” of conversations he had with reporters.

“No sir, I wouldn’t characterise it as a lot,” he responds. Asked how many he recorded, he answered, “40?” - prompting laughter from the court overflow room, where much of the press is gathered.

Donald Trump’s eyes are still closed, but the former president has his chair angled towards Michael Cohen and appears to be listening closely.

He grinned briefly when the witness admitted he had recorded the 40 conversations.

07:45 PM BST

Cohen says Trump would ‘blow up’ if he didn’t get positive press stories — Trump shakes his head in response.

Todd Blanche, the defence attorney, presses Michael Cohen on his years working for Donald Trump. Mr Cohen testifies that Mr Trump would “blow up” at him if he failed to get positive stories about the former US president into the press.

Cohen says: “It was my routine to always advise Mr. Trump because the story that I was going to put out is not the way he would want it. One, it would cause him to blow up at me and two, it would probably be the end of my job.”

Trump shakes his head.

07:36 PM BST

Blanche questions Cohen over whether Trump indictment was leaked

Michael Cohen is back on the stand. Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s defence attorney, begins by asking Cohen whether he has evidence that anybody at the district attorney’s office leaked the Trump indictment before it was unsealed.

“No sir,” Cohen responds.

Cohen then says he did TV interviews on the Trump indictment based on a New York Times article he had read, after the indictment was made public.

Blanche is pressing Cohen to admit whether the indictment was leaked to Cohen by Jeremy Rosenberg, a now-retired detective from the district attorney’s office, before the office had publicly filed the case.

07:20 PM BST

Court is back in session

The court is back in session as Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the trial, returns to the bench.

Donald Trump re-entered the courtroom with a fist-bump and a wave.

07:04 PM BST

The dispute over the alleged Stormy Daniels hush money phone call

Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s defence attorney, accused Michael Cohen of lying about a phone call Mr Cohen said he had with Mr Trump in 2016.

Mr Cohen testified that he told Trump on the call that the Stormy Daniels hush money payment had been made, and that the issue was resolved.

Cohen also said he was receiving multiple harassing phone calls from a 14-year-old.

Mr Blanche showed call logs and text messages that he said show Cohen was asking Keith Schiller, Trump’s former bodyguard, about the harassing phone calls and not the Stormy Daniels payment.

According to CNN, the call issue could be a problem for prosecutors, as Cohen has reportedly never mentioned in previous testimony that it was about Stormy Daniels.

06:50 PM BST

Pictured: Balloons with apparent images of judge’s face on them are released outside courthouse

06:36 PM BST

Court dismissed for lunch break

The court has been dismissed for a lunch break.

The defence will continue to cross-examine Michael Cohen when the court returns.

06:24 PM BST

Pictured: Protester holds sign saying ‘bootlickers’ outside court

06:11 PM BST

Trump’s lawyer pulls up text messages between Cohen and former Trump bodyguard

Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s attorney, has cited text messages from conversations involving Michael Cohen and Keith Schiller, Mr Trump’s former bodyguard.

06:04 PM BST

Pictured: Ralph Norman shows support for Trump outside Manhattan Criminal Court

05:59 PM BST

Cohen stays composed in explosive confrontation with Trump’s lawyer

Michael Cohen stayed composed as the defence team sprang their trap, saying that he had spoken about the 14-year-old but then addressed the Stormy Daniels situation.

His talk with Donald Trump could have been as short as, “Everything’s been taken care of, it’s going to get resolved”, Cohen told the court.

He added: “Always run everything by the boss immediately.”

05:56 PM BST

Cohen accused of lying about Stormy Daniels hush money phone call

Michael Cohen was accused of lying about a phone call in which he claims to have told Donald Trump about paying for the Stormy Daniels hush money, in an explosive confrontation with the former president’s lawyer.

Todd Blanche claimed that Cohen had not discussed the alleged deal, but said he had spoken to Keith Schiller, Mr Trump’s bodyguard, about a harassing phone call he had received from a 14-year-old.

Noting that the call lasted just one minute 36 seconds, Mr Blanche, his voice rising, accused Mr Cohen of lying as his cross-examination reached a crescendo.

“That was a lie because you were actually talking to Mr Schiller that you were getting harassing phone calls from a 14-year-old,” he claimed.

05:25 PM BST

Trump’s lawyer suggests Cohen was disappointed he was not offered White House job

“You were disappointed after all the work you had done for President Trump for nine and a half years nobody, including President Trump, offered you a job in the White House?” Todd Blanche asks.

In a follow-up question, he asks if Michael Cohen was “embarrassed” that he had not been given a job in Mr Trump’s administration, being named personal attorney instead.

“That’s the role that I wanted,” Cohen insists. “I could monetise that - which I did.”

05:23 PM BST

Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s attorney, cites text messages exchanged between Cohen and his daughter

Todd Blanche is citing text messages exchanged between Michael Cohen and his daughter.

Cohen says the conversation is being characterised incorrectly. He says he wanted to be personal attorney to Mr Trump in the White House, and wanted “access” without being “a White House employee”.

Cohen claims he did not want to be named general counsel, his voice growing impatient as he adds: “I made that crystal clear”.

“I always said there was no shame being personal attorney to president of the United States,” he tells the court.

05:16 PM BST

Blanche asks Cohen about claim he said he would like to be attorney general

“You told people that you would like to be attorney general, correct?” Todd Blanche asks Michael Cohen, citing a conversation with lawyer Keith Davidson.

Cohen said he did not remember expressing that desire to Mr Davidson.

“You wanted to be named special counsel to President Trump - which was the same title you had for nine and a half years, correct?” Mr Blanche asks.

Cohen answers “No sir”, saying he had been Donald Trump’s personal attorney instead.

05:11 PM BST

Pictured: Eric Trump returns to the courtroom

05:08 PM BST

Trump’s defence attorney ‘hammers away’ at Cohen’s credibility

Todd Blanche is still hammering away at Michael Cohen’s credibility, suggesting to the court that he is a serial liar.

Cohen “definitively stated under oath” to Congress that he did not want to work at the White House, he says. Cohen confirms this.

“The truth is Mr Cohen you really wanted to work at the White House, correct?” Mr Blanche asks.

“No sir,” Cohen says.

“Not just be considered but be named the White House chief of staff, correct?” Mr Blanche followed up.

Cohen: “No sir.”

05:05 PM BST

Todd Blanche, the defence attorney, turns to Cohen’s desire to work at the White House

“Let’s talk about your desire to work at the White House,” Todd Blanche says, changing the subject.

Cohen says he would have “liked to have been considered for ego purpose” as the White House chief of staff.

He also confirmed he wanted to serve as general counsel in Donald Trump’s administration.

05:03 PM BST

Cross-examination of Cohen resumes — Trump’s defence appears to be trying to paint him as unreliable

Michael Cohen admits under questioning that he has made three or four attempts to have his supervised release from prison terminated early.

“In all four of those, one of the reasons stated… was your ongoing cooperation” with prosecutors, Todd Blanche says.

Cohen pushes back, saying he had also earned work credits during his time in Otisville, the medium security prison where he spent more than a year.

Mr Blanche trying again, asks: “You wanted the judge to release you early because of your cooperation?”

“For both those reasons - yes,” Cohen answers.

05:00 PM BST

Pictured: Court sketch of defence attorney Todd Blanche swearing-in

04:52 PM BST

Court resumes after a break

Court has resumed after the break. Michael Cohen is back in the witness stand.

04:51 PM BST

Pictured: Trump returns to the courtroom

04:32 PM BST

Trump gives thumbs-up on his attorney’s performance

Donald Trump, who has stepped out of the courtroom, gave a thumbs-up when he was asked by reporters how Todd Blanche was performing.

The court is now taking a short break.

04:31 PM BST

Trump’s attorney continues the attack over Cohen’s 2019 testimony

Todd Blanche says Cohen asked Robert Costello - a lawyer connected to Rudy Giuliani - to “reach out to people in the administration including Mr Giulinai about the possibility of a pardon”.

When he “testified under oath less than one year later” that he would not accept or ask for a pardon from Donald Trump - “that was a lie wasn’t it?” Mr Blanche asks Cohen.

“At the time it was accurate,” Cohen insists.

He claims that a presidential pardon was being “dangled” and that he simply “wanted this nightmare to end”.

04:28 PM BST

Trump’s attorney turns to Cohen’s 2019 Congress testimony, in which he threatened ‘to torpedo Trump presidency’

Todd Blanche has returned to Michael Cohen’s testimony in front of Congress in February 2019.

“You gave a statement under oath that you never asked for” or would accept “a pardon from President Trump. That was false, correct?” he says.

“No, sir,” Cohen answers.

Mr Blanche asks Cohen whether 10 days later whether he told a deposition he had “directed [his] lawyer to explore the possibility because you [he was] 100 per cent open to accepting it.”

“Yes, sir,” Cohen says.

04:14 PM BST

Under pressure from Trump’s attorney, Cohen hardens his answers

“Do you have any doubt in your mind that the outcome of this federal trial affects you personally?” Todd Blanche asks.

Michael Cohen squints and shakes his head, asking Mr Blanche to clarify. His answers have more of an edge to them now, and he seems to have dropped the “sir” from his earlier responses.

04:10 PM BST

Trump’s attorney continues to attack Cohen on the lying point

Todd Blanche is still hammering away at Michael Cohen on the lying point, suggesting he lied under oath when he pled guilty to get a lighter sentence.

“You’re lying - that’s not accepting responsibility for your conduct is it?” Mr Blanche asked. Cohen pushes back: “I accepted responsibility.”

Mr Blanche says: “When you got the credit at sentencing for accepting responsibility, you got that credit even though you lied. You lied to the judge when you pled guilty.”

“I don’t know Judge Pauley’s determination,” Cohen answers.

03:59 PM BST

Trump’s attorney appears to be ‘trying to get under Cohen’s skin’

Todd Blanche appears to be trying to get under Michael Cohen’s skin in a way he did not on Tuesday.

“I’m not asking for a speech,” he said as Cohen began one answer. “Are you finished,” Mr Blanche asked at another point.

Cohen, a famously volatile personality, has stayed composed so far - but the last comment drew a slightly spikier response. “For now, yes,” he said.

03:56 PM BST

Donald Trump remains composed as Cohen is cross-examined

Donald Trump has stayed fairly impassive while Michael Cohen is cross-examined by his defence team.

His eyes are shut and he is slumped back in his seat, occasionally shifting his posture and interlacing his fingers.

03:54 PM BST

Defence keeps up the pressure on Cohen over 2018 plea deal

Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s attorney, is keeping his fire on Michael Cohen’s plea deal, saying he had claimed the charges “bogus” and “100 per cent inaccurate” in his book.

Cohen also called it “the most corrupt prosecution” in one hundred years in a TikTok stream, Mr Blanche adds. Cohen confirms the statements.

03:49 PM BST

Pictured: Trump supporters wave flags outside the court

03:45 PM BST

Trump’s attorney continues to try to paint Cohen as a serial liar

There is a long pause when Michael Cohen is asked whether he was pressured to accept a guilty plea for campaign finance violations and tax evasion in 2018.

He eventually says he was told that if he did not accept the deal within 48 hours authorities would serve an indictment against his wife.

“I elected to protect my family,” he concludes.

“You felt that you were induced or put under pressure because you were given two days, correct?” Todd Blanche asks.

“Correct,” Cohen answers.

Todd Blanche notes that Cohen had said under oath in his criminal trial that he had not been threatened or induced to accept the plea deal.

“That was a lie?” the defence lawyer asks. “That was not true, correct,” Cohen asks, eventually clarifying - after further questioning - that it was a “lie”.

03:33 PM BST

Blanche questions Cohen’s claims about lying under oath

Todd Blanche is questioning Michael Cohen over his claims that he lied under oath out of loyalty to Donald Trump.

Cohen, referring to a document that he submitted to Congress referring to Mr Trump’s business in Russia, said he had crafted a “two-page document in order to stay on message”.

It was what “we knew Mr Trump wanted”, he continued, adding: “Including Mr Trump’s attorney at the time”.

Pressed by Mr Blanche, Cohen said he was “accepting responsibility” for lying to Congress.

03:30 PM BST

Trump’s defence ratchets up attack on Cohen, suggests he is a serial liar

Michael Cohen is being questioned about the numbers of times he has lied under oath.

“In addition to the times that you’ve testified under oath… you’ve also met with federal agents I believe somewhere around 17 times,” Todd Blanche said.

“Sounds right,” Cohen responds.

“You were told that if you made a false statement, that was a felony, that was a federal crime, is that right?” Cohen confirms this.

Questioned by Mr Blanche, he admits he lied under oath to Congress. The defence seems to be gradually ratcheting up an attack on Cohen, suggesting he is a serial liar.

03:21 PM BST

Cohen admits he has taken ‘some credit’ for getting Donald Trump indicted

Another short podcast extract is played - first to Michael Cohen, who listens through earphones, and then to the court.

“I truly f---ing hope that this man” ends up in prison, Cohen says on the recording.

“Revenge is a dish best served cold and you better believe I want this man to go down and rot inside for what he did to me and my family.”

Repeatedly pressed by Todd Blanche, Michael Cohen admits he has taken “some credit” for getting Donald Trump indicted.

03:19 PM BST

Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s attorney, questions Michael Cohen

Todd Blanche asks Michael Cohen: “That wasn’t the first time that you said you wanted President Trump to get a taste of what you went through?” Cohen answers in the affirmative.

03:16 PM BST

Spotlight turns to Cohen’s podcast attacks on Trump

The spotlight is now turning on Michael Cohen’s podcasts - specifically his attacks on his former boss Donald Trump.

The prosecution objects before it is played to the court but it is overruled by Juan Merchan, who said they discussed the matter during their sidebar.

The court hears a short section of Cohen’s Mea Culpa podcast, reacting to Mr Trump’s indictment. “He is about to get a taste of what I went through,” he says on the recording.

It “fills me with delight and with sadness all at the time - sadness I say because what an embarrassment it is to the office of the presidency”, he continues.

03:15 PM BST

Cohen repeatedly questioned on Rosenberg

Michael Cohen is being repeatedly questioned on whether Jeremy Rosenberg told him that Donald Trump had been indicted - before the indictment had been formally unsealed.

“No, sir,” Cohen answers. Before that, he had repeatedly asked Todd Blanche to clarify his questions, saying they were “confusing”.

He said he did ask Mr Rosenberg for a “heads-up” on a New York Times article that said Mr Trump was going to be indicted.

03:14 PM BST

Pictured: Trump appears in court

03:02 PM BST

Cohen keeps his answers short

Michael Cohen has kept his answers short and to-the-point in the opening minutes of his cross-examination today.

On Tuesday he often danced around questions — saying various insulting descriptions of Donald Trump “sound like something I would say”, for example.

Today he has given brief, respectful answers, often saying “yes sir” and “no sir” while being questioned by Todd Blanche.

02:58 PM BST

Michael Cohen begins his testimony

Michael Cohen’s testimony is now underway. Todd Blanche’s first question is about a supervising investigator in the Manhattan DA’s office called Jeremy Rosenberg.

Asked if he knows someone by that name, Mr Cohen answers: “He works with the district attorney’s office.”

He said he had exchanged texts with Mr Rosenberg on his work and personal phones.

Donald Trump’s legal team have previously attempted to subpoena Mr Rosenberg - but served the papers on the wrong person who had the same name.

02:57 PM BST

The sidebar concludes — Michael Cohen takes the witness stand

The sidebar has finally concluded. Michael Cohen, wearing a pale tie is being led into court and fiddles with his glasses as he takes the witness stand.

02:49 PM BST

More than a dozen join Donald Trump’s entourage, including Republican representatives

More than a dozen people have joined Donald Trump’s entourage for court today, among them Republican representatives Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert.

Eric Trump has turned up to court again and is seated a short distance away from his father in the front row, wearing a baby-blue tie.

The prosecution and defence are still conferring with Juan Merchan. It isn’t clear what they are talking about, but the sidebar has taken well over ten minutes now.

02:47 PM BST

Lawyers confer with the judge as Trump adopts a familiar posture

The prosecution and defence teams have clustered around the bench and are conferring with Juan Merchan after a request by Todd Blanche.

Mr Trump is in a familiar posture: eyes closed, occasionally shifting about in his seat and scratching his chin.

02:37 PM BST

The trial begins as Trump says supporters kept away by ‘Fort Knox’-style security

Justice Juan Merchan is now seated on the bench. The court is now in session.

Before heading into court, Donald Trump complained that supporters had been kept away by “Fort Knox”-style security and that the trial was an attempt to damage his re-election bid.

He told reporters: “Outside, if you take a look, it looks like Fort Knox. So many police and they don’t allow people to come. You’re not allowed to have friendly protests, we’re not allowed to have anything here.”

“This was a crime that wasn’t going to be done but when I announced I was running, they wrote it up. They could have done it seven years ago, seven years ago, but they wanted to do it right smack in the middle of the election.”

Mr Trump continued: “And it’s a shame what they’re doing what they’re doing in terms of suppression. And election interference has never been anything like that. The good news is the polls are through the roof.”

02:34 PM BST

Pictured: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer turned star prosecution witness

02:30 PM BST

Trump enters the courtroom wearing a ‘cheeto-dusted’ golden-orange tie

Donald Trump has entered the courtroom after speaking to media on the hallway outside, on the fifteenth floor of Manhattan Criminal Court.

As on Tuesday, he is accompanied by a number of political allies, among them the right-wing Florida congressman Matt Gaetz.

Trump is wearing a golden-orange tie - of a shade that Michael Cohen might describe as “cheeto-dusted”.

He has taken his seat where he is flanked by his lawyers, and spent some time speaking to Emil Bove on his left before turning to Todd Blanche, who will shortly resume his cross-examination of Cohen.

02:26 PM BST

Pictured: People queue outside Manhattan Criminal Court

02:20 PM BST

Trump’s motorcade arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court

Donald Trump’s motorcade has arrived at Manhattan Criminal Court. The former president is expected to speak to media gathered outside the courtroom before heading inside, with proceedings scheduled to begin within minutes.

02:17 PM BST

Outside the court in Manhattan: ponchos, plaid shirts and medical marijuana

The scene outside Manhattan Criminal Court is a sea of umbrellas as press and the public queue for the second day of Michael Cohen’s cross-examination.

Most people were dressed in coats or waterproof ponchos - those who stood in line since last night had come armed with tarpaulin and shower curtains against the rain.

However, one man, who gave his name as Jim, had been queueing since 10pm yesterday evening in shorts and a colourful plaid shirt that he brought with him from Florida.

“If you really want to know - I’m a little high,” he said cheerfully, producing what he said was medical marijuana from his pocket.

Jim said he wanted to see Donald Trump convicted - “the guy is obviously all kinds of crooked” - but had doubts about how strong the case against him was.

He was torn on Michael Cohen, who will be grilled by Mr Trump’s legal team when proceedings resume. “I don’t like the guy,” he said. “But I like what he’s doing now - go Michael.”

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